ASIAN WOMEN TRAVEL LIKE NEVER BEFORE

According to a recent MasterCard survey “Women Travelers of Asia Pacific”, in the past 12 months, 54 per cent of the Chinese women surveyed had undertaken an international trip for personal reasons. Most of the women travelers are from wealthier areas of Asia such as Tokyo, Singapore, Taiwan, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, or Seoul and they usually have higher disposable incomes. The women also tend to have higher education levels. It is important for the tourism industry players, to study this kind of market and to offer the women the services they want. "To tap into the massive spending power of women travelers effectively, travel service providers such as airlines, hotels, resorts, restaurants and banks must first understand the needs and wants of women travelers," says Don Birch. The MasterCard survey also reveals that the top activities for female travelers are shopping, culture or historic interest, beach resorts, nature or adventure and family resorts. Safety is also a matter of high concern for women. Some hotels react to this need by offering secured floors for women. In some Indian five-star hotels, enhanced security and female housekeeping staff is provided on separate floors for women business travelers. The number of women traveling in Asia is growing and the trend is expected to continue. “As the Asian economies and travel industry continue to mature, we can expect the ratio to balance up even more towards a 50:50 ratio of men and women travelers if Asia follows the trend of the Western economies,” added Mr. Birch.