Somewhere in the departure lounge of almost every airport these days sits a familiar figure.
Laptop open. Passport ready. A single carry-on bag at her feet.
She’s travelling alone, and she’s hardly unusual anymore.
Female solo travel, once a niche corner of the tourism world, has quietly become one of its most powerful growth stories. Women now account for 71 per cent of all solo travel globally, a surge driven by changing lifestyles, stronger financial independence and a healthy appetite for seeing the world on their own terms.
Yet independence doesn’t cancel out reality.
New research from travel risk intelligence firm Riskline shows that while women are travelling more than ever before, the global safety landscape remains uneven and in some places, sharply so.
Its latest Female Traveller Safety Map identifies 29 countries where women face heightened safety concerns, ranging from harassment to political instability and infrastructure gaps.
In other words, the passport may open doors, but not every door leads to a comfortable place.
Confidence rising, caution rising with it
Over the past three years, female solo travel has jumped more than 60 per cent worldwide.
That growth reflects something deeper than wanderlust. It’s about autonomy, the freedom to travel for business, leisure or simple curiosity without waiting for the company.
But while confidence is clearly rising, so too is caution.
Surveys show 70 per cent of women say they feel concerned about safety while travelling, up from 64 per cent the previous year.
It’s a revealing statistic. Women are travelling more, not less, but they’re doing so with sharper awareness of the risks around them.
Travel advisors are noticing it as well. Female clients tend to research destinations more carefully, scrutinise accommodation locations and pay close attention to local cultural norms.
In other words, they’re travelling smart.
The legal landscape still matters
One reason safety remains such a prominent issue lies in the uneven legal and social conditions women face worldwide.
According to the World Bank, women globally enjoy only around 77 per cent of the legal rights afforded to men, a figure outlined in the institution’s Women, Business and the Law.
Those disparities might sound abstract until you arrive in a destination where dress codes, behavioural expectations or mobility restrictions suddenly shape everyday life.
For female travellers, such differences can influence everything from how safely one can move through public spaces to how easily healthcare services can be accessed.
Riskline identifies several common concerns female travellers report internationally:
• sexual harassment and assault
• harassment in public transport and crowded spaces
• verbal or physical intimidation
• gender-based discrimination
• limited healthcare or hygiene access
None of these challenges is universal, but neither are they rare.
Where risks are highest
Riskline’s safety map highlights 29 destinations classified as “high concern” for female travellers.
These include countries across multiple regions.
Americas
Brazil
Mexico
Haiti
Honduras
Asia-Pacific
Afghanistan
Myanmar
Papua New Guinea
Pakistan
East Timor
Sub-Saharan Africa
Burundi
Central African Republic
Congo-Brazzaville
Democratic Republic of Congo
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Liberia
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Middle East and North Africa
Chad
Iraq
Mali
Niger
Syria
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Libya
Yemen
West Bank and Gaza
For travellers, the list does not necessarily mean “do not go”.
But it certainly suggests “go prepared.”
The safer side of the map
Happily, many destinations continue to offer a safe environment for female travellers.
Much of Europe consistently ranks among the safest regions globally, thanks to well-developed infrastructure and strong legal protections.
Several Asia-Pacific destinations also perform well, including:
Singapore
Japan
New Zealand
China
South Korea
Australia
These countries combine reliable transport systems, robust access to healthcare, and relatively strong social safety nets, all reassuring ingredients for travellers exploring alone.
Corporate travel is still catching up
Interestingly, the corporate travel sector hasn’t quite caught up with this new reality.
Data from the Global Business Travel Association shows many companies still overlook gender-specific travel safety.
A 2025 GBTA survey found that although 74 per cent of travel buyers are women, only 27 per cent say their corporate travel policies explicitly address female traveller safety.
Even more telling:
• 62 per cent believe female employees face higher travel risks than men
• only 55 per cent believe women’s perspectives are properly represented when designing travel programs
It’s an unusual mismatch between who manages travel and whose safety policies protect.
Practical safety steps that make a difference
Industry experts say the solution isn’t complicated; it’s simply about thoughtful planning.
Best practice now commonly includes:
• scheduling flights earlier in the day
• avoiding late-night arrivals in unfamiliar destinations
• booking hotels in safe, central neighbourhoods
• arranging vetted transport providers
• providing travellers with reliable emergency contacts
For organisations responsible for staff travelling overseas, these measures are increasingly seen as essential duty-of-care steps rather than optional extras.
A world still changing
Travel has always been about freedom, the freedom to see new places, meet new people and stretch the boundaries of experience.
For women, that freedom has expanded dramatically in recent years.
More women are travelling alone than ever before, whether for work, curiosity or simply the pleasure of independence.
But travel, like the world itself, remains uneven.
Understanding where the risks lie is part of the journey.
Because the modern female traveller may be confident, capable and independent.
But she’s also sensible enough to know that the smartest trip always begins with good information.
Read the article on Global Travel Media.