As the number of women travelling for work continues to rise, ensuring safety and comfort remains paramount for both travellers and their organisations.
Good Travel Management has conducted an in-depth analysis of global capital cities to determine which are the safest for female business travellers in 2024.
Evaluating cities across multiple safety and inclusivity factors, including gender pay gap parity, women’s safety, female workforce participation and proportion of well-reviewed hotels, as well as average review scores of co-working spaces and taxi services, Good Travel Management’s analysis identifies the top global cities that excel in these areas, offering a definitive guide to the safest and most supportive destinations for female business travellers in 2024.
In first place, with an impressive score 9.04 out of 10 is Switzerland’s capital, Bern.
Bern scored highly among all the categories analyses, but has the strongest score in women’s safety (9.91) which is second only to Copenhagen.
It also has the highest percentage of high-quality hotels, with just under 70 percent averaging a score of four starts or higher. It also has the highest average online review score of co-working spaces of all the cities studies, with an average score of 4.45 out of five, while it similarly had an impressive average taxi rating of 4.23 out of five, making it an ideal destination for female business travellers.
In second place is Wellington, New Zealand, with a normalised score of 8.11 out of 10.
With an outstanding workforce participation rate – the highest of all cities studied – and strong women’s safety metrics (9.38), it’s no surprise ‘The Windy City’ is a haven for female business travellers.
Notably, New Zealand also has the highest female workforce participation rate in the world (66.9 percent). This strong cultural emphasis on gender equality enhances the appeal of the city as a destination where female business travellers can thrive both professionally and personally.
Just missing out on the top two places is Amsterdam, with a respectable score of 7.86.
Amsterdam performed well across all categories studied, in particular for women’s safety, for which it secured a score of 9.47, placing it seventh in the world for this category.
But it ranked the best for its exceptional quality of business travel-related amenities. Over half of its hotels are reviewed at four stars or higher, while it has the second-best reviewed taxi services in the world, receiving an average review score of 4.59, second only to India’s New Delhi (4.71). It similarly has an impressive average review score of 4.6 for its co-working amenities.
Stockholm, Sweden (7.63) and Vienna, Austria (7.45) complete the top five safest cities for female business travellers.
Laura Busby, Commercial Director for Good Travel Management, commented: “Women’s safety is often an overlooked aspect of business travel, despite its critical importance as more women take on roles requiring frequent travel.
“Ensuring that female professionals feel secure and supported while on the move is not just a matter of well-being but also of enabling them to perform at their best. Partnering with a travel management company ensures trips are planned with safety and inclusivity at their core, offering invaluable support for female travellers and businesses alike.
“Organisations that prioritise safety and inclusivity not only protect their employees but also enhance their overall travel experience, paving the way for greater success and productivity.”
You can view the full study findings here.
Featured Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash.