Solo Travel: Women’s Discovery of Self through Obstacles and Gender Barriers
The world of solo travel for women is a precarious place. There are countless horror stories of the dangerous experiences that women encounter that have shaped and defined the way that people perceive travel for the solo female. Stories of kidnappings, sexual violence, rape, and assault are the fears that creep in to the minds of unknowing women who are on the precipice of the decisions to solo travel, along with the people that are warning against the actual process of traveling alone. In most cases, it will completely sway a woman’s decision to travel abroad alone, sometimes resulting in the decision to not travel at all. The safety and concern for females who
…show more content…
This form of tourism differs from past ideologies of travel and tourism relating to escapism or the need to find a foreign authentic experience unlike any before. These new tourists, which consist of a new wave of solo women travelers are looking for experiences that hold meaning on an individual level through the consideration of their own societal relationships along with different life options and perspectives. Tourism is a fundamental “tool for economic, social and political empowerment of women” that is valuable for hosts and the tourism industry, and also to home countries and cultures (Sabina et al 2013). Business, pleasure, education, and adventure are included in some of the most common reasons for female solo travel, but the underlying factors that contribute to the overall reasons for travel include female empowerment, self discovery, identity constructions, to fulfill curiosity, to escape traditional cultural gendered and domestic responsibility roles at home, resistance, and simply traveling for the reason of traveling. It has also been suggested that solo female travel “allows women to break out of their cages where they are shackled by the wants, needs, and demands of other people that keep them within …show more content…
In traditional western societies, the acceptable traveler was usually male. Travel by males whether in solidarity or with a group throughout the 18th and 19th centuries portrayed the image of exploration and adventure (Harris 2007). More recently, women have been actors involved in new tourism that is still in the process of being navigated and understood. Common issues and challenges that are experienced have been explained by women trying to navigate safe and comfortable travel without being put in to situations that could potentially pose threats. While concern for safety as a whole is a concern for women who travel alone, being the subject of a specific gaze factors in to the psychological aspect of solo travel. Being the subject of a gaze for women can be uncomfortable, particularly when women that are traveling alone feel that they are conspicuous or vulnerable in any given situation. Because women are on their own, they often believe that they are the subject of surveillance and that they are the subject of the watchful eye of men. Instead of the initial want to be able to travel undetected or unexposed, they feel the opposite, which not only makes them more cautious and more aware, it also makes them more self conscious. In many cases, “issues such as body
Urry, John, The tourist gaze: Leisure and Travel in Contemporary Societies 2nd Ed (London, 2002).
Dianne is a single woman who has just graduated from nursing school. She has always loved traveling the United States, meeting new people, and experiencing new cultures. Dianne wonders how she can be successful with her career as a nurse but still get to do what she loves. Before settling down and establishing a career in one particular hospital or clinical setting, Dianne is trying to figure out a way to experience something new in the medical field. She has researched and is considering travel nursing.
The traveler goes somewhere because there is something there to see or learn, and his reports of his goings-on are centered upon what is there and its relationships to ideas. The purpose of a trip for such a person is to learn, and also allow others to learn from what findings the person observes. While many people have never traveled around the world, they may still be aware of what is going on there,...
Throughout history, traveling both domestically and internationally has been a major aspect of American life. Whether traveling for work, vacation, or even just leisure, Americans have always been on the move. Although, from Arthur C. Brooks article, “How to Get Americans Moving Again,” it is evident that times are changing. In “How to Get Americans Moving Again,” Brooks portrays an America that has had an immense percentage decrease in the amount of Americans that domestically move between states. This decrease is due to a traveling environment that has left a vast amount of fear and uncertainty in the hearts of travelers, which has caused them to stay home. Considering the current circumstances that Americans are traveling in, which includes
He who does travel, does not know the value of men. Traveling is one of the most important things someone can achieve. If someone never travels they’ll never know the full extent of human accomplishments because they won't be there to admire the food, buildings, nature,animals, climate, people, and just everyday life in other cultures.
There are many interesting trends occurring in the global travel industry today, and one of the most notable is the growing impact of affluent travelers from “emerging” market countries on travel spending and investment. According to Trekksoft.com, tourists in 2016 will be looking for opportunities to explore lesser-known destinations, especially those that are untouched or unique. It’s going to be a huge year for adventure travel, with many people wanting
Growing up in Midwest America, there is not much to look at. The trees, fields of grass, rolling hills, and small towns offer a dull environment for a teenager. There are hardly any monuments, sculptures, or architectural feats to gaze at in admiration. Ultimately, the Midwest appears very mundane. This monotonous landscape seems to push the idea of a typical lifestyle of conformity; one that customarily consists of attending school, finding a career, and settling down with a family. To fully procure an awareness and acceptance of different lifestyles, one must travel. Whether from town to town or on the other side of the planet, traveling allows a person to see the different cultures, beliefs, and beauties that make up our world; I believe in traveling.
...iance, readers are capable of seeing how citizens in the world today try to be independent of others and sustain their personal beliefs and philosophy. Individuals have to put an end to conformity and trying to be a duplication of everyone else because they will never achieve success if they never decide for themselves. A person must not rely on the judgment and minds of others and learn to think for him or herself since depending on others only exhibits a person’s inferiority to larger institutions. People must stop using travel as an excuse to evade personal problems because if they do not have a direct confrontation with the dilemma, trying to escape will only lengthen it. People in today’s society must appreciate this work so they will approve of their individuality and be stronger in fighting against everyone else that disagrees with their personal philosophy.
General Purpose: To persuade the audience that around the world traveling is a good experience to have once in a while.
5) Oppermann, Martin. "Sex Tourism." Annals of Tourism Research. Griffith University-Gold Coast, Australia. Volume 26. Issue 2. 1 April 1999. ScienceDirect, via www.lib.vt.edu
Halloran, Anne-Marie. The Teenager's Guide to Study, Travel, and Adventure Abroad. New York: St. Martin's, 1991. Print.
Many of the classical travel narratives of the past are presented with a main character, with the story revolving around their journey and experience in foreign places. Examples of the traditional way of travel writing are classics like Love and War in the Apennines by Eric Newby, which is about the writers’ journey to Italy and how he met different people, including his wife, throughout the trip (Dalrymple & Theroux, 2011). There are also recent books like Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert which talks about a middle-aged woman’s travel experience as well as her self-discovery during her trip to India. It is a traditional way of travel writing to be a personal narrative and focus on a hero or heroine. In this essay, I will talk about a piece of writing conforming to this idea and another that does not, they are, namely Triumph on Mount Everest by Stacy Allison and Why We Travel by Pico Lyer.
Tourism focuses much more on attractions, helping the tourist experience a change, and is a huge economic business. They each have different rules and guidelines, anthropology being more strict then tourism. However, there are several anthropologists who see tourism as a spiritual journey for newcomers and how it can be a very successful anthropological method. While most people see tourism as an obtrusive version of a vacation, several anthropologists view tourism as a “sacred journey” and helps the tourist experience a sense of solidarity or togetherness (Selwyn, 1990). This form of tourism, known as ethnic tourism, relates the most to anthropology.
When it comes to traveling alone a lot of planning has to be involved in order to set off into the world. When a person is off on their own they don’t have the ability to rely on others to ma...
The winter of 2009 was one of excitement, wonderment, and anxiety, an unbelievable time of adventure. Steve spoke of foreign lands and wondrous sights and people. I longed to travel as he did. My travels had always been limited to my home country; having traveled to forty-one of the fifty states of the United States of America. Therefore, foreign travel was just that: foreign.