A recent survey conducted by TripAdvisor shows that safety concerns among women solo travellers is marring the growth of the potential segment in India. According to the survey about 94 per cent female respondents said they worry either always or sometimes when they travel alone within India and prefer to stay in an all women’s hotel or on a women exclusive floor in a hotel.
Even more dismal is the fact that more womentravellershave a better sense of safety overseas than in India as 24 per cent respondents said they worry when they travel within India but not when they travel to international destinations.
The survey shows Delhi as the most notorious of all Indian states dueto the recent spate of crime against women with 84 per cent women claiming it to be the most unsafe metro and major city in the country followed by Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Mumbai came out on top as the city considered safest by a majority of 34 per cent respondents. Ahmedabad and Bangalore were tied at a distant second with 12 per cent votes each.
The survey clearly highlights the immense growth potential of the segment in India with 76 per cent of the 500 respondents saying they enjoyed going solo on holiday.
According to Nikhil Ganju (Country Manager, TripAdvisor India), "The rise in women travelling alone on business is an understandable fallout of the increase in the number of working women. The real surprise is the significant number of Indian women who are choosing to travel solo on vacation."