| Is
there such a thing as a hotel which is safe for
women? Maybe not, perhaps
probably not, according to a survey recently
conducted by Women Traveling Alone. Or,
at best (or worst?) there appear to be few, if
any, which offer security above and beyond that
offered to men -- protection specifically
designed for the women traveler.
The lodging industry, the WTA survey
discovered, apparently does not consider the
women traveling alone to require special
protection. There findings appear to fly in the
face of what the women traveler wants and
expects. Further, this survey appears to validate
and confirm two earlier independent studies, the
first by American Express and the second by the
world-wide UNIGLOBE Travel. Both independently
concluded that the traveling woman's prime
concern is her personal well-being and that she
does not feel that travel suppliers are
addressing this need.
As an example, the hospitality industry, in
spite of these findings, takes the position that
the traveling businesswomen is to receive no
special protection considerations and that she
should be offered only that level of protection
available to her male counterpart. And judging
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from comments
received from independent hotel security experts,
even that level of protection is suspect. Spokesmen
from the lodging industry and representatives
from various hotel chains were queried by WTA
about protection afforded the women traveler.
Their answers painted a scary picture, and
strongly suggested that women travelers had
better be prepared to pick and choose their
hotels carefully, and then be prepared to protect
themselves, since the hotel industry apparently
will not.
The position of the lodging industry with
respect to guest protection is simple: security
is gender neutral and no special protection is to
be afforded the guest just because she happens to
be a se! They offer no explanation regarding
their failure to address the special security
needs of women.
Threats unique to the traveling women
range from sexual assaults and advances to being
hassled and hit upon when dining alone in the
property's restaurants and lounges. These are
hardly threats which their male counterparts must
endure and are certainly deserving of
female-specific protection. And yet the lodging
industry persists in the position that protection
within
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