The travel trends women like you are embracing in 2016

Travelling to a new country on your own can be an exciting and exhilarating feeling! Travel involves everything from touching down in a new destination you’re unfamiliar with, to being surrounded by people you’ve never met before.

However, it can also be a little nerve-wracking. It’s no surprise then, that people looking to become solo travellers are turning to group tours to experience the best of both worlds: Travelling on your own, but in the company of likeminded people.

Women are especially taking advantage of this new trend, with global travel brand Trafalgar reporting a 15% increase in women opting to “go it alone” to Europe. Trafalgar has also seen a 17% increase in women visiting Canada. Popular destinations such as Italy, Ireland, Scotland and the Rocky Mountains are also high on the list of places woman are visiting.

For 2016, Trafalgar has already seen a number of exotic destinations gaining the attention of female travellers. Places like Iceland, Japan and Morocco are just three destinations in the Top 10 holidays booked by solo travellers. The perfect travel destinations for first-time female solo travellers also include:

Iceland

One of the most talked about destinations for 2016, Iceland’s beauty is the capturing the attention of travellers far and wide. From spectacular glaciers, lava formations, geysers and fjords, to the world famous Blue Lagoon… Iceland is a destination that will take your breath away.

Explore this spectacular country for yourself on the 10-day Ultimate Iceland guided holiday. You’ll visit the colourful city of Reykjavik, witness the majestic Gullfoss aka the ‘Golden Waterfall’, dine with locals in their home and visit the glacier that became the location for Jules Verne’s novel ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’.

Japan

For the first-time traveller to Japan, navigating your way around its cities can be overwhelming at the best of times. Tokyo alone has an equivalent to more than half of Australia’s population, living in the one city!

For those women looking to immerse themselves in the Japanese culture, wander its parks dripping in fresh cherry blossoms or taste authentic Japanese food, the Splendours of Japan guided holiday is the perfect answer. You’ll see the breathtaking Mt. Fuji, learn how to make sushi with a Local Specialist, and be treated to a traditional By My Guest lunch in a ryokan dating back to 1932.

Italy

Explore one of the world’s largest cultural hubs as Italy’s cuisine, art, history and traditions come to life on the perfectly-planned Best of Italy guided holiday. With plenty of free time for you to get lost in Italy’s cobbled streets, markets and small villages. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with other travellers as you venture from Rome to Sorrento, Assisi, Venice, Lake Maggiore and Florence together.

Prepare for off-the-beaten track adventures like eating a meal in a converted restaurant situated in an 800 year old tower in the middle of Lake Maggiore, exploring the fashion capital of Milan with a Local Specialist and seeing the inspirational setting for Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, in fair Verona.

Britain and Ireland

Britain and Ireland have been the number one destination for female solo travellers for the past two years. Trips such as the Britain and Ireland Grandeur mix both Ireland’s rugged landscape with England’s modern and medieval cities, along with the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands. These destinations are being lapped up by the adventurous female.

Go back in time and experience a Downtown-Abbey inspired evening as you’re hosted to a Be My Guest experience at a grand private home in York. Learn about Northern Ireland’s troubled past with a black ‘cabbie’ as you cruise the streets of Belfast, and wind your way along the Wild Atlantic Way – Ireland’s most scenic coastal drive to take in the awe-inspiring scenery and a majestic castle stay at Ashford.

Canada

It’s no surprise that women are being lured by the peacefulness of Canada’s natural surroundings. The destination is becoming more popular than ever as a place to escape to for a solo adventure! With an abundance of wildlife, spectacular rock formations, thunderous waterfalls and tranquil emerald waters, these just skim the surface of what are enticing women to travel to this magical location.

Solo numbers among female travellers are more than tripling on Canadian departures. So embrace the outdoors and clear your mind on Trafalgar’s Canada’s Rockies trip, taking you into the heart of Jasper National Park, Banff National Park and Yoho National Park.

Morocco

A country riddled with eccentric tiles, grand architecture and will send your sense into overdrive… Morocco has become a must-visit destination for 2016. Embrace the delicate tastes of roses and oranges and marvel at the endless shades of red, from earthy terracotta to fierce magenta, as you watch the stained works hand-dying material in the old tannery pits of Fez.

When travelling on the Best of Morocco guided holiday, you’ll stay in Authentic Accommodation at Kesbah Chergui decorated with local furnishings and designed with the influences of Berber tribes and the French Foreign Legion. You’ll dine with a local family inside their traditional Raid and discover the souks in Marrakesh. How incredible!

Which of these splendid destinations would you most like to visit? Have you ever taken a solo trip overseas?