New Harris poll findings

MARCH 2023

Study Reveals Women Want Inclusive, Environmental and Socially Responsible Travel Experiences

Intrepid Travel, the B Corp certified world-leader in responsible travel, today released findings from a survey conducted by The Harris Poll between February 23-27, 2023 among 2,027 U.S. adults aged 18 years old and up, that shows women want more inclusive, environmental and socially responsible experiences from the travel industry.

Timed to Women’s History Month, the online survey found that 88% of women agree that travel companies should ensure the experiences they offer have a positive impact (e.g., environmentally, economically) on the local communities of their destination. In addition, 82% of women surveyed said they wished there were more authentic travel experiences that allowed them to connect to the local culture.

Women were also more likely than men to agree that women and other historically marginalized groups should have a voice and role in the travel companies that cater to them (78% of women vs. 69% of men).

When looking at young adults, a resounding 83% of women aged 18-34 years old said the travel industry should create more experiences specifically for women. Additionally, about 4 in 5 women aged 18-34 (82%) believe the travel industry should market more towards women, while 3 in 5 men aged 18-34 (63%) agree.

Overall, 75% of young women aged 18-34 believe that there needs to be more equity in travel and that men have the means to travel more than women, compared to just 59% of men aged 18-34.

While both men and women across all ages cite safety (62%) as their No. 1 attribute influencing their travel decisions, women were more likely to cite it among their most important factor (64% vs 59%). Women were also more likely to attribute low price (60% vs. 55%) and the opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture (45% vs. 39%) as factors influencing their travel plans than men.

The study also found that 93% of all women agree it is important that they feel comfortable with other travelers on a group tour; 91% of women aged 18-34 agree vs. 81% of men aged 18-34.

Since 2018, Intrepid Travel has developed a category of female-only experiences known as Women’s Expeditions. The collection of tours, led entirely by female leaders, aim to break down barriers for female travelers, debunk misconceptions about gender norms and celebrate the similarities and differences of women around the globe.

This month, Intrepid Travel will launch two such trips:

Pakistan Women’s Expedition (12 days from $4,235 USD) will provide travelers the opportunity of experiencing one of the countries few female-only salons in the ancient town of Gulmit, which provides women with hijabs a safe and respectful place to get their haircut. Intrepid Travel has partnered with The Mad Hatters, a female-led travel company focused on empowerment, engagement and connection, to create this trip designed to help provide more opportunities for female tour leaders in Pakistan.

Nepal Women’s Expedition (13 days from $1,840 USD) is led by an all-female crew of guides and porters which will run for the first time this year. Travelers will learn about the challenges of local Buddhist nuns in an all-female monastery contradicting custom patriarchal traditions and meet a NGO working to abolish the practice of Chhaupadi, the illegal but socially L7, 567 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia | intrepidtravel.com common tradition of banning women from homes, schools, and temples during their menstrual cycle.

These two new trips will be part of a collection of six trips, each one carefully designed to support employment opportunities for women while expanding the possibilities of female travel. The full collection of Women’s Expedition include: Morocco, India, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Nepal.

“Embracing equity is a fundamental part of Intrepid Travel’s mission, and our Women’s Expeditions highlight our efforts to create employment opportunities for females from all walks of life, while facilitating meaningful connections,” said Jenny Gray, Intrepid Travel’s Senior Product Manager, who created the trips. “This tour range has been our most popular in Intrepid’s 30+ year history, proving that this kind of representation and experience is in demand by women. We are thrilled to be able to add new trips to this range and continue our efforts towards breaking down barriers in travel for women around the world.”

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Intrepid Travel from February 23-27, 2023, among 2,027 U.S. adults ages 18+, among whom 1,060 were women. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Megan Trivelli at megan.trivelli@theswayeffect.com