Men report more incidents abroad, including theft, scams, and poor accommodation experiences. Yet despite this, only 49 percent of women feel confident managing their personal safety when travelling alone or with other women, according to new research from the Safer Tourism Foundation. This contrast highlights a gap between actual reported incidents and perceived travel safety, especially when it comes to women travel safety and how it is experienced in real situations.
The findings from the November 2025 study of 2,000 UK leisure travellers suggest the issue goes beyond direct experiences. The Foundation describes this as the “avoidance tax,” referring to the ongoing adjustments women make to their behaviour in order to stay safe. These decisions, linked closely to travel safety concerns, often include limiting movement, avoiding certain places, or changing plans altogether, shaping women travel safety experiences in ways that many male travellers may never need to consider.
The data arrived the same week the Foundation confirmed a 60% rise in reported sexual harassment and assault incidents during 2024.
Katherine Atkinson, CEO of the Safer Tourism Foundation, is adamant the spike doesn’t tell a straightforward story. “It is encouraging that more travel operators are creating environments where travellers feel able to report,” she says. “This is important progress, and something Safer Tourism Pledge partners have worked hard to achieve. But better reporting alone does not explain a rise of this scale.”
The surface statistics suggest men face the sharper end of travel risks. Twenty-two per cent of men reported theft, scams or financial concerns compared to 17% of women. Eighteen per cent of men flagged inadequate accommodation security versus 13% of women. Sixteen per cent of men experienced inappropriate behaviour from fellow travellers, against 10% of women.
Then the numbers flip.
Nearly one in four women—23%—reported experiencing unwanted attention or harassment whilst travelling, compared to 15% of men. But the most revealing gap doesn’t show up in incident reports. It shows up in the daily calculations women make to ensure nothing appears in an incident report at all.
Sixty-four per cent of women avoid walking back to their accommodation alone at night when abroad. Among men, that figure drops to 43%. More than half of women—56%—avoid specific areas they’ve been warned are more dangerous for female travellers, compared to 37% of men. Nearly half of women, 48%, avoid exploring their destination at night entirely.
A quarter of women avoid taxis or private car transfers with male drivers. Just 11% of men do the same.
“As at home, when women travel they make constant adjustments that most men don’t even consider,” says Atkinson. “When women aren’t travelling, it’s clearly not because they are less adventurous than men, but rather that they face a different risk environment.”
The preparation gap starts before departure. Women purchase travel insurance at higher rates than men—63% versus 54%. They’re more likely to keep written records of important phone numbers: 47% compared to 41%. Thirty-six per cent of women specifically book transport to arrive during daylight hours, against 28% of men. Over half of women—53%—keep friends and family regularly updated whilst away, compared to 46% of men.
Every precaution carries an invisible cost.
The findings sit at the heart of She Travels Safe, a campaign launched this week during Women’s History Month. Rather than issuing generic warnings, the initiative collects first-hand guidance from women who travel, covering everything from pre-trip planning to responding when things go wrong. It includes bystander intervention tools—techniques designed to help any traveller recognise when someone needs support and feel equipped to help safely.
“Bystander intervention techniques have been shown to be effective in reducing and calling out harassment around the world, whoever you are,” says Atkinson. “These tools are not just useful for women.”
The campaign also signposts travellers towards operators who’ve signed the Safer Tourism Pledge, a commitment framework setting out stringent approaches to traveller health, safety and risk management. The timing, during Women’s History Month, was deliberate.
What women want from travel providers isn’t radical. Eighty-eight per cent say it’s important for travel companies to take proactive steps on safety. Yet fewer than half say they’re satisfied with the safety information they currently receive.
The gap between expectation and reality is specific. Sixty per cent want round-the-clock support helplines. More than half—51%—want detailed safety guidance tailored to their specific trip type. Nearly half, 49%, want clear information about accommodation safety: lighting, locks, staff response protocols.
“Women are not asking for anything unreasonable,” says Atkinson. “They want clear information, proactive communication, and to know that the company they’ve booked with has thought about their safety and will offer support if the worst happens. Women are not going to stop travelling, so making female safety a priority issue is a business no-brainer.”
The campaign doesn’t argue travel has become more dangerous, or that women should be more afraid. Its central premise runs in the opposite direction: that the knowledge and community to travel confidently already exist, but remain frustratingly inaccessible to many who need them.
“We believe travel should be a freeing and enriching experience for everyone,” says Atkinson. “The She Travels Safe campaign aims to share knowledge and practical tools to ensure women who want to travel can do so on their own terms.”
The OnePoll research, conducted in November 2025, surveyed UK adults who had travelled for leisure in the past 12 months or planned to in the following 12 months. The sample of 2,000 travellers revealed patterns that extend beyond individual choices into structural questions about how the industry communicates risk, manages duty of care, and supports travellers when incidents occur.
For operators, the message is blunt. Women represent half the potential market. They’re asking for better information, not protection. They’re demanding accountability, not reassurance. They’re willing to pay for services that take their safety seriously.
The question isn’t whether the industry can afford to respond. It’s whether it can afford not to.
