As pent-up consumer demand burgeons for European travel, tour operators and travel advisors are seeing a distinct rise in popularity of "women's travel"—as small groups of BFFs, female family members and hobby/club members are eagerly anticipating "sooner-rather-than later" visits to diverse European destinations.
Whether these "girlfriends" are headed for a long museum weekend in Amsterdam or Berlin, to see relatives in Stockholm or Serbia, for genealogy research in Dublin or to relax along the Atlantic coast in Portugal or the eastern Mediterranean in Greece, they're seeking women's-only tours or vacation stay options as countries begin to open to international visitors for 2021 or 2022.
Tired of Virtual Meet-Ups
What's the reasoning? "After more than a year of separation, they are sick of Zooms, web meetings and conference calls, and with many being newly vaccinated, they're looking forward to some face time with their moms, sisters, cousins and girlfriends," believes Trinita Brown, franchise owner and vacation specialist, Dream Vacations in Washington D.C.
Shown above, Trinita Brown, franchise owner and vacation specialist, Dream Vacations, is seeing more "women's travel" bookings for Europe this year.
Across the industry, advisors and tour operators alike say that these groups of female friends or relatives—weary of being separated from their friends and family members during the pandemic—are increasingly booking small private group tours or villa stays designed just for female travelers.
Others are booking into an escorted European motorcoach tour (with both male/female guests) but with enough “free time” during the itinerary so that "the girls" can explore and bond while doing their own women’s group activities such as hiking, biking, a culinary experience, wine tasting or museum hopping.
Women-Only Tours
In addition, solo female travelers or those in small groups of female friends are booking “women’s retreat” European journeys set up by tour operators.
Austin Adventures says that as vaccinations roll out, that’s a definite travel stimulator with 38 percent of Americans beginning their future travel planning for later this year. The tour operator also reports that of the thousand trips carried over from 2020, 90 percent of travelers chose to rebook for the latter part of 2021. Dan Austin, founder and CEO, Austin Adventures, says more travelers are feeling comfortable after vaccinations and “the international travel industry is seeing a boom like we’ve never seen before.”
As for female-friendly travel, on October 9, 2021, Austin Adventures will operate “Iceland: Best of Southern Iceland,” a week-long “Women’s Retreat.” The itinerary and experiences were curated by the company’s cofounder Carol Austin.
Women taking this tour will trek across the southern coast of Iceland, which features waterfalls, canyons, icebergs and black sand beaches. Besides delving into Viking legends and Icelandic culture, “girlfriends” can bond while exploring the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and Golden Circle on foot. They'll bathe in natural steamy waters and taste freshly caught shellfish while sailing. They'll also head out for a glacier walk after strapping on crampons, a footwear traction device that helps people walk on icy surfaces.
Guy Young, president of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, also cites “women’s travel” as one emerging trend for his brands. He notes that while his group's "Wander Women" tours attract female travelers of all walks of life, they're particularly popular with many female executives.
In summer 2022, Insight Vacations will offer a 13-day “Venice and the Croatian Coast” small group escorted tour that is designated as a “Wander Women” (women-only) tour.
"Wander Women" guests will visit Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, and with Insight Choice, women can indulge their personal passions by choosing from one of two included experiences on select days during this itinerary.
Women Turning to Advisors
“Women have always enjoyed traveling together; however, now more than ever there is an increased trend in women traveling in groups,” says Brown, who adds that "during this pandemic many women truly have missing spending time with their best friends."
Many women are turning to travel advisors such as Brown to book female-centric European vacations. Her female clients seeking such trips are sick of being cooped up for more than a year. They long for new adventures, new scenery and new and different types of food.
She's currently planning three separate women’s trips to Europe for her clients. One is a trip for members of a book club who’ve always dreamed about vacationing together at an Italian villa and learning how to prepare local cuisine.
“The highlight of the trip will be when a private chef comes in for a few days to take them to the local markets and teach them how cook Italian dishes,” she says, adding that a few of the women in the group have never been to Europe and are so excited to travel with some of their best friends on a new adventure.
“Also, I’m planning a trip for a group of five moms and their teenaged daughters to see the Northern Lights and to spend some spa time at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland,” she says. The group has been talking about this once-in-a-life trip since the girls were in elementary school.
“With all of the craziness that was going on over this past year,” says Brown, “they decided that they need an exciting new experience and ‘why not do it with your best friends?'”
Additionally, Brown is planning a female trip for four women—a mom, sister-in-law and their two daughters—to Belgium. “The daughter’s absolute favorite Belgian restaurant was closed down during the pandemic, and they desperately missed the ambience, the food, the beer and the chocolate desserts,” she notes.
Brown continues: "They decided right then that when Europe reopened for travel, that they would visit Belgium. The mom mentioned it to her sister-in-law who instantly loved the idea and wanted to bring her daughter, too." So, Brown says that "I'm planning a mini-food tour of the country for this small group of ladies."
Whether traveling for personal interests, shared bonding experiences or family heritage, women are increasingly booking future trips to Europe and savoring the diverse options—vacations that range from Portugal to the Netherlands, Malta to Sweden, Monaco to Estonia, Serbia, San Marino and beyond.
Brown's female-only group clients typically range from four to six people, but she also has women's groups of up to 15 clients. Many have had a European trip on their bucket lists for many years but are now taking action to book. Also sadly, "in the past year, many of the same women have lost their parents, other relatives and friends to COVID-19," she says.
For many clients, Brown sums it up this way: "So many clichés have come flooding into their minds, such as: Life is too short; you should build special memories with your family and friends; and spend your money while you are alive and well—you can’t take it with you."
Stay tuned here for more Europe travel trend stories over the next few weeks!
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