SINGAPORE: The Republic has been named second to Bangkok in Asia for female tourists to travel solo, travel site TripAdvisor announced in a media release on Thursday (Mar 5).

Solo female travellers around the world also named Siem Reap, Bali and Hong Kong among the top five Asian destinations.

For long-haul destinations, most of the solo female travellers set their sights on London, followed by Paris, New York, Rome and Barcelona.

MORE WOMEN TRAVELLING ALONE

More women are taking the road less travelled, with 48 per cent of women in Southeast Asia stating they have travelled alone a 12 percentage point rise from 36 per cent in 2014, TripAdvisor's Women's Travel Survey revealed.

The survey was conducted in February this year with 9,181 female respondents from Australia, USA, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. 431 of the 9,181 respondents were from Southeast Asia, according to TripAdvisor.

Of those who said they travel alone, 79 per cent of women in Southeast Asia said a solo trip was in the works, higher than the global average of 74 per cent, TripAdvisor noted. 47 per cent said they were planning two to four solo trips this year.

FREEDOM, INDEPENDENCE TOP REASONS FOR SOLO TRAVEL

TripAdvisor also highlighted that 60 per cent of women in Southeast Asia said they travel alone because it gives them the freedom of doing what they want. A total of 45 per cent of women said the enjoyed the independence and challenge of travelling on their own, while 32 per cent said they undertook solo travel as their family or friends did not have the time or resources to travel with them.

Survey respondents also brought up the benefits of solo travel. Of the surveyed, 62 per cent said it has helped them become more independent and self-reliant, 39 per cent said solo trips helped them gain confidence, while 38 per cent felt solo trips gave them the opportunity to learn about others and other cultures.

Original post:

Singapore second in Asia for female tourists to travel solo: Survey