Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
Introduction
Nowadays, female tourism is gaining popularity around the world. Even though female solo travellers mostly have good experiences, they also experience travel risks and anxieties. According to a study by Karagoz et al. (2020), solo female travellers experience various risks, including unwanted attention, sexual harassment as well as social disapproval while travelling in a gendered travelling space. In another study by Su and Wu (2019), solo women travellers reported being confronted with stranger harassment and cultural encounters. Berdychevsky’s (2015) study showed that solo female travellers undergo negative experiences, including sexual harassment that adversely impacts their sexual health, physical-related injuries, and emotional and mental wellbeing, among others. The main intent of this annotated bibliography is to explore a couple of peer-reviewed references intending to understand the lived experiences of young female solo travellers.
Berdychevsky, L. (2015). Antecedents of young women’s sexual risk taking in tourist experiences. Journal of Sex Research, 53(8), 927–941. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2015.1069783
The main purpose of this study article was to explore the key factors exposing young solo women travellers to the risk of sexual harassment during vacations. The author used 13 women in this phenomenological study and analysed their interview data using transcendental phenomenology. Analysing the study, the two main factors that motivated female solo travellers include the sociopersonal characteristics and the tourist attributes. The sociopersonal characteristics include attitude and definitions, travellers’ age, and double standards’ influence. For various conservative views, they were found to heighten the emotional and social dimensions of travelling risks. At the same time, the open attitudes among solo female travellers allowed them to experience sexual encounters without much mental distress. In terms of the tourist attributes, the tourism’s anonymous and temporary nature combined with the fun-oriented mentality involving alcohol consumption and peer pressure fostered sexual risk-taking among solo female travellers. The study results indicate that sexual harassment of young women solo travellers has many effects, including sexual health, physical-related injuries, and emotional and mental wellbeing. This is a great resource for anyone studying the experiences of young women solo travellers. The source seems to offer valuable and adequate data on the potential dangers that young women solo travellers can experience during their tourist experiences. Even though this is a great study, it may not be generalizable to all women solo tourists, mainly because they used a small sample.
Brown, L., De Coteau, D., & Lavrushkina, N. (2020). Taking a walk: The female tourist experience. Tourist Studies, 20(3), 354–370. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797620930036
In this feminist qualitative study, the authors examine the experiences that female tourists undergo in their solo tourist’ experiences. Adopting the feminist perspective, the study highlighted women’s solo travellers walking experiences in their travelling destinations. According to the study findings, women travelling alone fail to enjoy their time because of feelings of vulnerability as well as perceptions of possible risks, specifically at night or in isolated places. According to the participants’ responses, they adopted various self-protective strategies to manage the perceived risks, including safeguarding and self-surveillance. From this study’s results, one learns about the experiences that female walking solo tourists experience in their travel destinations. Unfortunately, the safety concerns they encounter greatly interrupt their good experiences, including leisure and joy. The study later recommends that future researchers and academicians should focus on the differences between female and male solo tourist experiences and highlight the measures women have taken or should take to keep themselves safe. This is a valuable study for anyone studying the experiences of solo women travellers.
Carles, A. O., Vila, N. A., & Brea, J. a. F. (2022). Solo Travel Research and its Gender Perspective: A Critical Bibliometric Review. Tourism and Hospitality, 3(3), 733–751. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp3030045
In Carles et al. (2022) work, the authors argue that solo tourism is under-studied, emphasizing the need for more research, particularly focusing on women. Other noted study gaps include the lack of a universally agreed upon definition for the term “solo traveller,” the limited research on solo travelling in countries outside Asia, and the need for broader exploration beyond female solo travelling motivations, constraints, and experiences. Exploring this study article offers great information for anyone studying solo travel, specifically those seeking to explore the unique experiences of solo female travellers. For example, it offers a comprehensive understanding of the topic, mainly regarding gender and key challenges facing women solo travellers. According to the study, the rise of solo travel among women, especially post-pandemic, coupled with the 2030 Agenda’s stress on gender equality in tourism requires a renewed focus. They highlight key areas that future research should focus on. They include an increased focus on solo travel, traveller segmentation, standardized definition, broadened scope, global perspective, and the continued focus on solo young women travellers. Even though this is a great and valuable resource for anyone studying the experiences that female solo travellers undergo, it uses secondary resources. In this case, it may lack accuracy because errors may creep during the research process. In addition, the interpretation may be biased.
