Safety continues to be a serious consideration for female travelers, especially in a climate where reports of violence and global turbulence seem to be increasing. According to AIG Travel’s Pulse Poll on Women’s Travel Safety, 45 percent of respondents feel less safe about traveling than they did five years ago. The study also found that safety is top of mind for women while evaluating potential travel destinations (and only trails personal interest in the destination as the top reason).
Sixty-three percent of respondents think about safety frequently or always while travel. Among their top concerns? Pickpocketing/purse snatching, credit card fraud, identity theft and taxi scams. However, 93 percent of women share their itinerary with a friend or family member and 87 percent purchase travel insurance, emergency travel medical coverage, and/or emergency travel evacuation coverage in attempt to increase their personal safety.
Many of these findings reinforce a Quick Take on Travel survey by Mower from earlier this year. The Quick Take on Travel survey found that 80 percent of women consider personal safety issues related to potential harassment or assault when planning a trip, with a quarter considering safety often or always. Mower also says that 65 percent of women research the safety of a destination before booking.
What scenario allows women to feel the safest while traveling (according to Mower)? Being with a group of friends (62 percent), which topped traveling with a male friend or partner (54 percent), female friend or partner (36 percent) or a tour group (31 percent).
Other findings from AIG Travel’s Pulse Poll on Women’s Travel Safety include:
- Two-thirds of the respondents are very likely or somewhat likely to travel alone to either a domestic or an international destination in 2018
- If feeling unsafe while traveling, women are most likely to reach out to their hotel staff (36 percent) or law enforcement authorities (33 percent) for help
To help minimize risks that females may face when traveling, AIG Travel recently launched a Women’s Travel Safety initiative, which shares advice on how to research travel destinations, become familiar with local laws and customs, and leverage tools in the event of adverse situations, such as kidnappings or other crimes.
AIG Travel distributed the Pulse Poll to female consumers who identify as interested in travel, including followers of the brand’s social media channels and women on its U.S. direct marketing email list. The survey garnered more than 1,800 responses.
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