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Female travelers and motivations behind their travels

Female travelers and motivations behind their travels
Author: Ada Brander
1 Commentries
Abstract: Many authors have noticed in recent years that there is lack of literature and research made of women travelers and especially solo female travelers. Mainly all the existing literature about female travelers is still about Western and normally wealthier women travelers, even though several studies have been made lately about foreign women around the world. Lately new topics as gender and sex have become popular topics to research as many authors have mentioned. Although some authors have suggested, that in Western societies’ these subjects as genders, masculinities and feminist are already seen more last century and old-fashioned, still same time women are traveling and exploring more, especially by themselves, which makes it important research topic. Also women present around half of the whole pleasure and business market, making this segment valuable. It is important to study motives behind female travelers and how women are received especially when they travel solo and more important how 'geography of women's fear' affects on destination choosing and satisfaction.


Keywords: Female travelers, solo travel, gender, tourism, empowerment


Female travelers are not a new trend in tourism field and there is some literature from the 19th century, when women started to travel more for several reasons to gain independency and possibility to influence on the world around them. 1970’s Davidson started her journeys same time writing about her experiences as a female solo traveler in other culture and environment encouraging women to be more independent solo travelers (Pritchard et al,. 2007). Wearing (1998) discusses about how women have been taught their whole life since they were young kids how to behave in certain ways like; not to get dirty or to break clothes, to avoid dangerous challenges or getting hurt. This can already be seen as a constraint as it limits the use of space that girls and later on women use. Also norms as, how parents are used to worry how girls are safe in public space can easily limit use of public space even in adulthood, this naturally can influence on ways how women travel and choose their destinations (Pritchard et al., 2007). Nowadays women are naturally travelling more and independently as well, this trend has been growing all the time and same time having attention from the researchers on the field (Bond, 1997). Motives behind the solo traveling are clear. Women want to feel more independent and being self-determinate about their own lives and decisions. Women also feel it is important to challenge themselves and make something empowering by getting out of the comfort zones, whilst also meeting new people and cultures while travelling (Wilson and Little, 2005). Travelling solo is choice women have done, making journey without groups or operators to gain new experiences and gaining some self-confidence as well. Whilst doing this, these females are breaking some stereotypes of women being vulnerable and also stereotype of being stamped to be only caregivers, who are not eager to experience adventures. Bialeschki (2005) reminds that because of the fear of danger, female travelers seem to choose ‘’safe’’ options whilst travels, meaning careful consideration where to travel and what kind of activities to choose under the fear of getting violated in unfamiliar places and cultures.
Term ‘geography of women’s fear’ was introduced first by Valentine (1989), when she made her study how women have made ‘mental maps’ about places they feel unsafe because of the experiences or stories from other travelers and media. This ‘mental map’ can limit how women travel and how they choose all activities and places just to avoid getting under harassment or assault by men, as it has been proven that women are in bigger danger of getting attacked while travelling alone, because it is seen out of the ‘norms’ (Sham, Omar and Amat, 2012). While travelling travelers face all the time new unfamiliar societies and cultures which can make it uncomfortable for the travelers, as they are outsiders with different habits and behavior, putting women especially under scrutinize when travelling solo (Wilson and Little, 2008). Because of the attention these female solo travelers might gather, they are forced to use different type of coping mechanisms i.e. clothing, avoiding certain places, just to avoid difficult or even dangerous situations as they are outsiders in the society and not possibly knowing role of the women in the culture (Valentine, 1989). Fear on the minds women are forced to travel with consideration and safe planning, as they are seen easy vulnerable victims, old gender roles are still ruling and making it hard for woman to travel solo as families and even governments are concerned of this kind of activities, as it is not seen safe. This causing fear for women before and in actual travel, pointing that fear is not felt only towards destination it is the whole concept of female solo traveling (Wilson and Little, 2008).

Pritchard, A., Ateljevic, I., Morgan, N., and Harris, C. (2007) Tourism and Gender: Embodiment, Sensuality and Experience. CABI.

Valentine, G. (1989) The geography of women’s fear. Area 21

Wilson,E., and Little, D.E. (2008) The solo female travel experience: Exploring the ‘Geography of Women’s fear’ Current Issues in Tourism 11 (2).
Women and Tourism
Author: Anna Jata
I decided to comment this conference paper because the topic aroused my interest as I used to travel alone. Tourism is a collection of human activities, behaviors and practices that are gendered in their consumption, presentation and construction. The author pointed out that female travelers are not a new trend in the field of tourism. It is truth that women have been travelled for centuries, although, in comparison to these days, it was likely a relatively rare phenomenon in the past (Figeroa-Domecq et al , 2015).

Although female travellers is not a new phenomenon, according to some experts, the relationship between gender and tourism received a determined attention only in the mid-1990s (Figeroa-Domecq et al , 2015). The work by Kinnaird and Hall “Tourism: a gender analysis” published in 1994 in the Great Britain would be relevant to this topic as it observes the tourism impact from the perspective of gender analyses focusing on opportunities, roles, expectations and needs of women in the tourism industry, which is globally important and have rapid changes. In addition would be relevant in 1997 published by Sinclair work “Gender, work and tourism”, which presents the essential played by women role in tourism.

The author emphasised motives behind solo traveling such as a want to feel more independent, being self-determinate about individual lives and decisions, meeting new cultures and people, gaining new experiences as well as self-confidence. From my own experience I would like to add such motives to travel solo as desire to be alone, a wish to experience new ways of life as well as different interests with a partner or friends and discrepancies of vacation times. In addition to motivations the author presents significant arguments about woman’s fear of danger further in her work. In general this is a good piece of work, however some primary data would be useful to understand better the expressions and perceptions of fear as well as motivations of women to travel alone.


References:


Figueroa-Domecq, C., Pritchard A., Segovia-Pérez M., Morgan, N and Villacé-Molinero, T. (2015) Tourism gender research: a critical accounting. Annals of Tourism Research 52, 87–103

Kinnaird, V. and Hall. D. (1994) Tourism: a gender analysis. Chischester: Wiley.

Sinclair, M. T. (1997) Gender, work and tourism. London: Routledge.