In this article, Clara Svanera introduces the third edition of BTO Women, exploring the rapidly growing phenomenon of women traveling alone and its implications for the entire tourism industry. The article delves into the connection between female travelers and the “Offbeat Tribes” theme, highlighting how safety has evolved from a constraint to a catalyst for freedom, the importance of empathetic hospitality at destinations, and the crucial role of travel storytelling in creating new communities.
Nowadays, it’s increasingly often a woman who decides to take a trip. And more and more often, that woman travels alone. Solo travel was worth approximately $550 billion in 2025 and, according to Grand View Research, could reach $1,600 billion by 2033. Within the Virtuoso agency network, 71% of solo travelers are women. Yet, destinations, accommodations, and transportation are still rarely designed with her needs in mind, and safety remains the top concern: nearly one in two female travelers has already ruled out at least one country because she didn’t feel safe there.
It is in this gap—between what women expect from travel and what they actually find—that BTO Women returns for its third edition, as part of BTO – Be Travel Onlife, on November 10 and 11 in Florence.
I have always studied and written about women’s travel: as a journalist, as a coordinator of expert panels and dedicated projects, including “Benvenute in Toscana,” the region’s women’s tourism initiative. Over the years, I’ve met and written about the stories of countless women—including indigenous women—in cultures where the tribe is, first and foremost, a very strong community, capable of protecting its members but also of building networks and passing down traditions. That’s where my conviction took root: women thrive when they engage with one another, inspire each other, and share their stories. BTO Women was created for this very reason—as a forum rather than a stage. And in just three years, it has itself become a case study, cited at conferences and featured in a master’s thesis at the Sorbonne.
The theme of BTO 2026 is “Offbeat Tribes”: the traveler who thinks outside the box in search of uniqueness and finds it within new, fluid, and shared tribes. And in music, “offbeat” refers to the off-beat: the accent that falls where no one expects it. So the traveler sets out alone, breaking the mold, and along the way finds her tribe.
To describe this, I like to draw on music—which speaks a universal language—and use the image of a solo. It’s not a separate piece, but rather the moment when a voice breaks away from the orchestra without leaving it, supported by all the other instruments. Every solo is unique and unrepeatable, just as every female traveler and the experiences she has are. That is—or should be—the female traveler: alone in her choice, but never isolated on her journey.
We expect three sessions in this edition—one for each panel.
The first is to make security not a constraint, but a driver of freedom and competitiveness. This will be discussed on November 10 at “Free to Go,” with those who are translating this into concrete actions: from mobility, with Uber and its “Women Preferences” option—which allows women to ride with a female driver and has already surpassed 230 million rides worldwide—to hospitality communities for female travelers, and even destinations that have decided to invest in welcoming women. An exotic destination will show that you can travel far, on your own and safely. And a European city will launch its tourism slogan—an invitation that sounds like a challenge and will become a mantra for us: come visit us and take a chance. Because when you travel, the real risk shouldn’t be danger, but discovery!
The second is to understand how a destination goes from being safe to being empathetic. There’s more to the word “solo” than meets the eye: it doesn’t just mean without company, but also unique, whole, and in control of one’s own choices. It’s no coincidence that, in a Hostelworld survey, nearly six out of ten solo travelers say they want to meet new people. “Solo, Not Alone,” also taking place on November 10, begins with a simple gesture—sitting alone at a table—and brings together academia, hospitality, and storytelling. A professor from the University of Venice, who studies “empathic destinations” through gastronomy, will offer a female perspective on this topic. A recent graduate will present her master’s thesis in tourism economics—which she just defended at the Sorbonne—and which also included BTO Women among the case studies on solo travel. We’ll explore how high-end hospitality welcomes solo female travelers, and a journalist specializing in hotel reviews will take stock of hospitality from a female perspective, examining expectations and perceptions. The common thread: solo travel isn’t a journey that isolates; rather, it can become a journey of community.
The third is to listen to those who share their travel stories. Those who travel alone then share their stories, and the way they do so guides those who will set out after them. On November 11, “F Beyond the Borders” brings together four bloggers and influencers who differ in their backgrounds, origins, generations, and audiences, but who are united by a common vision: to tell the world’s stories by putting women at the center. The panel will explore how a solo travel story comes to be, what image of the female traveler it constructs, and what responsibility the author bears. Because every story, in the end, becomes an invitation to set out on a journey itself.
Alongside the panel discussions, the BTO Women Bernini Hotel Award returns, organized once again this year in partnership with the Bernini Hotel and dedicated to women who have distinguished themselves in tourism and travel: those who welcome, those who create, those who innovate, and those who tell stories. Eligible candidates include the key figures from throughout the event, as well as any woman whose professional journey aligns with the award categories. And all these stories, gathered firsthand, will become the BTO Women travel journal—a record of a journey built edition by edition. The call for nominations is online on the BTO website, with a deadline of October 28: you can apply or nominate a professional whose story deserves to be told.
I hope that, little by little, the questions asked by a woman traveling alone will become the questions asked by the entire industry. That destinations will measure and communicate perceived safety. That a table for one will be a gesture of hospitality, not a last resort. May women be portrayed as the architects of their own journeys, not merely as a target audience. And may BTO Women continue to support those who travel alone. A destination where a woman can move about safely and feel welcome is, quite simply, a better place to travel.
Clara Svanera
To learn more about BTO Women, we look forward to seeing you at BTO – Be Travel Onlife. The event will take place in Florence on November 10 and 11, 2026.
Take advantage of the great Early Booking which ends on October 15. We look forward to seeing you!
