Enabling Self Discovery and Connection for Women Through Travel: EF Go Ahead Tours Launches "Tours for Women" on International Women's Day

New research reveals 86% of women are interested in traveling with female-only groups

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EF Go Ahead Tours, a leader in guided group travel, announces the launch of "EF Go Ahead Tours for Women," a first-ever collection of seven new women-only tours designed to foster connection, authenticity, and discovery, with experiences rooted in celebrating women's history and impact around the world. The launch coincides with International Women's Day celebrations worldwide and introduces a new core offering rooted in connecting women through travel and cultures around them.

The new way to travel with EF Go Ahead Tours comes in response to overwhelming demand for female-only travel options revealed in their recent market research conducted in partnership with Qualtrics. Findings underscored both the desire to travel with other women as well as key motivations for embarking on travel experiences.

"We have heard from women who love to travel but hesitate to go alone, and from others who have traveled solo but miss the magic of shared experiences," said Heidi Durflinger, President of EF Go Ahead Tours. "These Tours for Women fill that gap. I know firsthand how transformative it can be to discover a new place surrounded by other women who lift each other up. There is something incredibly powerful about creating opportunities where women can be both courageous and authentically themselves while traveling together."

The seven new Tours for Women, launching on International Women's Day (March 8^th, 2025), include Italy, UK & Ireland, Spain & Portugal, Greece, Thailand, Peru, and Egypt. These destinations were chosen by women, for women, based on a poll the company conducted of thousands of women. Each itinerary is thoughtfully crafted to highlight women-run businesses, female artisans, and important historical and contemporary female figures. Each tour will be led by expert female Tour Directors.

Key experiences include:

• Peru for Women: Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca & Machu Picchu: travelers will connect with Andean women demonstrating ancient weaving techniques at Awamaki, a nonprofit offering educational and economic opportunities
• Italy for Women: Rome, Tuscany & the Italian Lakes: travelers will learn to make authentic Bolognese ragu at Podere San Guiliano, an agriturismo founded by chef Frederica and her grandmother
• Egypt for Women: Cairo & Nile River Cruise: Egyptologists will share accounts of feminist activist Doria Shafik and other iconic female figures
• Ireland, England & Scotland for Women: Dublin to Edinburgh: a female storyteller at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will bring to life tales of remarkable women in Scottish history

Connection is Queen

According to their survey, EF Go Ahead Tours reports 84% of women consider their friendships with other women important and believe they have a significant impact on their health and wellbeing. And travel has the strongest power to deepen those relationships; in fact, 65% of respondents felt travel is the most effective way to form meaningful connections and friendships, followed by experiencing something thrilling together. In addition, traveling with other women, rather than a coed group, allows women to "be their authentic selves," with close to 60% reporting they prefer traveling with women over traveling with men.

Connecting to women of the past is an important element of travel, too; 92% of women surveyed were interested in discovering stories of remarkable women in history while traveling.

Lastly, connecting with the local culture is an incredibly important element of traveling for 75% of women. 44% noted their favorite activities on a trip are related to embracing the local culture, whether it's through visiting museums and historical sites, enjoying local cuisine or learning about the location's history. Plus, nearly a third (31%) of women noted that their favorite activity while traveling is visiting natural landmarks or enjoying the outdoor spaces unique to the area.

Solo Still Spikes – But Group Settings Create Courage

For the last few years, solo travel has continued to rise amongst women, with nearly 80% (78%) of women indicating that they have traveled solo, citing key benefits such as the ability to enjoy the sense of independence that solo travel enables. Plus, 65% enjoy the alone time without feeling pressure to do everything together. But now, EF Go Ahead Tours reports there's a growing desire to travel solo within a group setting. 86% of female respondents seek to travel solo within a group of other women, blending benefits by providing independence as well as the security group travel provides.

Plus, traveling in a group setting creates greater confidence in embracing more adventurous experiences. While those who identified as a woman feel more comfortable doing activities such as shopping, dining out or visiting museums alone compared to other respondents, nearly half of women are uncomfortable doing an adventurous activity by themselves. However, 61% feel more confident in exploring when they're in a group setting.

Self-Rediscovery Through Travel

Traveling inspires confidence, EF Go Ahead Tours reports. According to the survey, 60% of women feel like the best version of themselves when traveling. However, while those who identified as male or nonbinary were less likely to avoid traveling due to family obligations, nearly a third (31%) of women noted that family commitments prevented them from traveling. And now, nearly 60% (59%) of women are feeling the need spend time away from their families to rediscover themselves.

The launch of EF Go Ahead Tours for Women represents a significant shift in women's travel preferences. Unlike traditional solo tours, EF Go Ahead Tours for Women emphasizes the ability to develop meaningful connections as well as deepen existing ones, whether you're traveling solo or together with friends, mothers, daughters, sisters or multigenerational family members. The first EF Go Ahead Tours for Women departures begin in January 2026. For more information on these itineraries launching on March 8^th, 2025, visit EF Go Ahead Tours for Women.

Check out some of the amazing destinations on EF Go Ahead Tours' Instagram and Facebook.  

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About EF Go Ahead Tours
EF Go Ahead Tours offers more than 200 guided trips across six continents. Each carefully planned, expertly led tour makes it easy for curious travelers of all ages to get to the heart of a destination. With a maximum group size well below the industry average, each trip has the perfect balance of planned sightseeing and free time to explore. EF Go Ahead Tours is one of three tour operator brands within EF World Journeys, a leader in guided, experiential travel. EF World Journeys is part of EF Education First, a world leader in international education that has helped millions of people since 1965 learn a language, discover the world, or earn an academic degree.

SOURCE EF Go Ahead Tours