International Women’s Day is on March 8, and Women’s History Month runs through all of March. These recognitions are the perfect time to highlight how women are changing business travel for the better.

Almost 500 million business trips are taken each year, and women comprise almost half of those business travelers. As women become a greater proportion of traveling employees, the airlines, hotels and car rental companies that serve women travelers are becoming more and more responsive to their unique needs.

Here’s a look at specific ways in which business travel is evolving to better accommodate women travelers.

Women Travelers and Airlines

As more and more women travel for work, the emphasis placed on personal safety has grown. Airports are now better lit, and security cameras now monitor activity 24 hours a day. This is a huge change from years ago. In the past, a woman whose flight had been delayed might have arrived home well after midnight, leaving her to get to her car alone. That’s no longer the case.

Also, flight attendants are now trained to look for women who are sitting next to overly interested passengers. Flight attendants know to look for predators of all kinds, and they are becoming more adept at reading the body language of females who may be feeling vulnerable. It’s not unusual for flight attendants to accommodate a seat change, if needed.

Women’s History Month is all about commemorating, and encouraging the study and celebration of women who have played important roles in American History.

Here’s an interesting thing about how women are changing travel: They are changing it for the better for everyone — not just women. While men are typically seen as less at risk for personal safety, they can no doubt benefit from better lit airports, 24-hour security cameras and better trained, more responsive flight attendants.

Women Travelers and Hotels

Hotels have grown by leaps and bounds in better accommodating female guests. Representatives at check-in know to book female guests on floors 2 through 7 — getting them off the ground floor but also ensuring short elevator rides. They also know to refrain from mentioning the room number aloud when handing over a key at the check-in desk.

Hotels today are also good about helping women avoid long walks to the ends of dark hallways. Hotels are better lit in general, and room keys are much more effective — preventing a woman from struggling outside a hotel door to gain entry.

Once inside a room, women travelers are greeted with a hotel experience that’s now much more attuned to their preferences. At most hotels, a guest will now find full-length mirrors, better lighting, more powerful hairdryers, softer bedding and higher-quality bath and body products. Mini fridges now have healthier snacks, and menus include healthier options — even vegetarian meals, in many cases.

Women Travelers and Car Rental

Much like airports and airlines have focused more on personal safety, car rental companies have also taken measures to ensure a safer and more comfortable experience for women travelers — and for all customers.

International Women’s Day exists to celebrate women and to motivate and unite communities around gender inclusivity.

It used to be cliché that car rental companies would hand over keys and send you to some dark corner of a huge parking garage to find your vehicle. Today, car rental companies are making sure women don’t have to take that long walk into dark areas, and they are monitoring their grounds with security cameras around the clock.

If ever a woman feels that a business isn’t accommodating the safety needs of a passenger, guest or customer, she should not hesitate to fill out a survey or to call that company and let them know. Getting in touch with the business helps to hold them accountable, and it also lets that company’s leadership known about issues they might not be aware of.

About International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month

International Women’s Day takes place each year on March 8. The day exists to celebrate women and to motivate and unite communities around gender inclusivity. You can visit the International Women’s Day website to learn more and find events near you.

Women’s History Month, which takes place each March, is all about commemorating, and encouraging the study and celebration of women who have played important roles in American History. Visit the Women’s History Month website to find exhibits and collections, as well as curriculum teachers can use to participate in this month-long study and celebration.

JTB Business Travel: Always Attuned to Our Customers’ Needs

Yes, airlines, hotels and car rental companies are waking up to the unique needs of female passengers, guest and customers. But, at JTB Business Travel, we’ve always strived to meet the needs of our clients — both the companies that we serve and the team members those companies send on the road for work.

As a comprehensive corporate travel agency, we offer services, tools, products and recommendations that can help save businesses money while team members are able to maximize the potential of business trips. Behind everything we do is a common sense approach to business travel.

Contact us today about getting safer, more streamlined business travel experiences for your team members.