Women over 50 are leaving their kids and husbands behind to travel the world in growing trend
Travel is as popular as ever, and one demographic is increasingly contributing to this boom: solo women over 50.
According to a recent survey by Journeywoman, a whopping two-thirds of women in this age bracket consider themselves “solo travellers”, leaving spouses and kids behind to travel the world.
More and more women are no longer waiting for the “right time” to travel, and are choosing to bite the bullet and head out on their dream trips.
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One woman who’s done just that is Caroline Hermes, who is choosing to explore far-flung corners of the world in her older years.
The 66-year-old has recently taken two trips, one to Kenya and one to Egypt, and has a holiday booked for Morocco later this year.
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She tells 9Travel her number one piece of advice for anyone who wants to do the same is to “just do it”.
Married to a farmer and with two grown sons, Caroline found it “impossible” find time where she could tee up a holiday with her loved ones – so she went without them.
And according to the Wall Street Journal, the trick to a good marriage is taking holidays without your partner.
US market research firm Phocuswright reports a 46 per cent increase last year in people over 55 travelling without their significant other, the majority of whom were women.
The tourism industry has sat up and paid attention to these stats, with many brands choosing to cater specifically to older women looking at travelling on their own.
Cruise lines are adding more single-passenger staterooms, group tour operators are scrapping single supplements, and companies are increasingly catering explicitly to older solo travellers.
Caroline’s last two trips were with Girls’ Guide to the World, which offers female-only group tours.
The tour company’s founder, Doni Belau, reports seeing unprecedented demand for women-only trips to places like Bhutan, Nepal, and the Galapagos, with many selling out within days.
”Women are increasingly prioritising their travel experiences as they get older, no longer waiting for friends or family to join them,” says Doni.
On her trip to Egypt, Caroline says that everyone else in the group was a solo traveller.
“There’s a real sense of camaraderie and inclusion,” she says. “I wouldn’t be comfortable joining a mixed tour as a solo traveller, but I intend to do more of these types of tours.”
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Caroline chose to travel as part of a group tour for peace of mind. “There’s nothing to do but turn up and enjoy yourself,” she says.
“Having your luggage and rooms and itinerary and sightseeing all organised for you, is priceless. No standing outside an airport or train station wondering where to get a taxi.”
She also cheekily says that she loves going about tours and activities “with no fear that any menfolk are bored”.
One memory she relishes to this day is a flight her group made on a tiny passenger plane while touring in Africa.
“On one of our flights the pilot and co-pilot were both Kenyan women, the passengers were our two female guides, plus our group of 10 guests. It made for an all-female gang, which was a wonderful moment.”
Even Girls’ Guide to the World‘s luxury offerings have been soaring in popularity – a recent five-star yacht trip through the Galapagos, priced at close to double the amount of their typical tours, sold out in 10 days.
“Women 45 and older are in a unique position to spend more on themselves now than ever before,” says Doni, “and they’re choosing to do so on experiences that enrich their lives.”
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