Hamid, S., Ali, R., Azhar, M., & Khan, S. (2021). Solo Travel and Wellbeing amongst Women: An Exploratory study. Indonesian Journal of Tourism and Leisure, 2(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.36256/ijtl.v2i1.125
This study mainly focussed on exploring the correlation between solo traveling as a woman and one’s wellbeing. According to Hamid and his colleagues, solo travel is no longer a niche market nowadays. In many ways, it contributes to the massive travel market. In recent years, solo travel has grown enormously. However, there is a limited body of research on this topic. Using secondary data, including research papers, social media content, and blogs, Hamid et al. (2021) developed a conceptual model which discusses the impacts of solo travel experiences on female travellers’ wellbeing. According to the literature review findings, both positive changes and self-transformation emerged as resultant factors of solo travelling among women. The study also looked into the major reasons why people do solo travels. They include overcoming stress and depression, self-realization and self-growth, escape from day-to-day routines and happiness and empowerment. The study argues that understanding the growing trend of solo female tourism is key and mainly impacts women’s health. This is a valuable resource for anyone studying female solo travellers’ major reasons and experiences. The work offers information on female solo travelling by offering insights into independent travelling while highlighting its importance in women’s health. In addition, destination managers can use the results of this study to create a safer and more welcoming destination for female solo travellers. Even though this is a great resource for this study, it mainly concentrates on the conceptual model, which lacks empirical data collected through interviews and surveys. Such may impact the study results’ reliability.
Jordan, F., & Gibson, H. (2005). “We’re Not Stupid . . . But We’ll Not Stay Home Either”: Experiences of Solo Women Travelers. Tourism Review International, 9(2), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427205774791663
Jordan and Gibson’s (2005) study, which happened in 1998, mainly focused on studying solo female travellers in the United States and the United Kingdom. The women included in the study were those who engaged in leisure travel and chose tourist destinations for themselves instead of solo business travellers. The main intention of this study was to explore why and how these women experience both good and bad experiences and the meanings they get from them. Using women between 20 and 70 years old, the authors noticed three main themes including surveillance, resistance and empowerment. For surveillance, most of these women became subjects of gaze and subjects of sexualized gaze in their travel destinations. According to one of the study participants, eating alone on vacation and especially in the evening was a great challenge because of being approached by male strangers. Another participant reported of being weirdly looked and approached by male town dwellers which provoked some anxiety. In terms of resistance, solo women travelling was viewed as a major act of resistance. People argued that solo women travellers were no only rebellious to their spouse but also to the society and authority over them. Others viewed solo women travelling as a sign of empowerment where solo travellers were viewed to be more financially and emotionally empowered as compared to other women. According to this study findings, solo travelling among women offers a space for self-reflection, self-development and education. The study effectively captures the experiences of women solo travellers in the above three main themes. Examining this study, it is a great resource for anyone wanting to understand the experiences that solo travellers’ women encounter in their travel destination. One of the limitations of the resource is that it was published in 2005 and hence may not offer up-to-date information.
Karagöz, D., Işık, C., Doğru, T., & Zhang, L. (2020). Solo female travel risks, anxiety and travel intentions: examining the moderating role of online psychological-social support. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(11), 1595–1612. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1816929
Solo women travellers experience various risks and anxieties in their adventures. In this study conducted by Karagoz and his colleagues in 2020, they wanted to explore the link between solo female travellers’ risks and anxieties. They also studied their travel intentions. The study collected data from Facebook groups specifically for women solo travellers. According to the study results, it was evident that solo women travellers experience various types of risks, including gendered, social, psychological, and destination-specific risks, among others. In addition, it was also evident that the anxiety that solo travellers experience weakens their motivation for more travel. The study confirms that solo female travellers tend to experience unique risks, such as social disapproval and sexual harassment from male strangers. In addition, they found that perceived risk increases female solo travellers’ anxieties and reduces their intentions to travel. Lastly, if female solo travellers receive online support from other female travellers, their anxiety tends to reduce, encouraging solo travelling. Even though this is a great study for anyone who wants to understand the risks and anxieties that solo women travellers experience, it has few limitations. For example, since the study used Facebook groups for data collection, generalizability to other female travellers’ groups or participants would be an issue. In this case, this study’s results should be interpreted with caution.
