2019 has well and truly seen the rise of the wander woman. Over the past few years women have tipped the scales and have become the majority of travelers over men. Female business traveler trends. Female travel trends. 

Wondering what the travel forecast is for 2020? The following are female travel trends you should know about for your next trip overseas.

More Active Adventures

“The average adventure traveler is not a 28-year old male, but a 47-year-old female. And she wears a size 12 dress.” – Marybeth Bond

Women are starting to move away from luxury vacations that focus on relaxation and spa treatments and spend their money on more active adventures instead. Like pitch abseiling in the Blue Mountains, or taking an acrobatic flight instead of a scenic helicopter ride (both of which can be booked in Australia through Everything But Flowers).

Most women are looking to have “experiences” when they travel. They want to spend as much time away from the hotel as the next traveler, and they want to explore and discover destinations which are unusual and new.

According to the Adventure Travel Trade Association, timeless destinations like London, Paris and Rome are starting to lose out to more exotic locales in South America, Asia and India. Popular destinations among female travelers. 

Ice Climbing on Sólheimajökull Glacier Iceland.

Most women are looking to have “experiences” when they travel.

Stylish, Comfortable & Versatile Fashion

2019 saw a quest for beauty while traveling. Whether or not that’s a good thing, women this year are still aiming to travel in style. Though comfort and versatility have become key factors in travel fashion choices.

I mean, why travel with a scarf when you can travel with a scarf which has built-in hidden zip pockets to hold and carry your essentials? Why try and stuff your suitcase with 10 pairs of shoes when one pair of interchangeable sandals will give you shoes for every occasion? Why travel with a shirt, a skirt, a dress, a scarf, & clothes for some serious partying, when you can travel with one garment which covers it all? What women wear when they travel. 

Women in 2020 might be more fashion focused than before, but they’re generally only willing to buy something if it’s comfortable too. And we’ll go ga-ga over almost anything if it’s versatile. Female travel fashion trends.

Comfort and versatility have become key factors in travel fashion choices.

Comfort and versatility have become key factors in travel fashion choices.

Not Going it Alone

2019 was the year of solo female travel. But in 2020 girls are deciding they like to travel together. You are not alone, you always have someone to rely on. You can talk, laugh and share beautiful memories when you’re with a companion or group. And traveling with other girls means not having to deal with awkward propositions! Female travel companion wanted. Find women to travel with. 

Mobile app Tourlina has popped up just in time to cater to this trend; a free app which empowers women to find a female travel companion.

It’s the first women-only travel app that lets you connect with other solo females who are visiting the same destination and share the same interests. It offers the chance to travel with inspirational women you may never have known about otherwise! Looking for a female travel companion.

In a similar fashion to Tinder, you enter vacation dates and times, and swipe right or left to choose a travel companion. Once you choose someone, you can start chatting to organize your plans. Find a friend to travel with.

Everyone is verified, and, like Tinder, you’ll only be able to interact with other travelers if you match. The team at Tourlina manually check every new user to make sure they’re female and not a fake. Tinder for travelers. 

If you like the idea of travelling with a female companion download Tourlina on iOS. The Android version is on the way. The community is growing at a very fast rate, and user reviews have been fantastic. Travel with a girl. 

Not Quitting Their Jobs to Travel the World

Likewise with solo travel, 2019 was the year of quitting your job to travel the world. Though women this year are realizing that travel doesn’t always have to be about leaving everything behind. Sometimes you might actually like your job, and the stable lifestyle of a 9-5. Sometimes you might actually enjoy the security of having a home base to return to.

While there are many travelers right now realizing their dreams of full time travel, there are many more successfully juggling a full time corporate job. Women in 2020 are recognizing that it is absolutely possible for to take up travel without sacrificing other elements of their lives.

While there are many travelers right now realizing their dreams of full time travel, there are many more successfully juggling a full time corporate job.

While there are many travelers right now realizing their dreams of full time travel, there are many more successfully juggling a full time corporate job.

Women are Increasingly Bi-Lingual

Women are becoming increasingly bi-lingual, which is making international travel much safer, easier and a lot more rewarding too.

Being bi-lingual opens up new social and cultural opportunities, meaning you can interact with different people and understand the nuances of another culture. This means you might have more opportunities to make friends and achieve a more local experience while abroad.

“Travel can also be cheaper when you speak the language of the country you’re visiting. You won’t be limited to staying in expensive foreigner hotels, eating at restaurants where the staff speaks English or traveling with a tour group. Instead, you can find your own way and experience the country the way a local would. You might enjoy cheaper access to museums because you don’t have to pay for a foreign-language guide.” – Katherine Kostiuk.

A Focus on Local Travel

Nowadays, women are looking for a more local, authentic experience when traveling. And their expectations for travel have grown beyond normal travel agents. Female travel trends. Are women traveling the world more than men?

Women in 2019 are looking for more intellectual stimulation and “experience” in their travel.  They are also looking for these trips without paying the high costs that some of these trips have commanded in the past.

They are a big part of the push towards socially responsible tourism, and realize that we have the power to choose who we open our wallets to, and that where we choose to travel has real economic and political significance. Using their power as consumers and economic leverage as travelers, women are beginning to throw their support behind the most ethical destinations and organizations, and are sending a message to the rest of the world in doing so.

The children volunteers work with in Ethiopia have lost their birth families due to extreme poverty, AIDS and other life-threatening conditions. Without volunteer programs, these children would be living on the streets.

International skills-based volunteering, or “Experteering, is more than just an immersive trip, it’s a transformative experience that benefits all parties and helps build a better world.

There’s no Age Limit on Female Travel

There’s no age limit on female travel in 2019, and while travel was once seen as a pastime of the young and responsibility-free, older travelers are more likely to globetrot than the younger generation. And they’re more intrepid too!

We’re seeing a trend that as people get older they only want to travel more. “Quite often one hears of grannies and grandads cycling across the United States or Canada, or from Helsinki to Gibraltar, or from Mexico to Patagonia.” This 90 year old woman with cancer said no to chemo and yes to traveling the world in a camper. Women traveling the world. Female traveler statistics. 

Senior citizens are now considered one of the fastest growing demographics in travel. Some of that can be attributed to the growth of the widowed and divorced, rising growth of “indies” and the growing longevity and vitality of those in their senior years. Travel is a great way to keep physically and mentally fit once you’re retired, and to take part in social life.

INSPIRED? PIN THIS TO YOUR TRAVEL PINTEREST BOARDS ↓

The following are female travel trends you should know about for your next trip overseas.

The following are female travel trends you should know about for your next trip overseas.

Megan is an Australian Journalist who has been travelling and blogging since 2007, with the main aim of inspiring others to embark on their own worldwide adventure. Her husband Mike is an American travel photographer, and together they have made the world their home.

Committed to bringing you the best in adventure travel from all around the globe, there is no mountain too high, and no fete too extreme! They haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on their list.

Follow their journey on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.

Photo credits: Ice climbing in Iceland by The Legendary Adventures of Anna. Girl with child in Ethiopia by Bre. Local sewing by Jim Holmes for AusAID.