“Whenever you are in a group with both men and women, I think there can be a competitive nature,” said Melissa Wright, co-owner of Women Who Explore. “I think women are less likely to ask questions or take the lead.” | Photo courtesy of Melissa Wright
What you probably already know: Like a siren’s song, wanderlust is hard to ignore. Those who can resist its pull are part of a shrinking minority, judging by the year-over-year increase in both international and domestic tourism following the pandemic. Innovative tour companies are also on the rise. Want to sail aboard a 17th-century pirate ship? Eat your way through a culinary paradise? You have options. Experience diverse cultures and explore Earth’s most pristine natural wonders as a solo woman? There’s a group for that, too.
Allow us to introduce: Women Who Explore is an outdoor adventure company for women from all walks of life. Experienced hosts lead small groups, often with the help of local guides, on multi-day trips that range from intense hikes through the Alps to camel rides and spice market walks in Morocco — though that’s just a small sampling of the 43 trips Women Who Explore has planned this year alone. Co-owners Melissa Wright and Lindsey Egan started as ambassadors in 2017 before buying the company a few years later. Since then, demand for solo women's travel has soared. “I think women are tired of waiting,” Wright said. “It’s an old-fashioned notion, but many people in the U.S. still hold onto this idea that you need to travel with your husband or that travel isn’t safe for women. It’s just not true.”
Women Who Explore co-owners Lindsey Egan (on left) and Melissa Wright. | Photo by Emilie Hofferber
For all women: While millennial and Gen Z women lead the charge in travel, women over 50 have become a major force in travel spending, despite often being overlooked by industry brands. Wright said Women Who Explore welcomes all ages over 18 — some trips have had women ranging from mid-20s to early 70s (though rigorous treks require training and a certain fitness commitment) — so that participants, many of whom are mothers, can “have a space that’s theirs and where they can be themselves.” There’s an emphasis on caring for those who so often fill the role of caretaker at home, with trip leaders handling everything from meal prep to cleaning dishes. “There’s a different type of magic that happens when women gather together,” Wright said. “It’s like we just need that permission from each other to embrace being goofy, curious, to be comfortable asking for help or support, to be vulnerable. It’s a safe space to learn without feeling silly or stupid.”
Experiencing a new place in the company of other women can also provide a sense of emotional refuge. “A lot of our trips are very light and nothing comes to the surface, but other times, women bond over past shared experiences and trauma,” said Wright. “Some are going through divorces or a loss. Something has happened in their lives that has been the catalyst for them booking the trip.”
How to get involved: Women Who Explore also supports a robust community of local groups led by volunteer ambassadors across North America. These groups offer events and workshops on everything from yoga, macrame, and books to white water rafting, women’s health, and horseback riding. Most events are free, and 10% of profits from Women Who Explore trips (which cost anywhere from $2,500 to upwards of $9,000) support the local groups. In all, Wright estimates 500,000 people are part of the Women Who Explore community. “We believe that empowered women in the outdoors generally end up being more empowered in life as a whole,” she said. “That energy is brought back to the local groups and impacts their community in ways that they don’t even realize.”