Nikjoo, A., Markwell, K., Nikbin, M., & Hernández‐Lara, A. B. (2021). The flag-bearers of change in a patriarchal Muslim society: Narratives of Iranian solo female travellers on Instagram. Tourism Management Perspectives, 38, 100817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100817
Even though there have been many studies linked to solo women travellers, few studies have touched Middle Eastern and Asian countries. In a study by Nikjoo et al. (2021), however, they mainly focussed on solo travellers in patriarchal Muslim societies. The study mainly explored the experiences that these women go through identifying three main themes: meaning-making, facilitation of self-awareness and transformation and power and empowerment. The study also argued that women’s solo travelling was a form of active resistance against Iranian gender relations where traveling helps women to overcome hidden fears. The author viewed the act of writing about their experiences in their Instagram posts as a way of self-reflection, allowing them to have a greater awareness of themselves. Such an awareness results in self-transformation. Even though this study offers adequate information about the challenges experienced by women travellers in Iran, it has a few limitations. For example, using Instagram posts as a data collection tool would make generalizing to other female tourists challenging. However, it is a great resource for studies linked to solo women traveling.
Osman, H., Brown, L., & Phung, T. M. T. (2019). The travel motivations and experiences of female Vietnamese solo travellers. Tourist Studies, 20(2), 248–267. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797619878307
The main aim of the study by Osman et al. (2019) was to explore the challenges and motivations that female solo travellers experience among Vietnamese students. The study used in-depth interviews with 10 participants, and two categories of motivations were identified. They include personal factors (exploration, freedom and self-empowerment) and social interaction factors (lack of travel companions and the desire to meet new friends). This study contributes to a greater understanding of the experiences and challenges that solo travellers experience, which is one of the most understudied subjects. The study also offers key information to destination marketing organizations on what they should focus on. Even though this is a great study, the small sample size focusing on Vietnamese students might be hard to generalize to other populations. Future studies should involve a larger sample size and build upon already offered methodology to create a more comprehensive picture of how solo travel is, especially among women.
Pereira, A., & Silva, C. (2018). Women solo travellers: motivations and experiences. Millenium, 6, 99–106. https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0206.09.00165
In this conceptual paper, the authors explore the experiences and motivations of females who travel alone. The study emphasizes the growing popularity of solo female travellers and the main reasons they should seek more than just sightseeing. According to the authors, these women are driven by various goals, including independence, self-discovery and escape. The paper also aimed at categorizing motivations that encourage solo women travellers and to develop a link between the motivations and travel experiences. This was done through a literature review that identified eight main motivational destinations and five main experience dimensions in tourism. This study contributes to social science and women’s solo travelling, deepening the link between gender and tourism. Understanding what motivates solo women travellers, various tourist destinations can highlight various aspects that they should cater for. This is a great resource for studies focusing on women solo travellers because apart from highlighting the motivation behind their travelling, the study also highlights the experiences.
Su, C., & Wu, T. (2020). The Dark Side of Solo Female Travel: Negative Encounters with Male Strangers. Leisure Sciences, 42(3–4), 375–392. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2020.1712277
This article focuses on one of the most under-researched topics, the harassment that solo female travellers experience in their traveling destinations. According to the study, there is a huge disconnect between the growing popularity of this topic and the need for attention to the concerns these women experience. In this study, the authors focussed on 17 Taiwanese women who travelled solo but unfortunately experienced harassment from male strangers. According to the study results, solo women travellers experience various challenges, including being compared to their male counterparts. Such a comparison results in fear and restrictions on their travel experiences and motivations. In addition, because of the psychological and physical harassment experiences, these women limit their freedom and enjoyment upon reaching their travel destinations. This study is valuable for this research because it highlights stranger harassment in the context of solo female travellers. The authors identify women’s limitations, including feeling disadvantaged, among other safety concerns. Even though this is a great article for this study, it has some limitations. For example, the study uses a smaller sample size, which makes it hard to generalize to other populations. In addition, relying on the retrospective participants’ accounts, which are easily impacted by memory and social desirability bias, can affect the study results.
Yang, E. C. L., Nimri, R., & Lai, M. Y. (2022). Uncovering the critical drivers of solo holiday attitudes and intentions. Tourism Management Perspectives, 41, 100913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100913
This study mainly explores the factors influencing people’s desire and decision to travel alone. Responding to the increasing popularity of solo traveling, the authors developed a research model founded on the theory of planned behaviour that helps to understand the motivations and constraints surrounding solo holidays. The authors employed the mixed method approach. While the motivations and constraints were explored using qualitative interviews, the authors used the national survey in Australia to examine the proposed model. According to the study results, it was evident that various factors motivate solo travellers. They include the need for self-actualization and a positive attitude. In terms of constraints, loneliness and safety concerns were among the top. Even though this is a great study for understanding the constraints and motivations behind solo traveling, it has some limitations. For example, when researching their motivations and constraints, the authors never differentiated between solo business and leisure travellers. In addition, they never considered various demographics, including age and gender, when choosing the study participants. The solo travel behaviours might reveal additional insights if such were to be done.
