Canadian women are increasingly ready to travel, says Carolyn Ray, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of JourneyWoman. And many of their top destinations are right here, between our coastlines.
The internationally renowned travel publiciation’s Global Travel Trends: Women’s Travel Readiness and Once-in-a-Lifetime Travel Experiences surveys took a look at Boomer and GenX women’s travel habits, seeing who is actively planning future travel — and where.
“In January 2021, there was notable apprehension around how ‘ready’ travellers — especially women travellers — were feeling,” Ray shares, noting one-third of respondents from around the world were planning to travel in 2022, and another third weren’t sure when they’d next hit the road. “Our research shows that as of July 2021, the number of women planning to travel in 2022, or sooner, rose considerably.”
“As key influencers in travel, Boomer and GenX women are signalling several major shifts in their future travel habits,” Ray says. “They’re more likely to explore somewhere completely new, travel for longer periods of time, which is a trend called slow travel, and allocate more of their disposable income to travel — especially since women are 73% more likely to pay a premium to feel safe.
“Women will be more purposeful in the way they travel, choosing more eco-friendly, ethical wildlife and indigenous travel experiences,” she continues. “Pre-pandemic, most women took two or three trips per year and, while that average is on-trend to continue, I expect we will see a rise in female travellers seeking out places in need of tourism dollars, as well as more eco-friendly accommodations, and choosing to engage in more ethical animal experiences.”
For Canadian women looking to first travel within their own borders, more than half of respondents listed a visit to British Columbia and Alberta — a destination also at the top of Ray’s itinerary. “In July, I joined women-owned Wild Women Expeditions on a week-long, off-the-grid backcountry horseback riding trip in Banff through the Canadian Rockies,” she shares, adding that her next trip will be to the Northern Lights in the Northwest Territories this September. “Setting your soul on fire underneath the ethereal Northern Lights ranked #1 on JourneyWoman’s list of Top 7 Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences Recommended for Women, by Women.
“Travel-at-home trends show a strong interest in both of our beautiful coastlines, as well as Quebec or our most northern regions,” she continues. “We asked women for their Top 10 Less-Travelled Places to Get ‘Off the Grid,’ and three of the finalists were right here in Canada: Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Baffin Island.
“Beyond our borders, many Canadian women are looking at Europe as one of their first destinations once travel resumes safely. Boomer and GenX women travellers generally prefer a slower, more authentic approach to their travels — and often ones that include elements of luxury, or wellness, or have some culinary, historical, art, nature, or adventure aspect to it.”
Founded in 1994, JourneyWoman™ is the world’s first solo female travel resource and one of the most popular and respected women’s travel brands in the world, providing advice, tips and editorial on solo travel safety to a global audience of adventurous women. Based in Toronto, Canada, JourneyWoman Publisher Carolyn Ray is a board member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC). To help women be more purposeful when they travel, JourneyWoman has created a 10-point TravelReady Checklist, and hosts virtual events on topics such as self-defense and safety, downsizing, travel insurance, and ethical animal tourism. JourneyWoman is a registered trademark of Journeywoman Enterprises Inc.
