And thanks to the surge in demand, you can take your pick of experiences — everything from adrenaline-packed weekends to yoga retreats, female empowerment programmes to country tours in Mongolia or Pakistan. And they're selling out.
Why would you book a woman-only trip?
So why the steep rise — and what's the attraction? It's partly because there is more interest in solo travel. The tourism industry as a whole is finding ways to cater to an increasing number of people who want to travel alone.
Additionally, many of us are seeking to connect with community when we travel, and get a richer understanding of the new places we visit.
But although the world has become more accessible — in some places women's experience remains very different from men's and is often consigned to a domestic sphere that's rarely seen by conventional tourism.
The only way to glimpse what life is really like for these women is to travel in female-only groups.
In Iran, a tour may take in women's-only parks in Shiraz, and beauty parlours — a rare space where female entrepreneurs can gain financial independence.
Such tours open doors that would otherwise be shut to you — enabling a richer, more rounded experience. Many involve staying in homestays — a way to root you in the local community.
A positive impact on local women
Women-only tours not only highlight the female experience, they're also more likely to give money to local women.
Saadia Baber has set up a "Sisterhood tour of Northern Pakistan" from her company, Xperience Pakistan, a start-up that she runs from her office in London. Working with a young female entrepreneur in Pakistan, she plans to send all-female groups to see women-led projects in Gilgit Baltistan — a holiday that will give money directly to women working in the craft industries in Gilgit and to her female tour guide in Pakistan.
Tourism is an industry in which women can flourish, an industry where businesses don't need large start-up funds, formal education isn't essential, flexible working possible and where personal skills are prized. Across the world, there are almost twice as many female employers in travel and tourism than in other sectors.
There's still room for improvement
For all that, women are still more likely to be in lower-paid, non-management positions: far more often found cooking behind the scenes, than in the starring roles as guides.
Providing stronger training and development opportunities to get women into management positions in tourism is essential.
In the Middle East and North Africa, only 5 per cent of firms in the tourism sector have a female managing director. In Morocco, tour operators struggle to find trained female guides. In Jordan, only 13 per cent of women are in the workforce and in Iran, government regulation actually prevents hotels from hiring women into senior positions, regardless of their qualifications.
This industry-wide rise in demand for women-led experiences is exciting — because with greater demand, supply will follow. When people book women-run tours, there's a financial incentive for women to be given the training and opportunities to lead.
And the fruits that those opportunities bring can be seen already. Women are re-imagining tourism as a tool for good in their local communities, elevating accessibility and rights issues, and using tourism as an opportunity to provide local employment and conserve the environment.
Thanks to these holidays, women around the world are finally getting their moment in the sun. And that's good for everyone.
Eloise Barker is a writer at Responsible Travel
responsibletravel.com
