New data ahead of International Women’s Day shows women planning trips independently, with beach destinations and Southeast Asia leading preferences
Indian women are travelling more frequently and independently, with solo travel surging nearly ninefold year-on-year, according to new insights released by travel-fintech platform Scapia ahead of International Women’s Day.
The data indicates a significant shift in travel behaviour, with women increasingly planning their journeys end-to-end — from choosing destinations and booking transport to selecting stays and experiences. Across flights, trains, buses and accommodation, women travellers are taking greater control of how and where they travel, both domestically and internationally.
Solo travel has emerged as one of the strongest indicators of this shift, with bookings by women growing almost nine times on the platform over the past year.
Beach Destinations Dominate Choices
Beach destinations account for more than 80 per cent of domestic leisure bookings made by women, significantly outpacing hill stations. Popular destinations include Goa, Port Blair, Kovalam, Poovar, Varkala and Diu.
Internationally, solo women travellers are gravitating toward island and beach destinations such as Krabi, Phuket, Langkawi, Phu Quoc, Bali and Gili Trawangan.
Spiritual travel also continues to appeal across age groups. Younger travellers from Gen Z are increasingly exploring destinations such as Varanasi and Rishikesh, often drawn by scenic routes and social-media appeal. Millennials, meanwhile, prefer established pilgrimage centres including Shirdi, Haridwar, Amritsar and Velankanni.
Gen Z Drives Value Travel, Millennials Go Premium
Travel preferences also vary by generation. Gen Z women are largely opting for mid-range stays, which make up nearly half of their bookings and have grown roughly eightfold year-on-year. Their travel patterns favour culture-led experiences in heritage destinations such as Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Hampi, Agra and Varanasi, as well as quick weekend getaways near metro hubs.
Millennial women, on the other hand, are driving premium growth, with nearly one-third opting for luxury stays — the highest share among all age groups. Destinations such as Goa and Pondicherry remain among their top choices.
Southeast Asia Leads Outbound Travel
Internationally, Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent together account for nearly 63 per cent of outbound trips by women on the platform. Destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka continue to attract travellers, aided by visa-free or visa-on-arrival policies.
Vietnam in particular has emerged as a fast-growing favourite, with travellers visiting cities including Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long and Sa Pa.
Japan remains the most popular destination outside Southeast Asia, with Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone and Fujikawaguchiko featuring prominently in bookings.
Meanwhile, destinations in Central Asia such as Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are gaining popularity, particularly among Gen Z travellers exploring less conventional routes.
Travel Mobility Expands
The data also shows a sharp rise in women’s mobility across transport modes. Train bookings have surged 16.5 times year-on-year, bus bookings 11 times and flight bookings 8.2 times, reflecting higher travel frequency and stronger regional movement, especially across southern India.
Scapia said the trends highlight a broader shift in travel behaviour, with Indian women increasingly embracing independent, frequent and experience-driven journeys.