Zhang, J., Lai, I. K. W., & Wong, J. W. C. (2024). Female travellers in hospitality and tourism industry: A systematic literature review. Heliyon, e27256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27256
This article reviewed the academic research on female tourism, mainly focussing on data from the 1980s to 2022. The research reviewed approximately 116 articles published in the SSCI journals. This study identified three main themes that greatly impact female tourism research. They include motivation, risk and sexuality. Regarding motivation, solo females travel to various destinations for a couple of reasons. In terms of risks, they include sexual violence, gender-related limited access and gender bias. Sexuality also seems to intersect with tourism experiences, considering the demographic differences. This study offers a valuable resource for researchers studying how tourism and gender are interlinked. The findings can also inform solo travellers about the risks they can experience in their destinations. Lastly, this review’s findings can assist destination managers in understanding female solo travellers’ specific needs and desires. Even though this is a great review for a study on female tourism and risks and concerns, it has a few limitations. For example, the study only analysed journals, which makes generalizability in other populations hard. In this case, further research should be extended to specific groups of solo travellers, including postmodern females.
Conclusion
In summary, female solo travelling is gaining popularity all over the world. From the above-annotated bibliography, it is evident that there are factors that motivate solo travellers. These factors include empowerment and self-actualization, personal growth, leisure, search for a deeper connection with good, freedom and independence, adventure and challenge, meeting new people, personal goals and interests, and escape and relaxation. Besides solo travelling motivations, solo female travellers experience various risks and anxieties. From a couple of resources, it was evident that these travellers experience sexual harassment, feeling vulnerable, unwanted attention, and feeling out of place, among others.
References
Berdychevsky, L. (2015). Antecedents of young women’s sexual risk taking in tourist experiences. Journal of Sex Research, 53(8), 927–941. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2015.1069783
Brown, L., De Coteau, D., & Lavrushkina, N. (2020). Taking a walk: The female tourist experience. Tourist Studies, 20(3), 354–370. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797620930036
Carles, A. O., Vila, N. A., & Brea, J. a. F. (2022). Solo Travel Research and its Gender Perspective: A Critical Bibliometric review. Tourism and Hospitality, 3(3), 733–751. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp3030045
Hamid, S., Ali, R., Azhar, M., & Khan, S. (2021). Solo Travel and Well-Being amongst Women: an Exploratory study. Indonesian Journal of Tourism and Leisure, 2(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.36256/ijtl.v2i1.125
Jordan, F., & Gibson, H. (2005). “We’re Not Stupid . . . But We’ll Not Stay Home Either”: Experiences Of Solo Women Travelers. Tourism Review International, 9(2), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427205774791663
Karagöz, D., Işık, C., Doğru, T., & Zhang, L. (2020). Solo female travel risks, anxiety and travel intentions: examining the moderating role of online psychological-social support. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(11), 1595–1612. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1816929
Nikjoo, A., Markwell, K., Nikbin, M., & Hernández‐Lara, A. B. (2021). The flag-bearers of change in a patriarchal Muslim society: Narratives of Iranian solo female travelers on Instagram. Tourism Management Perspectives, 38, 100817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100817
Osman, H., Brown, L., & Phung, T. M. T. (2019). The travel motivations and experiences of female Vietnamese solo travellers. Tourist Studies, 20(2), 248–267. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797619878307
Pereira, A., & Silva, C. (2018). Women solo travellers: motivations and experiences. Millenium, 6, 99–106. https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0206.09.00165
Su, C., & Wu, T. (2020). The Dark Side of Solo Female Travel: Negative Encounters with Male Strangers. Leisure Sciences, 42(3–4), 375–392. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2020.1712277
Yang, E. C. L., Nimri, R., & Lai, M. Y. (2022). Uncovering the critical drivers of solo holiday attitudes and intentions. Tourism Management Perspectives, 41, 100913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100913
Zhang, J., Lai, I. K. W., & Wong, J. W. C. (2024). Female travellers in hospitality and tourism industry: A systematic literature review. Heliyon, e27256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27256
