I was 22 when I attended my first overseas conference. Not only was I nervous about travelling alone for the first time but I was anxious about my objectives while I was out there, had no guidance from my employer and I had no idea how these events worked.
I've travelled a lot more for work since and grown in confidence but still feel some apprehension, mainly in the destination itself. I'd love to explore the streets and grab a beer in a bar in every city I visit but, sadly the fact of the matter is, it's usually not a good idea for a young woman to do that alone. A man may not give it a second thought. At the same time I hate that I feel constrained to the walls of my hotel and that I've made the wrong choice; a Maiden Voyage study found 51% of women feel vulnerable in the 'wrong' hotel room.
Besides, even when I've used a "safer" supplier it's occasionally made me feel uncomfortable. I don't like it when hotels announce what my room number is at check-in. Last year in a private car transfer the driver told me I was staying in a hotel that was in a bad area and then proceeded to take a route in the back streets and point out where locals had been recently attacked and stabbed. Yes it's important to be aware of dangers but not to unnecessarily scare or patronise.
There's a delicate balance between what's done in goodwill and what really works. As Egencia's Graham Kingsmill described to me at the Business Travel Show, "While it's necessary to understand women's needs, it doesn't mean a softer approach. It's about understanding human behaviour."
At the GTMC conference last year Carolyn Pearson of Maiden Voyage said companies are currently more worried about the legal implications of not looking after female travellers than the wellness aspect.
But that's starting to change, and it stems from more senior female figures and a growing female travelling workforce. Initiatives like the newly-launched level and gender parity schemes by the likes of Egencia aim to empower women during career development and, as a consequence, a new way of thinking that trickles throughout businesses. It's even coming up in bids — FCM was recently asked about gender parity and found 46% of its senior management are women.
But I have to add that the feelings and frustrations I've experienced could be the case for anyone. Fashion retailer Matalan has a high percentage of female travellers and its travel manager Amanda Worthington includes questions about female safety in hotel RFPs and vets ground transport suppliers. However, this is really in place for all travellers, not just women.
And while there are common attributes among groups we cannot generalise. Pearson explains: "Catering to women isn't about segmenting; it's about personalisation." Just as International Women's Day is advocating; we all want to be treated and looked after in the same way.