Increasingly, women in the Middle East are travelling around the world without the company of a man or chaperone. According to Women Travel Statistics, there has been an incredible 230% increase in the number of companies catering to women-only travel over the last six years. The study found that the enormous growth was driven by women in various stages of life, opting to ditch traditional travel partners in favour of solo travel and/or female-only tour groups.
As more and more women take off on female-only holidays, they’re also allowing curiosity to take them into newer and more exotic regions, including the Middle East.
The rise of female-led travel
Doni Belau, Founder of Girls Guide to the World, said female-led travel was quite new when she launched her business 15 years ago, with only one or two companies catering to the sector.
In a Q&A with Rihlat Travel News, Doni explained that female-only touring has only become more mainstream in recent years, and she attributes the rise to women recognising the benefits of travelling with other females.
“In the United States 53% of all adult women are single and many who have partners are discovering how fun it is to travel with other like-minded women, especially if their partner can’t or doesn’t want to travel the way they do,” Doni explained.
She continued, highlighting that women are in a unique period where for the first time they can book holiday without a male by their side.
“Think back 50 or 100 years and remember that back then it was next to impossible for a woman to travel alone even if she had the money,” Doni noted. “She often had to bring a chaperone or be married to travel outside the country.”
Paige Davis, President of AdventureWomen and a pioneer in the female-led tour sector for over four decades, has noticed a similar trend. Speaking to Rihlat Travel News, Paige said group travel for women has evolved immensely as females have become more fearless and adventurous.
“Historically women’s travel was considered to be cautious and leisurely which led to less focus on their specific needs and desires,” Paige said. “But as societal norms evolved with a shift towards greater gender equality, there has been a greater focus on women’s experiences.”
“They [women] are embracing travel as a means of exploration and self-discovery, breaking through traditional constraints with a newfound sense of freedom. Modern female travelers are seeking diverse, challenging experiences—like extreme sports and remote trekking—that push boundaries and foster personal growth.
“The focus has shifted from simply seeing the world to deeply engaging with it and connecting with like-minded individuals. It’s been inspiring to see women embrace their independence and adventure on their own terms.”
Female-led tours in the Middle East are selling out!
Both Doni and Paige have seen a positive shift in mindset amongst women when it comes to considering travelling to the Middle East.
“There’s a common stereotype that Middle Eastern societies are universally conservative and restrictive,” Paige explained. “However, many areas are quite progressive, with women actively participating in public life, arts, and business.”
“The level of conservatism can vary greatly depending on the country and region. Our guests often remark that this is something that they were surprised by.”
AdventureWomen’s first foray into the region was back in 1998, with trips to Egypt. Paige said destinations are added based on demand and there was clear interest in the country.
Since, Egypt has become one of AdventureWomen’s more popular signature trips and last year, the tour operator sold out two trips to Egypt and Jordan as well as three to Morocco.
Meanwhile, Girls Guide to the World launched their first trips in the Middle East in 2021, with tours in Morocco followed by Egypt in 2022. The operator launched in Turkiye this year and the trip is already sold out.
“People absolutely LOVE Morocco and Egypt,” Doni said. “I believe everyone should see Egypt as it’s such a critical part of our history. I was also just in Turkiye and I know they will love it when my group visits later this fall. Cappadoccia is utterly fascinating! Turkish food and wine is also wonderful.”
With such strong interest in the region, Doni would love to one day offer female-only tours to other Middle Eastern destinations including Jordan, the UAE, Oman and Bahrain.
Supporting women-run businesses on the ground
The support for women extends beyond the tours themselves, with both AdventureWomen and Girls Guide to the World actively seeking and supporting female-run business during every tour in the Middle East.
These unique women-to-women interactions give travellers the opportunity to engage directly with females in the region, explained Paige, and enables them to gain insights into the daily lives of their counterparts on the other side of the world.
“Women travelers are often curious about the lives of women in the places they visit, seeking to understand local perspectives and cultural nuances from a female viewpoint,” said Paige. “This interest goes beyond just sightseeing; it’s about connecting with the authentic experiences of women in different cultures.”
“These encounters not only enrich the travel experience but also foster meaningful cross-cultural connections and deeper understanding.”
Doni concurred, saying Girls Guide to the World attemps to support women owned companies on-the-ground where possible and also prefers to hire female guides.
“We also go out of our way to meet up with women doing interesting things in each country so we can learn what life is like for the women who live there,” Doni said. “We visit a cafe in Marrakech started by a Moroccan woman who lived in the USA for a time. She helps train divorced women who are single mothers to make a living by teaching them at her restaurant how to become a chef, an entrepreneur or a server so that after a year they can graduate, get a job and support their family.”
Lingering fears about being alone
While women are becoming increasingly confident in booking female-only tours without their partners, family or travel buddies, there’s still some lingering fears and concerns around being alone.
“Still to this day there are women who are amazed at their friends who travel solo even if they are joining a group like ours,” Doni added. “We strive to empower women to stop waiting for friends or family and go it alone like 85% of our guests do.”
“They aren’t alone for long because we foster friendship and bonding – most of our guests leave with a handful of new friends that they stay in touch with. The world is so beautiful and it’s worth exploring while we have the time.”
