Study Finds Women Feel Less Safe About Traveling Than They Did Five Years Ago

Femail tourist on cell phone smiling with map in hand unaware of surroundings

05/15/2018

HOUSTON – May 15, 2018 – A recent women’s travel safety survey revealed that 45 percent of female travelers feel less safe or much less safe about traveling than they did five years ago. Results of the travel trends survey, commissioned by AIG Travel, a worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance services, also show that safety is top of mind for women while they are evaluating potential destinations as well as during their travels.

Further analysis of the data indicates an opportunity for employers to adopt a bigger role in educating employees about travel safety. “The local risks where employees travel may be completely different than the local risks they face in their home city,” said Gaurav D. Garg, CEO of Personal Insurance at AIG. “With the help of insurers, employers can tailor insurance and security programs to meet the needs of their entire workforce.” 

As solo travel rises in popularity, especially among females, increased reports of violence or geopolitical turmoil in some regions may heighten awareness of individual security and impact women’s decisions on where and when to journey. To help minimize risks that females may face when traveling, AIG Travel recently launched a Women’s Travel Safety initiative, which shares advice on how to research travel destinations, become familiar with local laws and customs, and leverage tools in the event of adverse situations, such as kidnappings or other crimes. The initiative is also designed to raise awareness of women’s travel safety through tips shared via social media with the hashtag #WomenWhoTravel.
 

Other key findings from AIG Travel’s Pulse Poll on Women’s Travel Safety include:

  • Two-thirds of the respondents are very likely or somewhat likely to travel alone to either a domestic or an international destination in 2018.
  • The majority (63 percent) of women think about safety always or frequently while traveling.
  • The top four risks that women consider before or during a trip center on theft and scams:

Pickpocketing/purse snatching (93 percent)

Identity theft (63 percent)

Credit card fraud (86 percent)

Taxi scams (62 percent)

  • The top two actions that women take with a goal of increasing their personal safety before or during a trip are:

Sharing an itinerary with a friend or family member (93 percent)

Purchasing travel insurance, emergency travel medical coverage, and/or emergency travel evacuation coverage (87 percent)

  • The safety of a destination is a woman’s most important consideration – other than her own personal interest in the destination – when booking travel. If feeling unsafe while traveling, women are most likely to reach out for help to:

Their hotel staff (36 percent)

Law enforcement authorities (33 percent)

  • Of the respondents who routinely travel for business, 84 percent reported that their employers either did not provide travel safety tips/resources or that they weren’t aware of any such tools.


“As a travel safety advocate and as part of our organization’s commitment to educate the public, we feel well-positioned to provide women, who may have unique travel considerations, with tools designed to help them be more aware, alert, confident travelers,” said Rhonda Sloan, Head of Marketing and Industry Relations, AIG Travel. “Our research findings underscore the fact that although many travelers are already quite savvy about helping to ensure their personal safety, our industry still has opportunities to provide guidance and resources to help women minimize risks and experience safer journeys.”

AIG Travel distributed the Pulse Poll to female consumers who identify as interested in travel, including followers of the brand’s social media channels and women on its U.S. direct marketing email list. The survey garnered more than 1,800 responses.
 

Visit www.aig.com/travel/forwomen to view the Women’s Travel Safety initiative advice and materials or follow AIG Travel on Twitter @TravelGuard for more information about AIG Travel, Travel Guard® travel insurance, and ways to empower female travelers.


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About AIG Travel and Travel Guard

AIG Travel, Inc., a member of American International Group, Inc., is a worldwide leader in travel insurance and global assistance. Travel Guard® is the marketing name for its portfolio of travel insurance solutions and travel-related services, including medical and security services, marketed to both leisure and business travelers around the globe. Services are provided through a network of wholly owned service centers located in Asia, Europe and the Americas. For additional information, please visit our websites at www.aig.com/travel and www.travelguard.com.   

About AIG

American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919, today AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG’s core businesses include Commercial Insurance and Consumer Insurance, as well as Other Operations. Commercial Insurance comprises two modules – Liability and Financial Lines, and Property and Special Risks. Consumer Insurance comprises four modules – Individual Retirement, Group Retirement, Life Insurance and Personal Insurance. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube: www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter: @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.