We often hear of growing specialty travel markets: cruise, destination wedding, multi-gen.

But here’s a niche you may not have thought of, and one that could prove rewarding for you – both financially and professionally.

It’s the solo female traveller, often 50+. Note I say solo, not single. A surprising number of this demographic are in relationships – happy ones! – but for whatever reason their partner chooses not to travel with them. That partner may have work commitments. They don’t care to travel. Have their own interests that they pursue in their leisure time.

But that sure is not holding these ladies back. Long gone are the days when “no husband means no trip”. If you’ve got clients you feel may want to dip their toe into this style of travel, here are some suggestions for them (and for you) …

1. Their first solo trip needn’t be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or an around the world cruise. They could try a short trip not too far away – such as a weekend in a resort. As their travel advisor you can look into resorts which have the facilities they may want e.g. hiking trails or cooking classes. Or, suggest they book a group trip, such as a guided vacation – and extend it by a couple of days on their own just to see how they like it.

2. Obviously, safety will be a concern for these clients. Suggesting an English- speaking destination, and a smaller hotel or cruise ship, may go a long way to helping her feel secure. A sunny all-inclusive may combine convenience with the security she wants.

Share with her the usual safety precautions such as wearing a cross-body bag under a coat; never carrying all her cash/credit cards at the same time; and not being flashy in dress or jewelry.

3. Special interests could be a great common thread for your new-to-solo-travel client and a great way to meet like-minded people. The Bahamas’ People-to-People program matches visitors with locals who share the same interest, from bird-watching to art galleries.

Bonus: it’s free of charge. If they like to run, have they heard of the Hash House Harriers? A very social and strictly non-competitive running club, which welcomes out-of-towners, the Harriers has 1,500 chapters around the world, all of which feature enjoy post-run beverages and socialilzing.

Learning vacations are of course also a great way to connect with like-minded  people. Road Scholars, for example, offers opportunities in dozens of areas of interest, virtually around the world.

4. No news here: solo travellers hate single supplements. (It may help to explain that hotels are not ‘penalizing’ solo travellers, but that room pricing is based on revenue from two guests).

Do your research and become an ‘expert’ on special departures – both cruise and land vacations – with No Single Supplement offers. These are often limited in capacity and sell like hotcakes, which can lend an important sense of urgency when you communicate them to this clientele.

Bear in mind that hotels, notably in Europe, often do have rooms for solo travellers (though they can be quite small) and even Cunard has staterooms for solo travellers – again, hot sellers.

Best of all, remember that word of mouth is the best – and cheapest – advertising there is. Do your homework to attract this growing audience of solo, female, mature travellers and you can bet they’ll spread the word for you.