Featured image: Game on! Women over 50 aren’t waiting to travel | Photo by insidecreativehouse on Envato

Canada holds on to top spot as the preferred travel destination among women 50+

by JourneyWoman Staff

JourneyWoman’s latest Women 50+ Travel Pulse Survey, conducted in August 2025, shows that women 50+ are not slowing down their travel plans or reducing travel budgets, despite concerns about world events and uncertainty.  Over 660 women over 50 responded to the survey, with 60 per cent saying that solo travel is their preferred travel style, either in a group or independently.

More than half of respondents (59%) said they are booking international travel in less than 9 months, with 24% booking travel 9-12 months out, with the remainder more than 12 months (18%). The survey also shows that both Americans and Canadians are choosing to travel outside the U.S., with Canada at the top of their list. Outside the U.S., 74 per cent of respondents said they would not travel to the U.S. in the next three years, compared to 70 per cent in May 2025. This reinforces previous findings from JourneyWoman’s Women 50+ Travel Pulse Survey in May 2025, which focused on the negative impact of US politics on travel.

“Women over 50 are eager to travel internationally, perhaps as an escape from the unwelcoming and unpredictable political environment in the U.S., but also as part of their personal journeys of self-discovery, adventure and wellness,” says Carolyn Ray, CEO, JourneyWoman. “Women are continuing to spend on travel, with shorter booking windows than we’ve seen in previous surveys. This presents opportunities for destinations and travel companies to develop more compelling and differentiated offers to attract the solo woman traveller over 50. Pricing matters, but it isn’t enough to sustain growth — companies need to focus on brand-building, show their female leaders and build a relationship that shows this affluent, loyal and motivated audience that they are valued and appreciated.”  

As noted in JourneyWoman’s landmark study, “Invisible No More: The Ageless Adventuress”, published in March 2025, the Women 50+ Travel market in North America is estimated at more than 37 million women, representing USD$245 billion in spending, doubling to USD$519 billion in 2035. The research shows spending increases with age, with the 65-74 segment being the most affluent. Learn more here.

Key themes from the research

1. 67% of women 50+ are travelling internationally

Most women 50+ (67%) have booked international travel, up from 64% in the May survey. Among all respondents, Canada continues to be the preferred destination for women 50+, with 43 per cent of women saying it was their top travel destination in 2025. The Arctic, which previously ranked seventh, has moved into the top five, driven largely by interest among American women. 

While both Canadians and Americans have shifted their travel plans from the US to Canada, Western Europe, the United Kingdom and Mexico, Americans have more interest in the Arctic, as well as Eastern Europe, which tied with the Caribbean to round out the top five destinations.  Among Canadians, South America emerged as a new destination, possibly due to better exchange rates for the weak Canadian dollar overseas. 

Only 5 per cent of Americans who have travelled outside the U.S. said they experienced any negative issues or treatment.

What countries have you shifted your US travel plans to?

2. Travel to the US remains unappealing in the long term

JourneyWoman’s May Survey showed that among respondents, 84 per cent of non-US residents are not planning leisure travel to the U.S in 2025. This number dropped slightly to 80 per cent in the August 2025 survey.

However, the percentage of women saying they will not come to the US while the current administration is in office has increased, indicative of a longer-term malaise in the marketplace.  Seventy-four (74) per cent of respondents said they would not travel to the U.S. in the next three years, compared to 70 per cent in May 2025. 

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the global body representing the Travel & Tourism private sector,  the U.S. is on track to lose a staggering $12.5BN in international visitor spending this year. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “This is a wake-up call for the U.S. government. While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign.” Simpson continues, “Without urgent action to restore international traveller confidence, it could take several years for the U.S. just to return to pre-pandemic levels of international visitor spend, not even the peak from 10 years ago.”

3. Women maintaining travel budgets

Women 50+ are keeping their travel budgets the same (and in some cases increasing them) and are seeking more affordable destinations to make their dollars go further. Surprisingly, only a small percentage of women say they are cutting back on trips, staying close to home or travelling with a friend or partner to reduce costs.

JourneyWoman research shows that women 50+ spend an average of USD$6,659/CAD$9463 annually on travel, not including transportation and insurance. Women in the 65-74 age segment spend the most at USD$6987/CAD$9944 per year. This is second only to millennial spending, and far above Gen Z spending on travel. 

4. Country of origin matters 

In addition to cost, safety and destination as factors for women making travel decisions, 52 per cent of women say they will  consider country of origin when purchasing travel services, up from 48 per cent in our May 2025 survey.

Women 50+ are also more likely to consider women-owned or led companies (42%) and seek out companies that show visible support for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ and diversity, with 32% of women saying this was important to them when making travel decisions.

This research reflects a primarily North American perspective. Conducted from July 28 to August 4, 2025 with 662 responses, respondents were female travellers over 50 largely from North America, including Canadians (38%); Americans (54%); with the remaining 8% from several other countries. Approximately 40% of respondents are women ages 65-75; 21% of respondents are 75+, with the remainder (39%) under age 65. With a sample size of 662 responses, the published results are statistically significant at 95-99% confidence. JourneyWoman regularly conducts surveys with women 50+ travellers which can be found here.

About JourneyWoman

Founded in Toronto, Canada in 1994,​ JourneyWoman™​ is the world’s first solo female travel resource and one of the most trusted women’s travel brands in the world. With an editorial team of 25 writers, we publish ​JourneyWoman Magazine ​monthly, ​Smitten by JourneyWoman​ twice a month and HOT FLASH™ deals in partnership with vetted women-friendly travel companies. JourneyWoman hosts the world’s largest ​​Women’s Travel Directory​ as a free service to women, providing hundreds of curated and vetted women-friendly tours, retreats, small ships and safe places to stay while supporting small tourism businesses around the world. To bring more visibility to women 50+, JourneyWoman created the travel industry’s first ​​Women’s Speaker’s Bureau​​ and the ​JourneyWoman Awards for Women Over 50​. The award-winning ​​Soul of Travel Podcast​​ joined JourneyWoman in 2023. To learn more, visit ​​Facebook​​, ​​Instagram​​, or ​​LinkedIn​​. JourneyWoman is a registered trademark of Journeywoman Enterprises Inc.

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