I am down with that.
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PUNE: More Indian women are travelling alone now across the country and while they share their travel experiences of conquering all parts of India, they rate Ahmedabad as the safest, followed by Pune. The country's vibrant financial capital Mumbai stands third on the safety parameter, a recent survey by a travel company has revealed.
The number of women travelling alone in India and abroad has also increased, with 41% of those surveyed saying they travelled alone in 2014, as compared to 37% the previous year.
Most Indian women travellers said they travel alone for it gives them the freedom of doing whatever they want (47%), for the challenge (39%) and also because their family or friends do not have the time or resource to travel with them (28%).
Entrepreneur Kulpreet Freddy Vesuna, 41, recalls the first time she had ventured out alone eight years ago, it was to take a break from her work schedule, but could not find company. "I have been hooked (to the idea) since then, and have travelled to Shillong, Guwahati, Cochin, Hyderabad, Shimla and Chennai among other cities. Travelling alone gives a freedom to eat and do whatever I wish to."
Besides, travelling alone is also a lot easier than it was say a decade ago with connectivity not a concern. "Earlier it was tough to convince family members, but now if you stay in touch with them, they feel reassured," added Vesuna.
Vesuna, who hails from Delhi and works in Pune, finds Pune as one of the safest and easiest places for women to travel alone.
The survey draws comparisons, taking inputs from across 10 geographies including India, Australia, US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia and Southeast Asia. About 10,481 female travellers participated in the survey globally of which 1,300 were from India. "It appears that lesser Indian women now perceive travelling alone in India as unsafe (only 11% this year against 33% last year)," said Nikhil Ganju, country manager, TripAdvisor India, that did the survey.
"But much still needs to be done by way of perception management as well as actual safety measures on the ground for Indian women to feel safer in their own country," he added.
Neidhi Kumar, an analyst with a multinational company rated Pune, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad and Bangalore among the safest places for a woman to travel - alone or in a group. But Delhi and Gurgaon are still unsafe, she said. She also pointed out that people haven't warmed up to lone women travellers yet, and men still resort to stalking and staring at such women.
"It was a very liberating experience the first time I travelled alone, the best part being meeting so many interesting people. While Goa and Laddakh experiences were good, outside India, Singapore felt like a safe haven," said Shweta Gadia, 32-year-old marketing professional. "I have made so many new friends and even teamed up with a like-minded woman to make a trip to Combodia," she added.
Almost 59% women agreed with Gadia and said that travelling alone has helped them become independent, self-reliant and confident (42%) and they have learnt something about others or other cultures (39%).
The Northeast seems like a favourite among women travelling alone, with Shillong and Meghalaya voted as the safest. Laddakh too was a popular destination among women.
In addition to solo travel, women travelling in groups is also picking up as a trend. Forty percent of the women polled had travelled in a group, 56% said they did the trip to reconnect with friends and 51% said they enjoyed visiting cultural places. Around 36% said these trips gave them "a break from family life".
"Women travellers are a huge segment for us, in the last one year alone their contribution has grown by nearly 200% and continues to grow rapidly. Earlier, not many women stepped out alone owing to social taboos, security issues. However, today women seem to be more independent taking decisions for themselves and family," said Yogendra Vasupal, founder of an ecommerce platform which provides budget accommodations in home-stays and boutique hotels across India.
Travelling solo a hit among women - The Times of India
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PUNE: More Indian women are travelling alone now across the country and while they share their travel experiences of conquering all parts of India, they rate Ahmedabad as the safest, followed by Pune. The country's vibrant financial capital Mumbai stands third on the safety parameter, a recent survey by a travel company has revealed.
The number of women travelling alone in India and abroad has also increased, with 41% of those surveyed saying they travelled alone in 2014, as compared to 37% the previous year.
Most Indian women travellers said they travel alone for it gives them the freedom of doing whatever they want (47%), for the challenge (39%) and also because their family or friends do not have the time or resource to travel with them (28%).
Entrepreneur Kulpreet Freddy Vesuna, 41, recalls the first time she had ventured out alone eight years ago, it was to take a break from her work schedule, but could not find company. "I have been hooked (to the idea) since then, and have travelled to Shillong, Guwahati, Cochin, Hyderabad, Shimla and Chennai among other cities. Travelling alone gives a freedom to eat and do whatever I wish to."
Besides, travelling alone is also a lot easier than it was say a decade ago with connectivity not a concern. "Earlier it was tough to convince family members, but now if you stay in touch with them, they feel reassured," added Vesuna.
Vesuna, who hails from Delhi and works in Pune, finds Pune as one of the safest and easiest places for women to travel alone.
The survey draws comparisons, taking inputs from across 10 geographies including India, Australia, US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia and Southeast Asia. About 10,481 female travellers participated in the survey globally of which 1,300 were from India. "It appears that lesser Indian women now perceive travelling alone in India as unsafe (only 11% this year against 33% last year)," said Nikhil Ganju, country manager, TripAdvisor India, that did the survey.
"But much still needs to be done by way of perception management as well as actual safety measures on the ground for Indian women to feel safer in their own country," he added.
Neidhi Kumar, an analyst with a multinational company rated Pune, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad and Bangalore among the safest places for a woman to travel - alone or in a group. But Delhi and Gurgaon are still unsafe, she said. She also pointed out that people haven't warmed up to lone women travellers yet, and men still resort to stalking and staring at such women.
"It was a very liberating experience the first time I travelled alone, the best part being meeting so many interesting people. While Goa and Laddakh experiences were good, outside India, Singapore felt like a safe haven," said Shweta Gadia, 32-year-old marketing professional. "I have made so many new friends and even teamed up with a like-minded woman to make a trip to Combodia," she added.
Almost 59% women agreed with Gadia and said that travelling alone has helped them become independent, self-reliant and confident (42%) and they have learnt something about others or other cultures (39%).
The Northeast seems like a favourite among women travelling alone, with Shillong and Meghalaya voted as the safest. Laddakh too was a popular destination among women.
In addition to solo travel, women travelling in groups is also picking up as a trend. Forty percent of the women polled had travelled in a group, 56% said they did the trip to reconnect with friends and 51% said they enjoyed visiting cultural places. Around 36% said these trips gave them "a break from family life".
"Women travellers are a huge segment for us, in the last one year alone their contribution has grown by nearly 200% and continues to grow rapidly. Earlier, not many women stepped out alone owing to social taboos, security issues. However, today women seem to be more independent taking decisions for themselves and family," said Yogendra Vasupal, founder of an ecommerce platform which provides budget accommodations in home-stays and boutique hotels across India.
Travelling solo a hit among women - The Times of India
