DESTINATIONS WOMEN ONLY | ESCORTED TOURS


scorted tours cover a multitude of markets – from small groups to solos, budget backpackers to bird-watchers, photographers


to foodies – but the latest trend towards women-only tours takes a little more explaining. It’s easy enough to understand why a keen hiker would want a specialist walking tour or why a first-time solo traveller might want to team up with other people in the same position, but what’s the point of a women- only tour? “The aim is to break down the barriers of traditional


tourism in typically conservative parts of the world, opening up destinations that are otherwise off limits for our regular group departures,” says Jenny Gray, global


product manager for Intrepid Travel, which has led the way in offering women-only adventures. “The tours offer travellers a socially responsible


and culturally sensitive way to access female-only establishments, experiences and customs in these traditionally conservative countries. For example, sharing female-only customs like henna nights in Jordan, joining a picnic in a women’s-only park in Iran, visiting a women-only beach in Antalya and celebrating the female-only Gangaur Festival in Rajasthan.” It’s still a small part of the market but that could be about to change, with several operators reporting growing demand for cultural adventures and activity- focused tours, where an all-female group can boost


 travelweekly.co.uk 13 JUNE 2019 63


Girlpower A new wave of women-only tours is emerging, reports Katie McGonagle


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88