Backpackers, influencers, and hobos: The reality of contemporary Portuguese solo female travellers

The number of women travelling alone has been increasing in recent years, with over 80% of solo travellers being women. Despite their gender's greater vulnerability, travellers employ a series of protection mechanism, such as strategic deployment of gender and community building. Alienation from the dim socio-economic prospects at home and a desire to craft an existence more aligned with their ideals are at the core of why women are choosing to travel in accordance with an increasingly DIY ethos. This trend has been studied from various perspectives, but an analysis of the Portuguese reality has been missing. We interviewed five Portuguese women experienced in solo travel, with semi-structured scripts to gather qualitative data. We concluded that the participants aim to enlarge their community network, resisting pre-established narratives about Othered places and people. They also hope to widen the practice by disseminating their testimony through digital DIY.