Discovering the Experiences of Asian Vietnamese Solo Traveller

Abstract

Solo travelling has significantly increased as the year passed by after the occurrence of the pandemic. This increase includes the number of Asian women solo travellers who seek to explore different countries but are hindered by various experiences.

Keywords: Travelling, solo, Asian, women, travellers

Gender has a great impact on women when it comes to travelling, especially on challenges towards their safety at the airport or in public places. It became common for women to travel alone, and go to places without any company. This indicates that gender inequality still does not exist in some chosen countries. Women are seen as weak whenever they are exploring places alone. Based on the various studies and reports, there are various complaints about the experiences of women during their travels. These experiences revolve around the injustice of women's rights. This is the reason why women travelling solo choose their next locations carefully, and considering things first. Women prefer countries where gender equality is actively promoted. Some countries highly prioritise women, but in a few, they view women as less optimistic. People can easily conclude that in some countries, men are living better lives compared to women (Horowitz & Fetterolf, 2020).
The Asian women who travel solo may have different experiences and coping mechanisms when they encounter unfortunate events on their trips. Some women gained anxieties and fear, while others carried and applied it as a lesson for their next trips. Asian women have this sense of resiliency that their negative experiences can be converted into something that could motivate them to be independent, and more positive. Asian women are known to be mostly controlled by their families due to their conservative beliefs. They will put their families first before themselves. Furthermore, they will set aside their goals if they do not abide by the opinions of their family. That is why solo travel is the first hindrance for them to conquer in the first place. They cannot travel easily on their own because of their friends, family, and the pressure that they receive from their culture. Asian women are restricted in a lot of things, which makes them less confident in travelling compared to other races. However, once they successfully gain permission from their families, they still have to deal with other perceptions of Asian women. They are seen as vulnerable, and easy prey. Asian women are prone to negative occurrences like harassment and discrimination, whether in the airport or the country. These stories were never heard, identified, or reported because the media themselves attempt to remove all of these kinds of news due to the patriarchy of the world. The terrible encounters of Asian women during their solo travels are left unseen and neglected (Yang et. al., 2018).
However, these Asian women who travelled solo used these experiences to become more independent, and protective of themselves when abroad. For instance, Vietnamese women included these negative encounters as one of the best things that ever happened to them. The harassment, inferiority, and conservative culture of Asians were nothing to them. They even lied to their parents because they will not permitted to travel alone. 62% of the Vietnamese women solo travellers admitted that they deceived their parents concerning their future trips to prevent settling down in Vietnam and getting married. Growing up, Asians are resilient, and living in a patriarchal society is easy for them to cope with. In Vietnam, there were already reports that, even in their own country, women are prey to men. That is why these female solo travellers have the spirit, and confidence to see bad experiences as a good opportunity for life lessons. These Vietnamese women solo travellers wanted to see the world and build more confidence as they travel. Vietnamese women are pushed by different motivators to leave their own country as well due to difficulties. They push themselves to be more resilient in other countries to survive, for new memories, new experiences. All of the bad experiences and hindrances that they will encounter in the future, will just be nothing to them (Nguyen, 2021).
References
Horowitz, J.M. and Fetterolf, J. (2020) Worldwide Optimism About Future of Gender Equality, Even as Many See Advantages for Men. Pew Research Center. Available from https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/04/30/worldwide-optimism-about-future-of-gender-equality-even-as-many-see-advantages-for-men/ [accessed 21 May 2024].
Nguyen, T.H.Y. (2021) Challenges in Ensuring the Rights of Vietnamese Migrant Workers in the Globalization Context – The Two Sides of the Development Process. Asian Yearbook of International Law. Available from https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004501249/BP000017.xml [accessed 21 May 2024].
Yang, E.C.L., Lee, J.S.H., and Khoo-Lattimore, C. (2018) Asian Cultures and Contemporary Tourism: Locating Asia, Cultural Differences and Trends. Perspectives on Asian Tourism, 25, 154-184.. Available from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323408023_Asian_Cultures_and_Contemporary_Tourism_Locating_Asia_Cultural_Differences_and_Trends [accessed 21 May 2024].

This article explores the complexities of solo travelling for women in Asia in the aftermath of the epidemic, particularly the impact of gender, ethnicity and cultural background on their travel experiences. The article clearly points out that the main challenges faced by Asian women in travelling include gender discrimination, cultural pressures, and societal stereotypes of female solo travellers. The author demonstrates a solid research base in approaching this topic by citing studies by Horowitz and Fetterolf (2020) and Yang et al. (2018), which delve into the issue of gender inequality in both global and Asian cultural contexts. These citations not only provide theoretical support for the article, but also enable readers to better understand the unique challenges Asian women face when travelling. From a dialectical perspective, while the authors highlight the difficulties Asian women face when travelling alone, they also demonstrate the resilience and adaptability they show in dealing with these challenges. For example, the ability of Vietnamese women to turn negative experiences into opportunities for personal growth when faced with them is well worth exploring further. Such resilience and adaptability is not only a reflection of personal traits, but also a defiance of traditional cultural and social expectations. I believe that future research could delve deeper into the specific experiences and coping mechanisms of women travelling alone in different Asian countries. Each country's culture, social norms, and legal environment may have different impacts on women's travelling experiences. For example, there may be significant differences in the experiences of female travellers in countries such as Japan, South Korea and India. By comparatively analysing the situation in these countries, a more comprehensive understanding of the diverse challenges faced by Asian women in travelling and their coping strategies can be developed.

In addition, the article could explore how the tourism industry can better support female solo travellers. What measures can tourism operators take to improve the safety and comfort of female travellers? For example, providing women-only accommodation options, guided tours and safety guides are all worth exploring. This paper provides important insights in the context of the conference theme, ‘The Everyday Complexities of Tourism Participation’. It highlights the key role that culture and gender play in the tourism experience in the context of globalisation. The experiences of female travellers in Asia demonstrate the importance of gender equality and cultural inclusiveness, which have far-reaching implications for the development of tourism.

Overall, the strengths of this paper lie in its in-depth analysis of the impact of gender and culture on travel, and the identification of challenges and coping strategies for women travelling alone. Future research could further explore the specific experiences of female travellers in different countries and cultures, providing a more diverse and comprehensive perspective.

References:
Horowitz, J.M., & Fetterolf, J. (2020). Worldwide optimism about the future of gender equality, even as many see advantages for men. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www. pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/04/30/worldwide-optimism-about-future-of-gender-equality-even-as-many-see-advantages-for-men/

Yang, E.C.L., Lee, J.S.H., & Khoo-Lattimore, C. (2018). Asian cultures and contemporary tourism: locating Asia, cultural differences and trends. Asian Tourism Perspectives, 25, 154-184. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323408023_Asian_Cultures_and_Contemporary_Tourism_Locating_Asia_Cultural_Differences_and_ Trends