Ladies at leisure

Travel industry is making it easier for women to get up and go By Zach Dunkin writes in the Indianapolis Star

Kris Ash’s husband, Jon, wasn’t thrilled when he first heard about her plan to leave him behind and head off to Cancun with three girlfriends. But she says he has come to understand the value of a ladies-only trip.

In a poll of American Express travel agents, two-thirds reported an increase in women vacationing together. A recent study by AAA and Aspire, a Phoenix-based training and consulting company, found that 24 percent of U.S. women have taken such a trip in the past three years, and 39 percent plan to do so in the next three years.

“It’s more than a trend, it’s a phenomenon,” says Stephanie Oswald, editor of travelgirl magazine and host of Fine Living Network’s weekly “All-Girl Getaways” show (9 p.m. Wednesdays and midnight Thursdays). “The industry is rolling out the red carpet for them. They want the female spending dollar.”

While travel agents add “all-girl getaways” to their list of travel options, hotels and resorts create packages that include spa treatments, manicures and shopping sprees, seeking a share of what AAA says is a $6 billion-a-year market.

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