Best Destinations for Women:

An Analysis of the First 100 Lists of Destinations for Women on the Google Platform

Abstract

Even being the majority in the tourism sector, it is possible to observe that women worldwide share insecurities and constraints when travelling. It is also known that virtual communication could be an ally of an empowerment process to the traveler. Based on these reflections, the study aims to explore the content of the indications and information available on the most visible websites found on Google® Platform when searching for ‘best destinations for women’, in order to understand this communication and its possible process of strengthening women autonomy in travel, drawing an analogy to the concept of user-generated content [UGC]. The text of 100 destinations lists for women was coded; a Descending Hierarchical Classification [DHC] was performed, and an interpretative analysis of the obtained results was carried out. Four classes represented what was presented on the websites: Nature Tourism: adventure and sea & sun; Urban Tourism and its attractions; Security and the solo travel; and Security and public spaces. Back to the UGC concept, it seems that the narratives and indications, produced by common travelling women, are permeated with reliability and security. Because of that, it was possible to notice that most of the indications are not based on accurate data, thus cannot be pointed to as the best destinations for women. On the other hand, it was possible to find out motivations, interests, tips, stories, textual construction choices, contradictions, assumptions, and what composes the authors’ narratives of the lists. Analyses that deepen the interrelation between media role, women as a representative part of travelers, personal stories, and touristic destinations are suggested.