Nature and food are the biggest drawcards for Asian female travellers, a new study has revealed.
In a report released to coincide with International Women’s Day, TripAdvisor found that nature (cited by 65% of respondents) is the biggest attraction for Asian women when travelling, followed by food (61%) and art & history (56%). By contrast, only 30% said that shopping was an important consideration.
Surveying 2,800 female travellers across Asia, TripAdvisor found that Japan, Thailand and Australia were the most desirable destinations, while the US was the top long-haul option.
And it appears that Asian women are becoming increasingly affluent and independent; 83% of respondents said they contributed financially to their last personal trip, and 27% funded the entire holiday – including for their travel companions. Fifty percent of women make all the travel decisions while 46% include their partner in the planning process.
“It’s encouraging to see Asian female travellers breaking stereotypes and not just leading the travel planning and booking process, but also having the purchasing power,” said Janice Lee Fang, TripAdvisor’s communications director for Asia Pacific.
Asian female travellers also believe that travel has had a positive impact on their lives, with 68% saying their travels have helped them learn about the world and 33% saying that travel has changed the way they think and the way they live their lives.
Breaking down these positive impacts by country, 46% of Chinese women said they feel liberated when they travel, while 42% of Japanese women say travel makes them feel bold and gives them a sense of adventure. Forty-six percent of Indian and 36% of Indonesian women revealed that travel gave them more self-confidence, but 40% of Singaporean women said travel makes them appreciate home more.
Of the respondents who travelled solo on their last trip, 73% said it gave them a sense of freedom, while 43% said travelling alone made for a less stressful travel experience, and 34% said they liked the challenge of stepping out of their comfort zone. Women in Japan are the most independent with one in five (20%) having travelled alone on their last trip.
But safety remains a concern; 69% of solo Asian female travellers said they avoid going out late at night, while 56% avoid quiet streets and 37% avoid wearing expensive items (37%).
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