Women Prioritize Travel at Nearly Twice the Rate as Men

Image: An elderly woman traveling solo at an airport. (Photo Credit: Yakobchuk Olena / Adobe Stock)
Image: An elderly woman traveling solo at an airport. (Photo Credit: Yakobchuk Olena / Adobe Stock)
Lacey Pfalz
by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 2:15 PM ET, Mon August 5, 2024

A new survey of some of the world’s most experienced travelers found that 77 percent of women value travel experiences over material possessions, a startling 40 percent more than men. 

By comparison, 55 percent of men agreed that traveling was more important than having stuff. 

The survey, conducted by Global Rescue, surveyed about 1,100 men and women, who are former or current Global Rescue members. 

It also found some other differences in how both genders choose travel: 37 percent of women prioritize the landscape when picking a destination, whereas the same amount of men prefer choosing destinations based on adventure travel activities. 

The findings also reported the shift in both genders towards valuing experiences that provide opportunities for exploration and personal growth, making memories instead of collecting souvenirs. 

In March, we discussed how women are paving the billion-dollar growth in adventure travel throughout the world, and how women of all ages are prioritizing travel by going solo, choosing to travel even when they can’t bring family or friends along. 

It’s long been reported that women are the major decision makers when it comes to planning travel for themselves, their families and their friends, but Global Rescue predicts women's power over the travel industry will grow in the future.

"Studies suggest that women may prioritize work-life balance more than men,” said Stephanie Diamond, VP of Human Capital Management for Global Rescue. “Additionally, Nielsen projects that women will control 75% of all household discretionary spending by 2028 which is leading to a higher prioritization of travel experiences.”


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Lacey Pfalz

Lacey Pfalz

Associate Editor

Lacey Pfalz is Associate Editor at TravelPulse. She's a passionate advocate of responsible travel and believes the best travel experiences happen outside of a planned itinerary. Lacey currently lives in rural Wisconsin. She can be reached at [email protected].

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