Women are the biggest group of decision-makers in the United States travel industry, yet millions of women are intimidated to travel by themselves and choose simply to stay home. A ground-breaking event called the Women’s Travel Fest is here to help change that.
After the 2014 inaugural Women’s Travel Fest sold-out to over 350+ women in New York City, the event is moving to San Francisco Feb. 28-March 1, 2015 to inspire, empower and connect women through travel. The Women’s Travel Fest is a consumer event that helps women to explore the world and discover deeper meaning in their travels.
This year’s festival has been expanded to a two-day event, offering opportunities for smaller break-out sessions on more focused travel segments (LGBTQ travel, Family Travel, Travel Writing, etc ), in addition to a main day event that includes a marketplace and keynotes by some of the travel industry’s leading ladies. Schedule below.
This year’s keynote speakers include: Laura Ling, award-winning journalist who spent 140 days imprisoned in North Korea; Patricia Schultz, international best-selling author of 1,000 places To See Before You Die; and Felicity Aston, the first and only woman to cross-country ski Antarctica solo.
The Women’s Travel Fest (sponsored by Expedia) will go beyond the boundaries of your average travel event, giving women newfound travel connections and empowering them to take on the world. Topics of discussion include everything from travel logistics to women’s health and safety abroad.
The event also includes a travel marketplace with vendors & giveaways, lunch, a happy hour designed for optimum networking, and a kick-off party on Friday, February 27th to help celebrate a weekend of women in travel. Get your ticket now at www.WomensTravelFest.com !
First Women’s Travel Fest: March 8, 2014 in NYC
HOW DID THIS GET STARTED?
The Women’s Travel Fest is a one-day event that aims to inspire & empower women to travel the world, and help them make newfound travel connections.
The idea was born in 2011 while founder Kelly Lewis was on a press trip in Thailand along with Jerri Stephenson of Do It While You’re Young. Both women’s travel writers, the two started wondering why a festival like this had never been done, but it wasn’t until 2013, after Kelly had completed a successful cross-country book tour, that the wheels began turning.
While on tour, Kelly connected with women of all ages (from 12-82!) who were in different phases of life but were equally as interested in finding out more about traveling safely. She heard the same thing over and over again, “I want to travel, but…” and as she worked her way across the country, the inspiration and energy that came from these discussions gave her goosebumps.
Originally from Hawaii, Kelly is the founder of Go! Girl Guides, which publishes the world’s first series of travel guidebooks made just for women. The company was created in early 2011 and is dedicated to helping women travel the world safely and affordably. Go! Girl Guides has published titles on Thailand, Mexico, Argentina and London, with titles on NYC and Costa Rica forth-coming.
Originally the assistant to one of the world’s most famous metal rock bands (Slipknot), Mickela quit her job to start a journey around the world, taking her camera with her to follow dance in the lives of everyday people wherever she went. She is the host and producer of Bare Feet™ , a travel/dance web series where she ‘experiences the world, one dance at a time.’ She is a classically trained dancer as well as a trained musician and is very much inspired by folk dances from around the globe. Mickela and the Bare Feet™ web series have been featured in The New York Times, Dance Magazine, Yahoo! Travel, Travel + Escape, American Express, AFAR Media, Matador, Expedia, Travelocity and more! She has performed on various television shows including Sesame Street, The Doctor Oz Show, TBS’s Movie and a Makeover, and she has performed in prestigious venues such as Central Park’s Summer Stage and the Kaufmann Concert Hall.