Women travelling solo - an adventure?
Author: Liisa Pietila
3 Commentries
Increasingly women solo travellers have become a significant sub-market in tourism. In the US one third of domestic vacations are taken by a person travelling alone, of which around a half are women. The motivation to travel alone is a sum of various justifications. Psychological and physical push and pull factors influence on the choice of travel. There is not one reason for to travel solo but several motivational factors have an effect to go on a holiday alone. Solitary travel is seen as an experience that has a sense of freedom to it. Solo travel is also about an adventure and curiosity.
The motivation for women travelling alone could be explained by using Maslow's theory of motivation where the needs of the tourist are in order according to their motivational strength. Psychological, safety, belongingness needs are considered as lower motivational needs whereas self-esteem and self-actualisation are higher needs. According to a study women have higher motivational needs than men indicating that women seek to find a sense of self-confidence, empowerment and resistance to the traditional roles when travelling.
These needs can be categorised to five specific motivational reasons for women to travel alone: experience, escape, self-esteem, relaxation and social needs. Women do not travel alone only to see new places but to get new knowledge, experiences and to feel independent in a way to escape the pressure from society. Also facing the constraints, such as cultural acceptance, can act as motivation to travel in order to gain better confidence in skills and care of oneself. According to these motivations solo travelling could be seen as an adventure where risk is present and the traditionally masculine activity is challenged.
Adventure tourism is not only mountain climbing or other risky activities, it is neither the destination; travelling alone per se is an adventure. Only the activities sought and adventure destinations when holidaying do not constitute an adventure, but it is the nature of the holiday that matters. What is experienced before, during and after travel make it an adventure. For women travelling alone is generally as much as an inner as it is an outer adventure. The core characteristics of adventure tourism - uncertain outcomes, risk, challenge, anticipated rewards, novelty, excitement, escapism, exploration and various emotional changes - are all present when travelling alone. Uncertainty, risk and challenge are linked together when doing something new or unfamiliar. The outcome of travel is uncertain and the possibility of risk is present. For many it is a challenge to go for a holiday alone as they need to rely on their own skills and abilities.
The result of solo travel is usually a positive one as it is often central to have control over one's own choices. Women are able to achieve their goals for self-discovery, empowerment and self-improvement. The journey offers rewards and stimulates the emotions and allowed to escape from the normal life. When taking an adventure women challenge their own and society's ideas of a traditional woman and look for acceptance by challenging mental obstacles. It requires boldness and confidence to go for an exploration without companions. Often travel guides directed to women enforce this kind of thinking and inspire women to be open to adventure and face their fears alone. In addition, they challenge the male dominated gaze that adventure tourism commonly has.
Thus it could be argued that women travelling alone can be seen as adventuresses, as the risk is present and they need to rely on their own skills and experiences. Without risk the adventure cannot be experienced, but when the risk becomes too big a misadventure might occur. Still it is the outcome of the journey that inspires to travel alone. When women are able to resist the surveillance and when the risk is not overpowering they can fulfil their high motivational needs for travel.
As a result from the journey are freedom, strength and empowerment, which continue to drive women to travel alone. They might not be identified before the journey, but could be recognised during the journey or afterwards. Through the personal adventure women allow themselves to prioritise their own needs and wants and to take time from the possibly busy family/ work life. The sense of freedom is important for many women. It is a way of escape that enables experiencing something new of the surroundings and also of oneself. Taking an adventure without others demands courage to trust own skills and knowledge, which can lead to self-improvement and better confidence. Travelling alone for women is an escape from the femininity that challenges the dominant masculine image of adventure. Although adventure tourism can be seen mainly as a manly form of tourism, for women the adventure is more an inner adventure which often has more importance in the psychological level than in physical.
Elsrud, T. (2005), Recapturing the Adventuress: Narratives on Identity and Gendered Positioning in Backpacking, Tourism Review International, vol. 9, pp. 123-137.
Harris, C. and Wilson, E. (2007), Travelling Beyond the Boundaries of Constraint: Women, Travel and Empowerment, in Pritchard, A. et al. ed. Tourism & Gender, Wallingford: CAB International.
