Female and LGBTQ travel specialist Maiden Voyage has launched a new study into increasing reports of sexual assaults and violence against female air passengers and crew.
The study, titled Elevating the Female Traveller, is asking female business travellers to weigh in on what they want out of a travel experience and any personal experiences they have had with sexual harassment or assault during a business trip.
It follows a 2017 survey of 2,000 flight attendants, which found that one in five had dealt with complaints of sexual assault from passengers. Law enforcement was contacted in fewer than half of those cases.
Elevating the Female Traveller will feature the results of Maiden Voyage’s confidential survey and will address a number of topics, including the risks to female business travellers, different cultural attitudes toward them, which airlines and airports are the safest, legal obligations of travel providers and variations in penalties between countries, how female travellers can help to minimise the risk, the role of TMCs and travel risk management providers, innovation in products and services, cabin crew harassment and safety, and gaps in crew preparation and training.
Carolyn Pearson, founder of Maiden Voyage, said: “The timing is absolutely right for us to launch this research now. More women are travelling to culturally different regions where often onboard logistics don’t cater for the mix of cultures in their cabins, the number of sexual assaults on board appears to be increasing and airlines are not responding to either appropriately. We’ll take the findings to lobby for the right legal responses and undoubtedly extend our services and support to both business travellers and suppliers to provide a better and safer service for all.”
Participate in the confidential survey here.
maiden-voyage.com