A study revealed that women travel more than men. While women who wanted to explore new places did not back down from their travel decisions after marriage, men remained in the shadow of women at this point.
A survey by travel organization company Road Scholar found that 30 percent of the company’s tour participants are solo travelers, and 85 percent of these solo travelers are women. According to Condor Ferries, a ferry operator, 64 percent of travelers worldwide are women, while only 36 percent are men. The company estimates that $125 billion will be spent by women on travel in 2023.
The average US traveler is a woman around the age of 47. As groups in Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica confirm, 75 percent of those who go on cultural, adventure or nature trips are women. Despite the possible dangers, 86 percent of women state that they are not afraid of traveling. Whether women travel with their spouses, families, friends, alone or in groups, 80 percent of travel decisions are made by women.
So why is the gender gap in travel so wide? It is true that women live about six years longer than their husbands. In the United States, male life expectancy is 73.2 years, while female life expectancy is 79.1 years, the widest gap since 1996.
This explains some of the male/female travel gap, but not all of it. For this study, Road Scholar compiled data from 80-100 thousand adults over the age of 50 who travel with them every year and found that approximately 70 percent of travelers are women. However, only 58 percent of Americans age 65 and older are women.
Perhaps the most impressive finding of the Road Scholar research is that at least 60 percent of the company’s solo travelers in 2022 will be married but traveling without their spouses. Why didn’t these women travel with their husbands? While 42 percent of women surveyed said their husbands were not interested in traveling, 40 percent said they had different interests when it came to travel.
“Don’t let something as stupid as marriage get in the way of your passion for learning about the world,” said tour participant Barbara W.
Marcia Henderson, 66, who travels alone, said, “I take time to explore and do what I want,” and continued: “I love walking and hiking. My wife does not share my passion for nature, culture and history. It would be a cruelty not to travel just because my wife does not like it.” “This is my passion and he supports me just as much as I support him playing golf.”
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