Back in 2011, the Nielsen study Women of Tomorrow found that women in 21 developed and emerging countries are increasingly well-educated, more likely than ever to be in work, and contributing more to household incomes. It can be assumed that the trends identified in 2011 are even more relevant today. Thanks not least to the greater financial freedom of today’s working women, the needs and expectations of women have gained greater attention over recent years.

Within tourism, this has been reflected in higher demand for women-only travel, which the travel experts at National Geographic picked out as a top trend for 2020.

Safe countries hold appeal for female travel

Safety has been a long-standing issue for women, and not just with the advent of the pandemic. Women tend to be more at risk when travelling, especially solo. In a survey conducted by SAP Concur in 19 countries, 58% of the female business travellers studied said that they had changed their travel plans at least once because they felt unsafe. This represents a competitive advantage for Switzerland as a holiday, conference and travel destination, because it scores well on all relevant safety aspects. This is borne out by a 2019 study, Global Wealth Migration Review, in which the wealth intelligence firm New World Wealth identified the safest countries for women. Switzerland was one of the top-ranking countries in Europe, along with Malta, Monaco and Iceland. The study found that the safest country for women worldwide was Australia.

Switzerland Tourism ST recognised this potential and in 2021 carried out two campaigns focusing exclusively on female customers for the first time. 100% Women gave a platform to women who engage in outdoor and mountain sports in Switzerland. The associated Peak Challenge encouraged them to tackle a 4,000-metre summit for the first time. It also strengthened the country’s positioning as a female-friendly travel destination, with women from 20 countries answering the call even though some travel restrictions were still in place. The campaign around women involved in outdoor and mountain sports is being continued in 2022.

By contrast, the Six in the City campaign was designed to highlight the fun of city breaks with the girls. ST attracted a lot of attention with a video styled like a film trailer, drawing on the popular US TV series Sex and the City.