Wilson, E. and Harris, C. (2006), Meaningful Travel: Women, Independent Travel and the Search for Self and Meaning, Tourism, vol. 54 (no. 2), pp. 161-172.
The motivation for women travelling alone could be explained by using Maslow's theory of motivation where the needs of the tourist are in order according to their motivational strength. Psychological, safety, belongingness needs are considered as lower motivational needs whereas self-esteem and self-actualisation are higher needs. According to a study women have higher motivational needs than men indicating that women seek to find a sense of self-confidence, empowerment and resistance to the traditional roles when travelling.
These needs can be categorised to five specific motivational reasons for women to travel alone: experience, escape, self-esteem, relaxation and social needs. Women do not travel alone only to see new places but to get new knowledge, experiences and to feel independent in a way to escape the pressure from society. Also facing the constraints, such as cultural acceptance, can act as motivation to travel in order to gain better confidence in skills and care of oneself. According to these motivations solo travelling could be seen as an adventure where risk is present and the traditionally masculine activity is challenged.
Adventure tourism is not only mountain climbing or other risky activities, it is neither the destination; travelling alone per se is an adventure. Only the activities sought and adventure destinations when holidaying do not constitute an adventure, but it is the nature of the holiday that matters. What is experienced before, during and after travel make it an adventure. For women travelling alone is generally as much as an inner as it is an outer adventure. The core characteristics of adventure tourism - uncertain outcomes, risk, challenge, anticipated rewards, novelty, excitement, escapism, exploration and various emotional changes - are all present when travelling alone. Uncertainty, risk and challenge are linked together when doing something new or unfamiliar. The outcome of travel is uncertain and the possibility of risk is present. For many it is a challenge to go for a holiday alone as they need to rely on their own skills and abilities.
The result of solo travel is usually a positive one as it is often central to have control over one's own choices. Women are able to achieve their goals for self-discovery, empowerment and self-improvement. The journey offers rewards and stimulates the emotions and allowed to escape from the normal life. When taking an adventure women challenge their own and society's ideas of a traditional woman and look for acceptance by challenging mental obstacles. It requires boldness and confidence to go for an exploration without companions. Often travel guides directed to women enforce this kind of thinking and inspire women to be open to adventure and face their fears alone. In addition, they challenge the male dominated gaze that adventure tourism commonly has.
Thus it could be argued that women travelling alone can be seen as adventuresses, as the risk is present and they need to rely on their own skills and experiences. Without risk the adventure cannot be experienced, but when the risk becomes too big a misadventure might occur. Still it is the outcome of the journey that inspires to travel alone. When women are able to resist the surveillance and when the risk is not overpowering they can fulfil their high motivational needs for travel.
As a result from the journey are freedom, strength and empowerment, which continue to drive women to travel alone. They might not be identified before the journey, but could be recognised during the journey or afterwards. Through the personal adventure women allow themselves to prioritise their own needs and wants and to take time from the possibly busy family/ work life. The sense of freedom is important for many women. It is a way of escape that enables experiencing something new of the surroundings and also of oneself. Taking an adventure without others demands courage to trust own skills and knowledge, which can lead to self-improvement and better confidence. Travelling alone for women is an escape from the femininity that challenges the dominant masculine image of adventure. Although adventure tourism can be seen mainly as a manly form of tourism, for women the adventure is more an inner adventure which often has more importance in the psychological level than in physical.
Elsrud, T. (2005), Recapturing the Adventuress: Narratives on Identity and Gendered Positioning in Backpacking, Tourism Review International, vol. 9, pp. 123-137.
Harris, C. and Wilson, E. (2007), Travelling Beyond the Boundaries of Constraint: Women, Travel and Empowerment, in Pritchard, A. et al. ed. Tourism & Gender, Wallingford: CAB International.
Wilson, E. and Harris, C. (2006), Meaningful Travel: Women, Independent Travel and the Search for Self and Meaning, Tourism, vol. 54 (no. 2), pp. 161-172.