Two-thirds of women surveyed have already booked international travel this year, up from 64% earlier in 2025. Most are planning to travel within nine months, showing that while travel is carefully considered, it isn’t being put off – either in the short-term or indefinitely.

Budgets remain steady, with women over 50 spending an average of USD$6,659 (AUD$10,017) a year on travel, excluding flights and insurance. Women in the 65–74 age segment spend the most at USD$6987 (AUD$10,500) per year, second only to millennial spending, and far above Gen Z spending on travel. In spite of the fact that 60% of respondents reported solo travel as their preferred travel style, either independently or in a group, the biggest frustration continues to be the single supplement surcharge, cited by 78% as the greatest barrier to travelling solo.

Beyond money and destinations, values are increasingly guiding choices, with more than half of respondents saying that the country of origin of a travel company matters to them. Forty-two percent prefer women-led or women-owned businesses, and almost one in three seek out companies that visibly support women’s rights, diversity, and inclusion.

Together these findings reveal a clear picture – women over 50 are experienced, purposeful travellers who are setting the pace for solo journeys. They are not winding down – they are defining how and why travel is done in what remains of 2025, and, I imagine, well into the future.