Title:

Solo female travel: Destination desirability, empowerment, and the geography of fear

Subtitle:

Geographia Polonica Vol. 99 No. 2 (2026)

Creator:

Borčić, Lana Slavuj : Autor ; Matotek, Leona : Autor

Publisher:

IGiPZ PAN

Place of publishing:

Warszawa

Date issued/created:

2026

Description:

24 cm

Subject and Keywords:

solo female travel ; gendered spaces ; destination choice ; destination desirability ; spatial perception ; empowerment

Abstract:

This study examines how gender shapes solo female travel, focusing on destination desirability, perceptions of (un)safe spaces, experiences and spatial practices. Study combines an online survey of 818 women, mostly from Croatia with 11 semi-structured interviews. The findings show that perception of safety strongly influences destination choice and spatial behaviour, while women actively negotiate risk through planning, behavioural adaptation, and mental mapping. Solo travel does not eliminate fear but requires learning to manage it. Through this process, women assert autonomy, challenge gendered mobility constraints, and transform travel into a space of empowerment, resilience, and self-definition.

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Relation:

Geographia Polonica

Volume:

99

Issue:

2

Start page:

255

End page:

274

Resource type:

Text

Detailed Resource Type:

Article

Resource Identifier:

0016-7282 (print) ; 2300-7362 (online) ; 10.7163/GPol.0326

Source:

CBGiOS. IGiPZ PAN, call nos.: Cz.2085, Cz.2173, Cz.2406 ; click here to follow the link

Language:

eng

Language of abstract:

eng

Rights:

Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 license

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. [CC BY 4.0] May be used within the scope specified in Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 license, full text available at: ; -

Digitizing institution:

Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Central Library of Geography and Environmental Protection. Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization PAS

Projects co-financed by:

European Union. European Regional Development Fund ; Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure

Access:

Open