Are Women’s Travel Habits Different From Men’s? Yes--and Vive la Difference

“Statistics show that there are more women in the world than anything else . . . except insects,” Glenn Ford tells Rita Hayworth in the 1946 movie “Gilda.” Certainly he makes his feelings about females clear. But those who watch the film now should know that his facts are wrong. According to recent census figures, for every woman in the world there are 1.02 men.

But if you’re interested in gender-specific statistics pertaining to men’s and women’s travel habits, you’re out of luck. Most surveys and polls conducted up until fairly recently have studied groups that were overwhelmingly male, feeding the travel industry data about where men like to go, how long they spend on vacations, and whether they like soft or hard mattresses in hotels. Women’s travel preferences have remained largely a matter of speculation, anecdote and cliche. There is no evidence to prove that women travel differently than men.

But some of us believe they do, and we are often accused of “ghettoizing” women--a term I’ve never quite understood. Where is it written that when you lump women together for the purpose of studying them, they must be in a ghetto? Isn’t the idea that women are different from men, in travel and much else, a matter of simple common sense? For instance, women travelers are more security-conscious than their male counterparts, more people-oriented, less competitive in the outdoors, more interested in spas and, of course, more prone to shop. To me, these aren’t divisive cliches but intriguing patterns worth noticing in order to better understand ourselves.

For this reason, I never hesitate to ask women travelers how they think they’re different from men. Some say that women see travel as a means for personal growth, but must overcome feelings of guilt (bred by a sexist culture) to steal time away from responsibilities at home and take a trip. Natania Janz, a London-based psychologist and co-editor of the Rough Guides anthologies “Women Travel” (Penguin, $19.95) and “More Women Travel” (Penguin, $16.95), goes deeper still when she says that perhaps the basic difference between men and women on the road is that women look for meaningful contact while men are inclined to stand back in detachment, snapping pictures. This explains why women like to shop, she believes. It’s not a matter of acquisitiveness only but a way to “get into a foreign culture and engage,” she says. At markets in Hong Kong and Oaxaca, women travelers learn recipes for fish heads and hot peppers, homeopathic remedies for diaper rash and who crocheted the border on the blouse they’re about to buy.

Still, there are a few things I’d like a little statistical data on. Doesn’t it seem that men take up more than their fair share of space on crowded bus and subway benches? And on planes, why do they assume that both armrests belong to them? Why are men so good at camping? And what makes them think that a woman is looking for action just because she’s sitting by herself at a bar?

Lately, the travel industry has been getting more savvy by beginning to study women’s travel habits. “The Changing Nature of Female Business Travelers,” for instance, is a new study commissioned by Wyndham Hotels and conducted by the Center for Hospitality, Tourism & Travel at New York University. While that one is considered legitimate, others, carried out by hotels, public relations firms and travel newsletters, are mainly intended to generate publicity for the travel industry. Still, though we shouldn’t take them too seriously, the results are fun:

* Among those who travel (for both business and pleasure), 56% are men and 44% are women, according to 1998 statistics gathered by the Travel Industry Assn. of America.

* A survey conducted of guests at London’s Halkin Hotel showed that 82% of its female respondents preferred baths to showers, while just 14% of the men soaked their cares away in tubs.

* In 1997, the annual Novotel New York Hotel survey of staff found that male guests keep the cleanest bedrooms, and that women are most likely to pocket free toiletries.

* According to the American Express Travel Trends Monitor, men spend more on accommodations, dining and car rentals on vacation than women do. Women spend more on shopping and sightseeing.

* Last year, the Hyatt hotel chain said its study showed that 57% of men are likely to say that they have more sex than usual on vacation, as compared to 48% of women.

* A Wyndham Hotels/New York University study completed this year found that women business travelers care, above all, about service when they choose a hotel. Men think location is the most important factor.

This is all well and good. But below are a few things I’d like statistics on. So I’ve decided to conduct a little survey of my own, with help from you. Write and tell me:

* Who overpacks, women or men?

* Are women or men more likely to ask strangers for directions?

* Who prefers shopping as a vacation activity?

* Who’s more likely to plan a romantic getaway?

* Who’d rather stay home for vacation, as opposed to traveling?

* Who leaves stingy tips at restaurants?

* Who’s more likely to mess up hotel rooms?

Respondents should send their opinions to me at the Travel Section, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or e-mail me at susan.spano@latimes.com. If I get nine responses, I’ll call it a study. If I get more than 10, I’ll have a man help me with the tabulations, since everyone knows they’re better at math than women.