Leigh Barnes, Intrepid Travel’s President of Americas 

From backcountry hiking in America to off-the-beaten-path adventures in Morocco, women-led, women-for-women trips are taking off. Intrepid Travel, a world leader in responsible travel and small group adventure tours, plans to not just double down on the solo female traveler market, but center it as the main marketing segment for 2025. 

Women’s Expeditions, all-female tours led by a local female leader, grew by 37% globally in 2024. When we launched our newest trip to Saudi Arabia, it filled up so fast we had to add more departures. The 2025 season? Already 72% booked, with 40% of travelers being American solo female explorers.  

And this trend isn’t just global—women-only backcountry trekking is blowing up too. Intrepid’s U.S. hiking partner Wildland Trekking is adding 10-new Women’s Adventure trips for 2025 to keep up with demand. New itineraries include the Best of Moab Base Camp Tour, Enchanted Valley Backpacking Trip, and Wild Alaska Coast & Glacier Trek.   

To meet demand, 60% of Wildland’s new guide hires in 2024 were women—because when women want to explore, they want to do it with other women leading the way.  

Solo Travel? Women Own It.  

Forget the outdated idea that women wait for someone else to travel with. 82% of women on our Women’s Expeditions are booking solo—many for their first time. These trips give them the freedom, connection, and confidence to see the world in a way they might not have felt comfortable doing before.  

Women love exploring off-the-beaten-track destinations with other like-minded women. These trips give them the confidence to do it.  

The Untapped Power of Women 50+  

Now, let’s talk about the real decision-makers in travel: women over 50.  

We recently teamed up with JourneyWoman, the world’s first solo travel resource for women over 50, to survey 1,600+ women from 50 countries, and the results were eye-opening. In 2022, 70% of women 50+ felt ignored by the travel industry. This year? That number has dropped to 34%—which means progress is happening, but not fast enough.  

Boomer women are behind this solo trend. The rise in solo female travel has been fueled by a generational shift. Society has evolved for women to be more independent, adventurous and autonomous than previous generations of women  

If the industry isn’t speaking directly to these women, it’s missing out on a $15 trillion market. That’s right—trillion.  

Here’s why, according to JourneyWoman’s Survey  

• Women 50+ make nearly every travel decision in their households.  

• 60% take up to three trips a year.  

• 65% prefer slow travel, longer trips, and small group experiences.  

• 76% are single and planning solo adventures.  

This isn’t a demographic to market to as an afterthought—this is the travel industry’s most powerful consumer group.  

What Can We All Do?  

As industry leaders, here’s how you can make sure this movement keeps growing:  

• Double down on your social media pages: More than half of these women book trips based on social posts.  

• Email marketing isn’t dead! They open, read, and book from email newsletters. 

• 78% of women say the single supplement is the #1 barrier to solo travel. 

• The destination, cost, and the reputation of the company are the most important factors in making group travel decisions. 

The Future of Travel is Female—And We’re Just Getting Started  

At Intrepid, we’re not just marketing to women—we’re building trips by women, for women, and changing the way the world explores. Whether you are a traveler, a storyteller, or an industry insider, you already know that this isn’t a trend. This is the future of travel.  

And we’re here to lead the way.  

About Leigh Barnes

Leigh Barnes has recently stepped into a new role as President, The Americas, where he willoversee Intrepid’s expansion into the USA, the company’s fastest growing market. Leigh will manage direct, industry and white label sales as well as operations across North, Central and South America. Previously Chief Purpose Officer and then Chief Customer Officer, he’s been instrumental in building Intrepid’s reputation as a purpose-led, customer-focused organization. Outside of work, Leigh’s an avid supporter of local arts scenes and a keen ocean swimmer – even in the frosty Pacific Northwest where he is based.  Leigh’s top Intrepid trip is Everest Base Camp Trek, which he credits for changing the way he sees the world.

About Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel has been a world leader in responsible travel for more than 30 years. The company’s mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel, which comes to life on more than 900 trips all designed to truly experience local culture. With its own network of destination management companies in 27 countries, Intrepid has unique local expertise and perspectives. Globally recognized for their commitment to transparency and ethical travel, they became the world’s largest travel company to achieve B-Corp certification in 2018. Intrepid Travel is also the first tour operator with near-term science-based climate targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative, and its not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation, has raised more than $15.5 million for more than 160 partners. For more information download the company’s 2023 Integrated Annual Report and follow Intrepid on Facebook,Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or LinkedIn.

The post Solo Women’s Travel is Exploding—And We’re Running to Keep Up  appeared first on USTOA Blog.

By Overseas Adventure Travel

In survey after survey, up to 76% of consumers say that they’d rather spend their money on experiences than things. They further cite “meaning,” “inspiration,” “fun,” and “learning” as outcomes they seek. Travelers can count on all of the above on one of Overseas Adventure Travel’s small group adventures. These include hands-on activities that connect them to the local culture, such as visits to workshops where local artisans demonstrate traditional crafts. Visitors can roll up their sleeves and join in, and if they like, purchase the local wares.

“It’s a win-win,” says O.A.T. Vice Chairman Harriet Lewis. “Our travelers get to engage with local people and learn something new, and our hosts gain support for the industries their families rely on.” Oftentimes, the activities occur during O.A.T.’s signature A Day in the Life experiences which are woven into the trips; or though visits to sites supported by Grand Circle Foundation, O.A.T’s non-profit charitable organization. Here are just ten of the local crafts supported:

1. Australia: Aboriginal Dot Paintings

Ultimate Australia

The distinctive Aboriginal dot designs are not random, but are filled with symbols that tell a visual story. Dot painting has been around for millennia, but exploded in the 1970s in Papunya near Alice Springs, where indigenous artists used it as a secret language. Other Aboriginal communities embraced the form, and today they adhere to strict rules about which techniques, symbols, and stories belong to which tribes. O.A.T. travelers are urged to only buy authentic, ethically sourced works that bear the official Indigenous Art Code seal, the “gold standard” among reputable merchants.

2. Laos: Traditional Weaving

Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, & Vietnam

While the men of the poor Laotian village of Tin Keo farm or seek jobs in the city, the women create fabulous, colorful textiles. It started as a way to be sociable with their neighbors. Today, these industrious ladies can earn a windfall of $70-80 a month selling their fabrics, all the while improving their skills and preserving an important cultural legacy.

3. Portugal: Azulejo tiles

Northern Spain & Portugal: Pilgrimage into the Past

Porto’s Banco de Materiais is an unusual bank: you can deposit antique tiles and withdraw some for free. Portugal’s signature blue and white azulejo tiles date to Moorish times. The Banco safeguards these treasures, and sometimes the fire department will even collect tiles off at-risk buildings and deliver them to the bank. Employees then study and catalog the tiles and preserve them in wooden boxes where visitors can admire or buy them.

4. Kenya and Tanzania: Maasai beadwork

Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari

A Maasai collar can be the shape and size of a dinnerplate, decorated with bold-colored beads in intricate patterns. But to the Maasai people, these aren’t just pretty baubles: they tell individual life stories, map out villages, indicate marital and social status, and represent the culture. O.A.T. travelers can purchase them directly from artists when they experience A Day in the Life of a local village such as Mto Wa Mbu.

5. India: Embroidery and Textiles

Heart of India

India’s Ranthambore National Park is famed as a sanctuary for Bengal tigers, and while some locals have resorted to poaching them, others have found a more ethical and sustainable enterprise. Through their Dhonk and Dastkar handicraft cooperatives, local Indian women teach artisanal skills so members may earn a living outside of poaching by creating embroidery, clothing, and gifts. Supported by Grand Circle Foundation, the cooperatives now celebrate the tigers whose allure attracts a steady stream of travelers—and crafts customers.

6. Morocco: Henna tattoos

Morocco Sahara Odyssey

Known as mendhi, the use of henna to paint the body with intricate patterns is a centuries-old Berber art believed to promote harmony and ward off evil. The (non-permanent) tattoos are also a symbol of female solidarity, as O.A.T. travelers discover when they visit the Imik Smik Women’s Association for Rural Development, which provides skills training for women in the Aït Benhaddou area. As a token of friendship, members invite women visitors to participate in a traditional henna ceremony.

