She packs one bag, books one seat, answers to no one’s timetable but her own — and for a growing number of Australian women, that is exactly the point.
A new industry-first report from Reflections Holidays, the Wander Woman Report, has confirmed what many women have long known instinctively: solo travel has shifted from a last resort to a deliberate lifestyle choice.
The newly released research digs into the motivations, preferences and barriers shaping how Australian women are choosing to holiday alone.
The report surveyed 1,000 Australian women aged 18 to 75, and the numbers tell a clear story. Seventy-two per cent said they are seeking relaxation and a break from routine, 64 per cent hope a solo trip will bring a sense of peace and clarity, and 74 per cent rate personal safety and security as a key consideration when travelling alone. The findings land against a backdrop of Australian Bureau of Statistics 2025 data showing more than a third of Australian women frequently feel rushed or time-poor — a pressure that solo travel, it seems, is helping to relieve.
The report’s standout finding challenges a long-held assumption about solo travel: that it’s about being alone. Sixty-two per cent of women said they still wanted group activities on their trip, and 67 per cent were after organised experiences — suggesting solo travel is less about isolation and more about freedom to opt in and out of company as they choose. Reflections Holidays CEO Nick Baker has described this as less “alone” and more a social opt-in, where women set the terms of their own connection.
The trend is already showing up in the numbers on the ground. Reflections Holidays recorded a 21 per cent jump in solo female travellers across its 40 NSW holiday parks over the past year, with close to 8,500 women staying at its properties solo in that time.
From bucket list to blueprint
For Elizabeth Fallon, founder of ElizzaExplores, the shift began with watching other women travel confidently on their own. She has spoken about how waiting for friends’ schedules or budgets to align would have meant missing out on experiences altogether — and how each solo trip built her independence and self-belief.
Reflections Ambassador Jessica Ward has travelled a similar arc, from a whirlwind, see-everything approach in her twenties to a slower, more intentional style now. She has described being far more interested these days in how a destination feels, favouring fewer places explored properly over a packed itinerary — and says solo travel has become less about proving something to herself and more about reconnecting.
Safety remains front of mind. Corallee Vimpani, who has spent four years living full-time in her campervan while travelling Australia’s East Coast alone, has spoken about weighing up accommodation, phone reception and how welcoming an area feels before she settles in for the night — while being careful not to let caution tip into fear.
What women actually want
Across the report, six themes emerged as the pillars of the solo travel movement: the chance to truly switch off, freedom to choose how each day unfolds, confidence built through new experiences, safety and peace of mind, connection on their own terms, and moments spent in nature.
For destinations, that translates into a clear brief — places that offer both solitude and community on tap. Reflections Holidays points to its own parks as case studies: Bonny Hills for its balance of trails, beaches and café culture; Byron Bay for wellness seekers who might swap a solo morning for an afternoon yoga class; Hawks Nest for its walking tracks and kayaking on Myall Lakes; and Red Rock for travellers wanting to go further off the beaten track.
Associate Professor Tamara Young from the University of Newcastle Business School, who contributed to the research, has framed the trend as women choosing freedom on their own terms rather than solitude for its own sake — echoing years of research showing solo female travellers tend to be purposeful, confident and focused on wellbeing.
In response to the findings, Reflections Holidays is rolling out a new Wander Woman Welcome initiative, offering solo female guests curated advice on safety, activities and local connection during their stay.
The bigger picture
The Wander Woman Report adds hard data to a trend Women Love Travel has been tracking for some time — that solo travel among Australian women is no longer a niche pursuit but a mainstream response to burnout, busyness and a hunger for autonomy. Whether it’s a weekend at a coastal caravan park or a longer reset in nature, the message from this research is consistent: women aren’t waiting for company to go and see the world.
Read the full Wander Woman Report from Reflections Holidays.