For the growing number of women travelling independently, confidence comes not only from where they stay, but from how easily the entire journey connects.
CAPE TOWN, August 2026 – Tourism research points to a clear shift in how women travel: increasingly on their own terms, whether independently, for business, with friends, across generations or in pursuit of experiences shaped around their own interests.
As South Africa marks Women’s Month, this raises an important question for the tourism industry: has hospitality kept pace with the way women now want to move through a destination?
Hostelworld’s 2025 State of Solo Travel research found that 60% of solo travellers surveyed were women, while research among women over 50 also points to strong demand for independent and longer-form travel.
For Lion Roars Hotels & Lodges, which has properties across Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, Plettenberg Bay and the Eastern Cape, the response lies increasingly in looking beyond the individual stay and considering how the entire journey connects.
Confidence through continuity
According to Bianca Pontac, Director of Sales at Lion Roars Hotels & Lodges, this becomes particularly relevant when travellers want to explore several parts of South Africa within one trip.
“A guest may arrive in Cape Town, continue along the Garden Route and end with a safari in the Eastern Cape. When those stages are connected through one group and one ongoing relationship, a much bigger South African journey becomes easier to navigate,” says Pontac.
Pontac, whose longstanding career in South African tourism has been strongly rooted in client relationships, says this continuity is particularly valuable for independent travellers.
“Women are capable and confident travellers. Our role is to make the practical side of travelling as seamless as possible. Knowing there is someone you can contact throughout the journey removes unnecessary friction and leaves the traveller free to enjoy the experience.”
For businesswoman and content creator Abigail Downs, who travels independently and has stayed at Lion Roars’ Old Bank Hotel and Kloof Street Hotel, the practical details make a noticeable difference.
“For me, it’s definitely a good location, great service and convenience,” she says. “I love being somewhere central where I can easily get to restaurants and everything I need.”
At Old Bank Hotel, she says valet parking made travelling alone noticeably easier, while staff presence at both hotels added another layer of confidence.
“Knowing I could just phone reception at any time and ask for whatever I needed made me feel really looked after and comfortable.”
The small details matter more
Some of the strongest impressions came from small gestures.
“At Kloof Street Hotel, it was raining and someone came out with an umbrella and walked me to the door. At Old Bank Hotel, the doorman actually waited outside with me for my Uber and checked that the licence plate matched the one on my app before I got in.”
“Those small touches make you feel really looked after and, when you’re travelling alone, they make a huge difference.”
Ease is becoming part of luxury
The same emphasis on ease is echoed by Odette Leibner, Director of The Sandton Times and a seasoned local and international traveller, who recently stayed at Bukela Game Lodge in the malaria-free Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape.
“What stood out for me was how effortless the whole experience felt,” she says. “Bukela has that beautiful balance between luxury, privacy and genuine hospitality. I felt comfortable and safe, but still completely independent.”
For Leibner, that sense of effortlessness has become an important measure of luxury.
“It is not just about a beautiful room or spectacular surroundings; it is about being able to completely switch off and enjoy the experience.”
She believes women are also becoming more discerning about the complete travel experience.
“It is no longer simply about whether a property is five-star or looks beautiful on Instagram,” she says. “We are looking at the complete experience – safety, privacy, comfort, service, location and how we are made to feel when we are there.”
Safety should support independence
Safety remains an important part of that experience, but Leibner believes it should support rather than compromise independence.
“Small things can make a huge difference – offering safe and reliable transfers, providing clear information, having well-lit pathways and making sure guests know who they can contact if they need assistance.”
“But there is an important balance. Women don’t want to be made to feel vulnerable or incapable. We want to feel safe and confident while still being independent.”
For Pontac, the broader opportunity lies in connecting those individual needs across an entire itinerary.
“There is no single female traveller. One woman may be travelling for work, another with friends, another alone and another with several generations of her family. What matters is understanding the purpose of the journey and making each stage as easy as possible.”
For someone exploring South Africa across several destinations, that can mean one established relationship as the experience changes from city to Winelands, beach and safari; a central communication point throughout; and assistance with the practical details that connect one stop to the next.
Leibner sums up the principle simply:
“The best hospitality, in my opinion, is when you know someone is there if you need them, but you are also given the freedom to simply enjoy your experience.”
For an industry accustomed to thinking property by property, the shift is significant.
About Lion Roars Hotels & Lodges
Lion Roars Hotels & Lodges is a South African hospitality group offering a diverse portfolio of premium hotels and lodges across some of the country’s most sought-after destinations. Spanning Cape Town and the Cape Winelands, through the Garden Route to malaria-free Big 5 safari experiences in the Eastern Cape, the collection connects city, wine, coast and safari within one hospitality network. With a central reservations team and the ability to combine multiple properties into tailored itineraries, Lion Roars makes it easier for travellers to experience more of South Africa through one trusted group.
Issued on behalf of Lion Roars Hotels & Lodges by Feed That Bird Communication Consultants
For media visits and hosted stays or interviews contact: Jeanri-Tine van Zyl on 082 591 4746 | jeanritine@feedthatbird.com
