🌟 Women on the Move: Celebrating All-Female Travel Adventures!
During my
years in the travel business, I’ve met a lot of people and formed close
friendships with many of my female colleagues. In fact, there’s a group of us
who regularly meet up at conferences and retreats. Although I certainly enjoy
traveling with my husband, being with my friends is very special.
Women are traveling more and more in
groups these days, even into space. On April 14, the first space flight with an
all-female crew went up aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft, the New Shephard, The
ten-minute flight to the edge of space marked the first time a spacecraft
crewed entirely by women had launched since the Soviets sent cosmonaut
Valentina Tereshkova on a solo orbital mission in 1963. Among the six women on
board the Blue Origin flight were singer Katy Perry and journalists Gayle King
and Lauren Sanchez.
Trips to space are beyond the reach
of most women—at least for now—but many of them are still venturing out in
groups that deliberately exclude men. Well, men go on trips together all the
time, after all, to fishing camps and football games, and so an all-female trip
is just fine, too. But these trips are much more than just overnight
excursions. USA Today writer Kathleen Wong recently wrote about her recent
all-women trip, hiking the trails near Moab, Utah.
Wong contracted with Wildland
Trekking to join two other women on the trek through the magnificent “red
rocks” of Arches National Park. (Having hiked there myself, I could relate!) It
was her first time for several things: camping in a tent, exploring the
grandeur of Utah and doing it with three women she’d never met, including the
guide.
How did it go? Wong said being with
like-minded women made it feel “comfortable, easy and supportive, even if we
hadn’t crossed paths before.” Just as men enjoy the camaraderie of their trips,
women do, too, says Viviana McGovern, CEO of Full Vida Therapy, who specializes
in women’s mental health. “Women-only travel can create a uniquely safe and
affirming space for those who join. Confidence often builds naturally when
women are surrounded by others who encourage growth, risk-taking and
self-trust. It can be quite a transformative experience.”
All-women group travel is on the
rise. A recent industry survey noted that 40% of women travelers “seek a sense
of belonging” on their trips, and 71% aren’t afraid to go about it on their
own, without waiting for anyone else. Wong writes that she was a little nervous
at the start, having no previous experience with camping—she worried about
being without a real bed, or running water—but said she found “an immediate and
unspoken understanding among us where we didn’t have to be ‘on.’” Over dinner,
the conversation ranged from relationships to families to talk about what being
feminine meant to them. Wong considers the Moab trip to be one of her best,
right up there with her first all-woman vacation, a surf retreat in Costa Rica
two years earlier.
The cruise industry has taken notice
of the trend. Many cruise lines offer special packages for all-women groups,
focusing on relaxation, activities and customized tours. Online groups like
SheSetsSail and the Mermaid Society on Facebook offer safe and inclusive spaces
for sharing tips, stories and planning adventures.
Ready to get your galpals together
for a trip? Give us a call, and we’ll get you out there!
