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Reflections North Haven Holiday Park. Image courtesy Reflections Holidays.
Travelling on our own terms
By Tiffany West
Briefly …
New Australian research suggests many women are choosing solo travel not to seek adventure or prove their independence, but to step away from the pressures of everyday life. The findings point towards a quieter shift in motivation: travel as an opportunity for restoration, reflection and choice.
For years, solo travel has often been portrayed as an act of courage. The image is familiar: a woman setting off alone to challenge herself, embrace uncertainty or demonstrate independence. While those motivations remain, new Australian research suggests they are no longer the whole story.
Commissioned by Reflections Holidays and based on a survey of more than 1,000 Australian women, the inaugural Wander Woman Report 2026 paints a picture of solo travel that is less about escape and more about restoration. Rather than chasing packed itineraries or ticking destinations from a list, many women say they are seeking time to slow down, regain perspective and travel entirely on their own terms.
“… many women say they are seeking time to slow down, regain perspective and travel entirely on their own terms.”
Among those surveyed, relaxation and escaping routine emerged as the most appealing type of solo travel experience, ahead of cultural experiences, food, adventure and wellness retreats. When asked what they hoped to gain from travelling alone, the most common response was “a sense of peace and clarity”, followed by confidence, independence and personal empowerment.
The findings reflect broader changes beyond tourism. The report notes Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing that more than one-third of Australian women frequently feel rushed or pressed for time because of the competing demands of work, caregiving and daily responsibilities. Against that backdrop, solo travel becomes less an indulgence than an opportunity to pause.
Perhaps just as striking is the deliberate way women approach travelling alone. Nearly half of respondents said they had never booked a spontaneous solo trip. Instead, planning carefully, researching destinations and understanding accommodation options all form part of the experience itself. Preparation is not presented as the opposite of adventure, but as something that builds confidence and allows travellers to enjoy greater freedom once they arrive.
Photographer: Olezzo | iStock.
Safety also emerges as a defining consideration. Personal safety and security remain the biggest concern for respondents. The practical features women identify are well-lit communal areas, visible staff, clear communication and accommodation that feels active rather than isolated.
Associate Professor Tamara Young, of the University of Newcastle's Newcastle Business School, believes the research reflects an important shift in thinking. In her foreword to the report, she suggests that women who travel alone are not defined by fear or naivety, but by informed decision-making. The challenge for the tourism industry, she writes, is to move beyond assumptions and design experiences that support confidence from the outset.
Young also challenges the way safety is commonly discussed. Rather than framing it as something achieved through warnings and caution, she points to practical design choices that allow women to travel with greater confidence: lighting that reaches dark areas, accommodation located in visible, active parts of a site, approachable staff and spaces that encourage people to feel comfortable rather than vigilant. In that sense, safety can be thoughtfully built into the travel experience. “When these elements are built in from the start,” Young writes, “they expand what is possible. Women can travel from confidence, not caution.”
Photographer: Lucigerma | iStock.
Another theme running through the research challenges one of the enduring misconceptions about solo travel. Travelling alone does not necessarily mean wanting to be alone all the time. Many respondents expressed interest in informal opportunities to connect with others, provided those interactions remained optional and on their own terms. Shared activities, casual gatherings and small group experiences appealed far more than structured social commitments. Independence, the report suggests, is less about isolation than about retaining the freedom to choose when to engage and when to enjoy solitude.
That distinction may prove one of the report's most valuable contributions. Rather than reinforcing familiar ideas about independence, the findings suggest something more nuanced. Travelling alone is not necessarily about distancing ourselves from other people, but about creating the freedom to decide how we spend our time, where we direct our attention and when we choose to connect. It is, as Young suggests, about creating the conditions for women to travel from confidence, not caution.
Tiffany West is The Solo Traveller Group’s Editorial and Pictorial Assistant Lead.