A new survey commissioned by hospitality The Social Hub ahead of International Women’s Day reveals that fewer than one in three women do not feel totally safe when travelling alone for work, calls for industry change.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands (March 6, 2026) – Women across Europe do not feel safe during solo work trips, according to new research published by The Social Hub ahead of International Women’s Day (March 8) to understand the realities of women’s safety while travelling alone and show the wider hospitality industry why they should consider these issues a top priority.
Of 2,000 women surveyed across eight countries across Europe, all those aged 18-24 said they worried about personal safety when travelling alone – with more than 80% of those aged 25-45 feeling the same.
A majority of all women (53%) suggested that guarantees of visible staff presence would make them feel more comfortable when booking solo travel.
The “Room For Her” survey, commissioned by The Social Hub with Opinion Matters uncovered a need for in-room safety features, 24-hour desks and amenities available on site to reduce the need to go outside alone.
The Social Hub, which operates 21 hotels across Europe in cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome, & Glasgow, currently offers several measures designed to help ensure women feel comfortable and supported in its locations, including 24/7 receptions, security staff on site during evening hours, and staff equipped to respond to safety concerns with care and professionalism, as well as other practices that foster a safe and inclusive environment.
However, the group have pledged to look at ways to make women as comfortable as possible experience while urging the hospitality sector to step up and adapt to protect all guests.
Amber Westerborg, Director of Sustainability & Impact at The Social Hub, said: “The Social Hub, and the hospitality sector in general, are clearly just scratching the surface on women’s safety. We hope this survey encourages our industry to start talking and take action, ensuring safe travel for all.
“The Social Hub is built for everyone, which is why we undertook this research into the clear barriers women face. The results are eye-opening and shine a light on a real problem across the industry.
“We are committed to addressing these concerns and fostering spaces where women are safe and can truly belong, without having to shrink, compromise or second-guess their presence. We are not there yet, we know this, but we will continue to evolve and learn, as everybody in the industry hopefully does.
“Women should not have to change their behaviour, limit their ambition or decline an opportunity because they don’t feel safe.
The Social Hub’s survey reveals that 75% of all women worry about their safety, with just 23% of female workers away on business aged 45-54 feeling ‘very safe’. Regardless of the purpose of the stay away from home, if it’s late at night, almost half (40%) of 18-24 year-olds said they ‘don’t feel safe at all’.
More than one in five women (29%) reported having been “followed or watched” when travelling alone with that number much higher among Gen Z women (41%). Significant numbers have also suffered physical harassment or assault (16%) while almost one in four women have experienced verbal harassment or abuse.
Given the concerns, half of all women expressed safety as one of the main factors when booking accommodation for a solo trip. Fifty-one percent said that 24/7 hotel staff would make them feel safer, as would better lighting (44%), as well as more security & visible staff (42%).
Around 30% of women in the EU have experienced physical violence or threats and/or sexual violence over their lifetime. Some 13% of women have experienced physical violence or threats without sexual violence, and 17% have experienced sexual violence, according to the European Parliament.
A quarter of those surveyed from France, Germany and Italy said they felt ‘not very safe” during business trips with half (58%) of European women claiming walking alone at night made them feel uneasy. Overall, Italian women felt most at risk while Dutch felt safest.
This is the beginning of The Social Hub’s “Room for Her” campaign, which will continue to expand over the coming months and years through programme extensions aimed at improving support for women in hospitality.
Safety should be a basic standard for all travellers, and this initiative calls on the sector to do better while continuing to focus on learning, listening and progress. Working collaboratively, the industry can aim to build spaces where solo women travellers feel more protected and supported.
The research was commissioned by The Social Hub and conducted by Opinion Matters in January 2026. The study surveyed 2,000 women aged 18+ across eight European markets (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria and Portugal). Respondents were required to have travelled alone for work or leisure within the past 12 months. Data was collected via an online questionnaire. Results are nationally weighted where applicable and are representative of the respective online populations within each market.