Ensuring Women Guest Safety

A valuable growing niche segment for Hotels

- Ashok Malkani

Given the dramatic increase in women business as well as leisure travellers, addressing the needs of this market segment has become increasingly critical for hotel companies. The main requirements of this sector are safety and security. A recent survey by metasearch engine iXiGo reveals that apart from location and cost, security is a prime criteria for selecting a hotel. Most of the hotels – in metros as well as tier II and tier III cities – are now taking Single Lady Traveller concept seriously and have introduced amenities to make their – as well as the female staff who are employed in shifts to serve the guests 24x7 – environments safe and comfortable. Ashok Malkani finds the various methods used by the hotels to ensure safety of females – whether guests or employees – and discovers that they go a step further than just allocating a floor or an area for female guests.

There has been a dramatic increase in solo women travellers – be it for business or leisure. As per industry experts, about 20 per cent of their guest comprise of single women travellers. Hotels have understood that single women traveller is a fast growing, niche market in India and it has a tremendous potential. Addressing the needs of this segment has thus become a necessity for the hospitality industry.

Suman Gahlot, General manager, Aloft New Delhi Aerocity, declares, “With the rise in number of women professionals, the number of women travellers has also risen. Women travelling, especially solo, have increased across the nation by 75%, majorly in Tier 1 cities like Delhi, mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad & Bangalore, which give hotels a strong hold on this segment of travelers.”