Indian Women Driving The Rise In Solo Travel And Independent Trips

Beach Destinations Dominate Travel Choices

Ahead of International Women’s Day, new insights from Scapia’s travel and stays platform reveal a clear shift in how Indian women are travelling. Women are not only travelling more, but are also increasingly planning their journeys end-to-end themselves, from choosing destinations and booking transport to selecting stays and experiences.

Solo travel among women has grown nearly ninefold year-on-year on the platform, emerging as one of the strongest indicators of this change. Across flights, trains, buses, and stays, both domestic and international, women are travelling more frequently and independently, taking greater control over where they go, how often they travel, and how they experience their journeys.

Beach Breaks Lead, But Temples and Timelines Are Calling Too

Beach destinations dominate women’s travel choices. Over 80 per cent of domestic leisure bookings by women are for beach locations over hill stations. Popular domestic picks include Goa, Port Blair, Kovalam and Poovar, Varkala and Diu.

This preference extends internationally, especially for solo travellers. Destinations such as Krabi, Phuket, Langkawi, Phu Quoc, Bali and Gili Trawangan have seen a spike in solo bookings by women.

Spiritual travel continues to resonate across age groups, but preferences differ. Gen Z women are increasingly exploring spiritual destinations with scenic and Instagrammable routes such as Varanasi and Rishikesh. Millennials favour established spiritual centres, including Shirdi, Haridwar, Amritsar and Vellankani.

Gen Z Drives Value Travel; Millennials Opt for Premium

Gen Z women are largely choosing mid-range stays, which account for nearly half of their bookings and have grown ~8X year-on-year - pointing to value-led but frequent travel.

Gen Z women are gravitating toward culture-led journeys, over-indexing in heritage destinations such as Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Hampi, Agra, and Varanasi. They are also exploring Tier-III and offbeat destinations, while favouring quick weekend escapes near metro hubs like Lonavala and Hampi.

Outbound travel among Gen Z women is tilting toward Asia-Pacific and island destinations, with strong interest in Australia & New Zealand, the Philippines, and Mauritius & Seychelles. Japan stands out as a key draw with Tokyo and Kyoto, while Amsterdam and Spain are emerging as preferred European alternatives.

Within the Middle East, their journeys often extend beyond Dubai into the wider UAE circuit, including Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. While Europe accounts for only 14 per cent of overall women’s international travel, Millennial trips remain concentrated in iconic cities such as Paris and Rome, signalling deliberate, bucket-list driven exploration rather than casual frequency.

Millennial women are driving premium growth. Nearly 33 per cent opt for luxury stays - the highest among all age groups. Beach destinations such as Goa and Pondicherry remain key favourites within this cohort.
One in two International Trips by Young Indian Women Heads to Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent together account for 62.6 per cent of outbound trips by women on the platform — nearly one in two international journeys. Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka continue to see strong demand, driven in part by visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.

Over 60 per cent of the top international destinations booked by women require no advance visa, underscoring the role of ease and accessibility in decision-making.

Vietnam stands out as a fast-growing favourite, with women travelling across multiple cities including Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc, Ha Long and Sa Pa.

Japan continues to see strong interest and ranks as the top non-Southeast Asian destination on the platform, with Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone and Fujikawaguchiko all featuring prominently in the data.

Central Asia and Eurasia - The New Frontier

Central Asian and Eurasian countries such as Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are emerging as popular destinations for women on Scapia. Georgia leads the pack, with visits spanning Tbilisi, Batumi and Borjomi, making it the standout country in this group. Cities such as Almaty, Tashkent etc are also gaining traction, particularly among Gen Z travellers looking beyond conventional tourist circuits.

Europe remains aspirational but selective, accounting for a smaller share of trips overall. Travel is concentrated around a handful of cities such as London, Paris, Amsterdam and Vienna, suggesting that Europe is often a planned milestone trip rather than a spontaneous short getaway.

Mobility on the Rise

Mobility among women across transport modes has surged sharply. Train bookings have increased sixteen and a half times year-on-year, bus bookings eleven times, and flight bookings just over eight times, reflecting both more frequent travel and stronger regional movement, especially across southern India.