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Hotels urged to better cater for lone women business travellers
Women business travellers are on the increase but they remain concerned about staying in hotels alone, according to a survey out today.
Hotels have been urged to act on the findings by making women feel more comfortable when travelling alone.
More than half of females on business trips feel lonely while staying in hotels, while more than two thirds dislike drinking alone in a hotel bar and 42% were unhappy eating alone in hotel restaurants – more than twice that of male business travellers.
The report by Company Barclaycard revels ongoing inequality against women on business, with 48% believing they receive worse service than their male counterparts.
This is despite a rise in lone female business travellers, with 48% travelling more on business in the last year over 2002-03 and 90% of all overnight trips involving a solitary hotel stay, according to the Travel in Business Survey.
The most common reason for women avoiding hotel bars and restaurants was because they felt uncomfortable sitting alone (71%). However, the proportion receiving unwanted attention reduced to 17% from 26% the previous year.
The results are part of a poll of 2,500 respondents about all aspects of business travel.
Company Barclaycard head of marketing Simon Chick said: “It’s a shame that in 2004 women still feel uncomfortable eating and drinking alone while staying away from home on business and feel they get worse hotel service than men.
“With business travel on the increase indicating a more hectic pace of life, it’s important that women feel comfortable unwinding in the hotel bar or restaurant after a had day’s work.
“Hotels need to be aware that this is still an issue for a lot of women and take measures to make women feel more comfortable whilst travelling alone.”
Report by Phil Davies
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