7. Peru: Chinchero weaving

Machu Picchu & the Galápagos

High in the Sacred Valley, Chinchero was a 16th-century Inca emperor’s estate, as well as a resting place on the Inca Royal Road. Today, this small village is known for its weaving industry. It is entirely managed by the local women, who use plants (and in some cases, bugs) to produce their dyes. O.A.T. travelers converse with the weavers about village life and observe the process of designing and creating these vibrant garments.

8. Japan: Hakone woodcraft

Japan’s Cultural Treasures

Hakone yosegi zaiku is a form of marquetry that creates intricate patterns by joining together pieces of wood. The colors—red, white, yellow, black, and green—are not created through inks, but are the natural wood shades. Today, yosegi zaiku is popular all over Japan, but there are only about 50 artisans making it, all in the Hakone/Odawara area. O.A.T. brings travelers to the Hamamatsuya workshop to meet its fourth-generation owner, and see a demonstration.

9. Vietnam: Bat Trang Pottery and Ceramics

Inside Vietnam

The village of Bat Trang may lie on the Red River, but it’s the area’s rich white clay that has made its pottery renowned for seven centuries. O.A.T. travelers have plenty of time to browse the shops, but also visit the home and studio of an artisan family and get to make their own ceramic pieces.

10. Turkey: carpet weaving

Turkish Coastal Voyage: Greek Islands, Istanbul & Athens

Rug weaving in Anatolia began with the arrival of Turkic tribes from Central Asia, and was a prominent art form by the 12^th century. Then as now, most carpetmakers were women who worked anonymously. The process is intensively laborious, and prices are based on the intricacy of the design, quality of the materials, and the number of knots per square centimeter.

Overseas Adventure Travel is the leader in personalized small group adventures on the road less traveled. Serving all travelers over 50, the company is known for its expertise in solo travel, and has recently published 101⁺ Tips for Solo Women Travelers which can be ordered for free here.

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What it’s really like to travel internationally in the age of COVID-19

By Terry Dale, President & CEO of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)

If there is one lesson I learned from my recent travels to Turkey, it’s that the value of tour operators has increased tenfold. Even though I’ve spent countless hours in airports and traveled to more countries than I can remember, I still experienced a wave of anxiety when I thought of traveling during the age of COVID-19. Between negative tests, quarantine requirements, and travel restrictions, it’s nearly impossible to manage it independently while trying to enjoy your travels.  

While I successfully produced a negative COVID test in time for my departure flight out of Fort Lauderdale, others were not so lucky. I took the trip to Turkey because I had the honor of speaking at a travel conference in Istanbul. But on the opening night of the event, nearly 15 attendees were missing because they did not fulfill all the testing requirements to fly.

Each country has its own protocols that need to be followed, and it’s constantly evolving. With the ever-changing landscape of travel requirements and lockdowns, this is a challenge for airline employees, travelers, and destinations alike.

Surprisingly, I was not asked to show my test results at any of the airports in route to Turkey, even though they were requested while flying back to the U.S. It was clear that a global health credential system would be so useful for travel, so that each visitor and employee know exactly what is going on. It’s 2021, paper CDC cards with the dates of vaccines and written confirmation of test results seem primitive!  

One observation was that every airport I visited was bustling with people wearing masks and social distancing. The pent-up demand for travel is real and immediate.

As for Turkey itself, the weather was rainy and grey, but the people brightened the destination each day. At a small, vibrant and colorful restaurant in Istanbul, the waiter treated us like royalty. The meal served left my stomach full of chicken kababs, hummus, and olives, and even though I don’t know much about Turkish food, I know it was delicious.

A river cruise of the Bohasmas is a must-do while in Istanbul. In the quick trip up the narrow straight, visitors can gaze at Asia on one side and Europe on the other. The two major continents come together where you stand, and it is stunning.

Turkey is ready to be open for business. At every hotel, the sanitization protocols were thoughtful and professional to make sure travelers feel safe. There’s a natural culture of service and hospitality that makes everyone feel welcome. Plus, there’s great value for American travelers given the exchange rate. After meeting with the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Ersoy, I felt confident that Turkey is going to bounce back quickly.

It was a learning experience to make the trip as a vaccinated business traveler. If it were a vacation or personal adventure, it would have been much more manageable and relaxing using a tour operator or one of our travel advisor partners.

In closing, I was grateful for the opportunity to meet some incredible people (see below) and experience the thrill of travel once again.

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