|
The Changing Status of Women in our
Society
Since 1970, the proportion of the population made up by married
couples with children decreased while the median age at first marriage
for both women and men grew.
The portion of households containing one person increased by 9%
between 1970 and 2000.
Women living alone represent more than half (58%) of one-person
households.
While men continue to out earn women, for full-time workers
women earn 75%* of what men due up from 54% in 1970. (*1997 U.S.
Census figures-2000 Census to be released).
The number of women age 35 and older without a husband (or
built-in travel partner) has increased since 1998 from 25 million to
28 million.
Almost 40% of women age 35 and older have no
built-in travel partner.
________
Source: Americas
Families and Living Arrangements:
Current Population Reports, U.S. Census Bureau,
June 2001
For more, visit: www.census.gov
Back
to Top
Statistics
on Women Traveling Alone
Survey Results Surprise:
Women Often Travel Alone Out of Desperation
In a
recent survey of over 500 women, 68 percent of the respondents said
that they had traveled alone at least once in the past three years.
The survey, sponsored by the tour company "Women Traveling
Together," found that of the women who had traveled solo, 79
percent would not have traveled alone had they been able to find a
travel companion.
"While these women did not want to miss
the experience of traveling, many had concerns about traveling alone,
particularly in the area of safety, says Debra Asberry, President of
Women Traveling Together." "The women we surveyed would have
chosen an alternative to traveling alone had they been aware one
existed."
One option to traveling alone is to
join an all-womens travel group. The idea is appealing to many
women because the group provides safety and companionship. In fact, a
separate survey conducted by "Women Traveling Together"
found that the two most common reasons women travelers gave for
joining an all-women travel group was companionship and security.
Cathy Paluczak, a solo traveler who
has taken several trips with "Women Traveling Together",
echoes the concerns of many women. "Even though Ive traveled
alone, I like the idea of a buddy system where another person
knows youre there and would go looking for you if you didnt show
up after a while. Its a comforting feeling."
Women
can find all-women tours for almost any destination, or type of travel
that interests them. The tours offered by "Women Traveling
Together" are specifically designed to suit the pace, interests,
and preferences of women.
Survey Shows Women Choose to Vacation More Often
Without their Husband or Boyfriend
Thirty years ago, women
primarily vacationed with their husbands, or their family. A new
survey suggests women are choosing to vacation with other women more
often than with their husband or boyfriend.
According
to a recent survey of women travelers joining tours sponsored by
"Women Traveling Together" in the past 12 months, 65% of the
women travelers had left husbands or boyfriends at home to join an
all-women tour. On average, the women surveyed took one trip a year
with their husband or boyfriend, but took two or more trips with
female friends or a group of women.
Of the
women surveyed, 80% believed that men and women have different
interests when on vacation, requiring both persons to compromise their
idea of a good time. The remaining 20% of the women surveyed believed
that men are not that interested in travel and would be just as happy
staying home.
"Men
might think that all women like to do is shop," says Debra
Asberry, president of Women Traveling Together. "But the truth
is, women are learning to sail in the Caribbean, participating in
archeological digs in the US, studying the legends of Ireland, and
much more."
Back
to Top
Domestic
Travel Trends
Travel in the U.S. has increased 7% from 1994 to 1999, which is
significantly greater than the 5 percent increase in the total U.S.
population during the same period.
Total Person Trips* in 1999 1.01 billion
*A person-trip is one person traveling 50 miles (one way)
or more away from home and/or overnight.
________
Source:
Travel Industry Association, Travelscope
For more, visit: http://www.tia.org
Back
to Top
International
Travel Trends
In 1999, 19,491,000 U.S. resident traveled to overseas
destinations for leisure/to visit family and friends.
35% of these leisure travelers went alone.
Of the 19.5 million, almost 9 million were women and their
average age was 43.
_________
SOURCE: 1999
Profile of U.S. Resident Traveler Visiting Overseas Destinations
Reported From: Survey of International Travelers
- Tourism Industries, International Trade Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce.
for more, visit: http://www.tinet.gov
Back
to Top
Travel
and the Internet's Role
For Women Traveling Together, almost one-half of our
members originally found us through the Internet.
Women Traveling Togethers email newsletter, Tell
Only the Women, is emailed to over 4000 readers each month and has
an amazing 60% of subscribers read EVERY issue.
(Tell Only the Women survey results, Spring
2001)
________________
While leisure travelers still use agents more any other source for
travel information, Travel Weeklys 1999 U.S. Consumer
Survey reports an greater use of the internet by leisure travelers.
For more, visit: http://www.twcrossroads.com
The Internet is becoming a valuable resource for women. In
fact, a report by NetSmart America finds that 58% of new Internet
users in the U.S. are women (up from 44% in 1998) and predicts that at
current growth levels women will lead men in Internet access 60 to 40%
by 2002.
A study by America Online and The Business
Womens Network (BWN) found that working women use the Internet
more than 14 hours per week and nearly all (96 percent) of the
women surveyed have research products and services on-line.
For more, visit: http://www.internet.com
|
