While women travelling the globe is nothing new, it may come as a surprise to some that nearly two-thirds of all travellers today are women. Reinforcing this bold figure, Forbes maintains that women drive between 70% and 80% of all consumer purchasing through a combination of their buying power and their influence, irrespective of who they travel with and who pays for the trip.
As the de facto gatekeepers of a trillion-dollar industry that continues to grow each year, the decisions (and more broadly the voyages in themselves) of women travellers the world over look set to have a profound impact on the travel landscape.
And while women may be shaping the future of travel, there are still challenges that continue to put the wanderlust of many a traveller to the test. We were thrilled to catch up with several inspirational women who choose to ignore the stereotypes and rise to the challenge of travelling the world with an open mind.
Here are some of the women that inspire us to hit the road and let our wanderlust run loose.
Building bridges — Elena Nikolova
World child Elena Nikolova has had led a diverse life, having grown up and lived in several countries. Her views on the world, which she continues to explore tersely form the basis of her blog, Muslim Travel Girl. Propelled by a mission to show other Muslims to take confidence in their identity and travel the world with an open mind, Elena’s focus is on building bridges and inspiring others to do the same.
Could you tell us a bit about your background?
“I consider myself a citizen of the world. I was born in Bulgaria, raised in Greece and have lived in the UK. Six months ago we made a move to Qatar. I have spent 10 years in each country and I am looking forward to the next decade of exploring and living in different countries. I come from a multicultural environment and I know first-hand how travel and making friends from different cultures can change perceptions.”
For Elena, “travellers are travellers and all want the same thing – to meet new people and to create memories with loved ones.” Her globetrotting exploits have, however, led her to the realisation that one can sometimes be negatively profiled for being Muslim and for wearing a hijab and this is a challenge.
“Coming from such a diverse culture, when I became Muslim in 2009 I realised that not many Muslims travel. Non-Muslims and Muslims all over the world have so many misconceptions about one another. I am on a quest to improve mutual understanding by helping Muslims travel the world.” With this said, Elena feels that there are now “a lot of young Muslim girls travelling solo,” a big step that she takes heart in.
Say yes to solo travel—Annika Ziehen
Hailing from the small German town of Bad Hersfeld, Annika Ziehen’s fascination for other cultures stems from her childhood curiosity towards everything foreign. Long stints in New York and South Africa only cultivated this enthrallment.
Today her travels have taken her to numerous countries across the globe, driven by, amongst other things, her avid support for solo travel — one of many causes that Annika is passionate about. The Midnight Blue Elephant, Annika’s blog, is the brainchild of this ambition — a one-stop travel blog that paints vivid tales of Annika’s exploits around the globe.
What are the main challenges facing solo women travellers today?
“Society still tells us that certain things aren’t acceptable. At the very least, there are many things that are still very peculiar for women to do and going against this perception can be difficult. I have been very lucky — not only did I grow up with a passport that gives me access to most countries in the world but also with the financial means and liberal surroundings to support my travelling.” But I know it is not as easy for other women.”
“As far as practicalities of solo travel go, we women do face challenges and some are different than those men face. In general, I use good common sense: adhere to local rules and regulations especially when it comes to a dress code, don’t walk alone at night and always, always trust your gut feeling.” “With the latter, I am very unapologetic — I try not to be rude but if I offend someone by getting out of a situation that doesn’t feel right — so be it.”
“There is, however, one rule I don’t follow [ don’t talk to strangers] — I always talk to strangers!”
To this end, Annika has published a book about solo travel, documenting how travelling alone can improve one’s self-esteem and trigger feelings of veritable freedom. The response it has elicited from women or all walks of life globally has given her a sense of community with the needs and aspirations of many people she would “probably never have connected to otherwise.”
For Annika, it’s all about travelling freely and not conforming to what society expects. She hopes that her travels can inspire other women to do the same, invoking a gradual change to the travel landscape as we know it today.
Accessible travel for all — Jay Abdullahi
Loving Londoner Jay Abdullahi is originally from Nigeria and moved to the British capital as a young child. Having grown up disabled, due to Polio contracted during infancy, Jay has seized every opportunity afforded to her to explore the world, documenting her spirited travels via her website, Jay on Life. She has also written extensively on how to travel with a disability and is a leading voice for a travel industry that is more accessible for all.
Jay also champions the work of charities such as the UK-based NGO, Able Child Africa, who hold a special place in her heart on account of their efforts in helping disabled children in Africa.
Read more: Explore Lisbon as a disabled traveller — Jay and momondo go on a tour through Lisbon
What inspires you to travel?
“Surprisingly enough, my disability inspires me to travel. Life and good health are usually taken for granted by most people. Having lived with my disability since I was a baby, I grab every opportunity I can to explore the world. You really never know what tomorrow may bring, so you should try and have a good day today and every day.”
According to Jay, the challenges of living in a large, fast-paced and occasionally insensitive city, where she has “for the most part been left to her own thing”, have forced her to thrive. “Getting on with it and learning to be self-sufficient” are two of Jay’s ripostes to her life in London, skills that she is happy to have attained.
Read more: Athens for the disabled traveller — momondo explores the Greek capital with Jay Abdullahi
Conquering cultural divides — Amanda Ponzio-Mouttaki
Amanda fondly recalls always having dreamed of travelling, having nurtured her craving through immersing herself in her books from the age of four. Unsurprisingly, when she did start travelling, it quickly became an addiction, which also cultivated her love of all things culinary. Born in Michigan, she converted to Islam at age 20 after meeting and falling in love with her Moroccan husband, Youssef.
The couple now live in Marrakech with their two sons, where they run Marrakech Food Tours. Amanda’s blog, MarocMama, is another of her enterprising projects, detailing her globe-trotting escapades cultural encounters and love of food with aplomb. Amanda feels that “women are often portrayed as the wife or mum bringing up the rear behind a husband or kids but in reality, their role in the travel landscape is far greater.”
What are the main challenges that face you when you travel the world?
“The biggest challenge for me is often how people see me. I am a Muslim woman who travels and happens to have an American passport (and accent). This throws off a lot of people. Sometimes being Muslim is helpful, but other times it can completely ruin my trip. I try to go into every situation with the best outlook, but the truth is, a lot of times people judge me as soon as they see me, and when that judgment is negative, it can be really hard.”
Embracing cultural encounters — Chelle & Crystal Roberts
Jersey sisters Chelle and Crystal Roberts spent their early years travelling with their belated father and mother, the former of whom converted his frequent flyer miles and hotel points into family adventures. Sparked by the globetrotting of their youth, Chelle and Crystal have continued to wander the world armed with unending curiosity for pastures new, charting their voyages via their blog, BrownGirlsFly.
Both Chelle and Crystal contend that new cultures and culinary experiences are enriching though no altogether trouble-free. Instances of overt racism and uncomfortable cultural encounters have sometimes arisen over the course of their travels. However, they feel that such experiences have served to cultivate their compassion and only stoked their curiosity –”breaking barriers, broadening perspectives and deepening understanding.”
Are there any particular causes that you support?
“We firmly believe that travel is about leaving your comfort zone, learning about yourself and becoming a better person through the experience. As American women-of-colour, we’ve often wondered why we don’t encounter more people like us on the road.”
“With this in mind, we’ve served as mentors for the Passport Party Project which provides underrepresented American youth their first passports. We also cheer for organisations like the Global Girl Project (an exchange program for young women from developing countries) and Wanderful (a sisterhood and home sharing network for women travellers).”
