Navigating the Female Solo Journey: Understanding Destination Choice, Activity Preferences, and Loneliness

Female solo travel has grown rapidly recently, becoming a more prominent section of the tourismindustry. Although female solo travelers represent the rising segment of the global tourism market,many places continue to fail to target this demographic effectively. Despite its growing popularity,this phenomenon remains underexplored. The present study seeks to expand the existing body ofknowledge by investigating rather understudied issues of destination selection, activity preferences,and perceptions of loneliness on female solo journeys. An additional goal was to determine the mainbenefits and challenges of traveling alone as a woman. For this purpose, a qualitative approachwas applied, with 36 interviews conducted in November 2023. The findings revealed four differentfactors influencing urban destination choice by female solo travelers. A variety of activity preferencesand perceptions of loneliness across four distinct aspects were further discussed. The findingsalso revealed the link between loneliness and selected activities and highlighted key benefits andchallenges associated with women’s solo travel. The insights contribute to the understanding of thebehaviors of this rising market segment, allowing destinations to develop and tailor products andexperiences that will meet their needs and target this demographic effectively. The article concludeswith theoretical and practical implications and future research suggestions.