Travel is back, but not as you know it

For Australian women, travel isn’t just returning, it’s evolving. They can’t afford for it to fall short of their expectations, which is why real, deeply personal experiences are their new currency for planning and dreaming. The traditional package holiday is out. In its place? Self-curated, transformational trips designed to feel truly worth it.

For years, solo travel carried baggage. It was either the domain of wandering hippies chasing enlightenment, or a luxury reserved for those with time and money to spare. But now, for 14% of Australian women, it’s an essential way to prioritise wellbeing, independence, and self-discovery. And while they’re traveling solo, they’re far from alone. Women are forming new travel tribes, joining women-only yacht excursions, adventure treks, and boutique retreats that blend freedom with connection.

The rise of the Reset Jetter reflects this shift. Women aren’t just booking trips; they’re designing experiences that mix wellness, adventure, and personal growth. Whether it’s a sexual wellness retreat in Byron Bay or a guided trek through Patagonia, travel is no longer about fitting into itineraries, it’s about shaping them.

As demand for personalised and picture-perfect curated experiences grows, so does the demands on the planning process. Enter AI. With 43% of Australian women either using or intend on using AI tools for travel planning, technology is becoming their ultimate co-pilot streamlining itineraries, uncovering hidden gems, and reducing decision fatigue. With AI agents increasingly curating decisions, the battleground is about to shift from the bottom to the middle of the funnel.

Women are not only leading the way in travel spending they’re carrying the bulk of the planning. From researching destinations to managing logistics, the mental load falls on them. 59% of Mamamia women say they’re responsible for planning the holiday accommodation.

Mamamia has seen a 215% rise in travel content engagement across Dec-Feb year-over-year, with three clear trends emerging:

• Domestic travel is outperforming traditional hotspots.
• Solo travel content is resonating more than ever.
• Popular overseas destinations such as Bali, Fiji and Japan.

Practical advice, especially plane-related tips, consistently drives engagement, proving that women want a mix of inspiration and actionable insights.

For Australian women, travel is no longer just about where they go—it’s about why they go and how the experience serves them. The traditional bucket-list approach is giving way to something far more personal: journeys curated by need, not destination. Whether it's a girls’ trip to reconnect, a solo adventure for self-discovery, or a couple’s getaway to reignite connection, women are seeking travel that fulfills an emotional or lifestyle-driven purpose.

AI is becoming an essential tool in this shift, alleviating the mental load of planning and helping women tailor trips to their specific needs. At the same time, the role of trusted voices, content creators, online communities, and peer recommendations is more influential than ever. Women aren’t just looking for hidden gems; they’re looking for proof. They want raw, in-situ perspectives from people who’ve been there, showing them what an experience really feels like, not just how it looks in a polished itinerary.

Social media is amplifying this transformation, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram moving beyond inspiration to become reliable curation tools. Women are using these platforms to validate their choices, ensuring their travels align with their personal aspirations rather than external expectations. The broader cultural shift is clear: travel is no longer about ticking off destinations but about designing experiences that enrich, restore, and resonate on a deeper level.

AI is reshaping how women plan travel, acting as their personal travel agent and surfacing recommendations based on brand awareness, cultural relevance, and social influence. If your brand isn’t top of mind before she asks AI for recommendations, you’re already out of the running. This means travel brands need to shift away from bottom-of-the-funnel tactics and invest in brand marketing to build salience early.

The key to hacking AI? Get in before the prompt. Spark cultural conversation, create AI-friendly content, and embed your brand in the inspiration phase—because if AI doesn’t recognize you, and she doesn’t think to ask for you, you won’t make it into her travel plans.

Say hello to RETREAT, the travel opportunity designed for brands ready to connect with audiences in a fresh, immersive way. This isn’t just another travel guide, it's a curated, video-led destination where every journey is built around real needs and fueled by real-life experiences.

At its core, RETREAT is an on-site, content-first travel hub, underpinned by a TikTok-first approach to discovery.

Expect bite-sized, first-person, in-situ videos (90s or less) that trade polished production for authenticity high on helpfulness, low on overproduction. The experience is further enriched with complementary written and audio storytelling to deepen engagement.

What RETREAT is not:

❌ A ‘what’s on’ guide ❌ A hyper-produced TV travel show ❌ An elitist critique of destinations

What RETREAT is:

✅ Real, relatable, raw travel content ✅ Unfiltered, accessible, and genuinely helpful ✅ Designed to inspire and inform—without the fluff

For brands, this is an invitation to meet audiences where they are—on social, in the moment, and looking for travel experiences that matter.

Ready to explore the possibilities?