UAE Is the Safest Country for Solo Women Travelers, Reckon 30.4%

When it comes to traveling, safety is a major concern for women and society at large, whether they are traveling solo or with family, friends, or a large group. Before deciding on a destination, women often prioritize researching the safety of the place over checking the “must-visit places” list. However, now with the rise of solo travelers, the question of safety is bigger than ever before, especially because women are constantly encountering challenges and often feeling unsafe while traveling, especially solo.

While some destinations are safer than others, it’s always wise to err on the side of caution. That’s why the BBC recently published a list of the top five safest countries for women to travel, and that urged Real Research, an online survey platform, to conduct a survey on the safest countries for women to travel to ask people about their opinion of the list. To know which country is a popular choice among people and which one they think is the safest one for women solo travelers, take a look at the survey results.

Key Highlight:

• 65.82% acknowledge that they have experienced solo travel.
• Almost 64% confessed to feeling very safe while traveling.
• UAE is the safest country for solo women travelers, reckon 30.49%.

Navigating Solo Travel with Confidence and Caution

As evident from Fig. 1, the data gathered from the survey suggests that the vast majority of respondents (65.82%) have gone on solo trips, whereas 26.94% have never, and only 7.24% have expressed plans to go on a solo trip but haven’t yet.

However, when participants were asked who they usually prefer to travel with, most of them (35.7%) acknowledged that they prefer to travel with their families, and 29.31% admitted that they like traveling with friends. On the other hand, 20.82% said they prefer traveling alone, and 14.17% mentioned other preferences.

Exploring the Safety Landscape

Of those who have traveled solo, 63.99% claimed they felt very safe on their journey, while 33.09% said they felt somewhat safe. Meanwhile, 2.92% contradicted and opined that they felt unsafe while traveling.

The BBC reported five countries that are considered safe for women to travel alone; Japan, Norway, Slovenia, Rwanda, and the United Arab Emirates. In this Real Research survey, the respondents were asked which country among the five is safe for women to travel alone. A majority of 30.49% of respondents voted for the United Arab Emirates, and 28.08% vouched for Japan. Another 23.6% chose Norway. Rwanda and Slovenia were the least chosen destinations, with 8.99% and 8.84%, respectively.

Staying Safe on the Go

The survey further asked if respondents think it’s safe for women to travel abroad alone, to which 45.56% said that it depends on the country they’re traveling to. Almost an equal number of respondents agreed and disagreed with the statement (27.25% and 27.19%, respectively).

Furthermore, while talking about the precautions to ensure safety while traveling alone as a woman, 19.80% of respondents advised avoiding traveling alone at night or in areas with a reputation for being dangerous.

Another 12.68 suggested researching the destination beforehand and knowing about the culture and customs of the place they are traveling to.

11.63% advised travelers to stay connected with friends and family back home and let them know their itinerary. While 10.64% pointed out that joining a women’s travel group or hiring a local guide for added safety might keep travelers safe. In contrast to these popular suggestions, the least number of respondents (5.99%) believed that dressing moderately and respectfully would ensure women’s safety when traveling.

Traveling on Her Own Terms

Respondents were asked what governments and travel companies could do more to ensure the safety of women traveling alone in foreign countries, 24.27% stated that providing more comprehensive safety information and resources specifically for female travelers would be helpful.

20.52% believe offering group tours and activities for solo female travelers will be effective. Increasing the number of female police officers and security personnel in tourist areas may be more reassuring for safety, said 14.70%. Whereas 14.26% reckoned implementing stricter laws and penalties for perpetrators of harassment and assault will be helpful.

In the following question, the participants were asked how they typically research and gather information about the safety of a country before deciding to travel there, and 18.28% said they search for travel blogs and discussions on online forums. An equal number of respondents (13.41%) commented that they check their country’s advisories for the destination they’ve planned to visit and that they connect with locals using various platforms, such as social media. Another 12.59% claimed that personal experiences and opinions from friends or family members helped them conduct their research before the trip.

The findings of this survey reveal mixed opinions among respondents. Conclusively, traveling solo as a woman can be a daunting prospect, however, with the right precautions and planning, it can also be a thrilling, empowering, yet rewarding experience.