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Security became quite an issue for me during a recent stay at a large hotel. As I entered the hotel from the parkade, a man carrying a mop was getting on the empty elevator. He held the door for me. Feeling somewhat rude, but concerned about my personal safety, I politely declined to ride with him. As the elevator door closed, he shook his head. Although some may think I was being overly cautious, the reality is that in this day and age, women have to take extra precautions to stay out of vulnerable situations that could lead to physical or emotional harm. I didn't always concern myself with personal security issues. Like most independent women, I believed I was capable of taking care of myself and never considered the potential dangers of parking in hotel parkades or walking alone at night in strange cities.
All that changed several years ago when my stepsister responded to a request for help in a Calgary parkade from a man who claimed his vehicle needed a boost. When she turned her back to open her car door, she was attacked and stabbed repeatedly. Although she survived the incident, it left her physically and mentally traumatized. Personal safety has become a major issue in the marketplace over the last decade as the number of women traveling solo increases. A 1998 Total Research survey suggests the percentage of women who travel on business grew to almost 50 per cent the prior year from just one percent of all business travellers in the 1970s. And of those, 78 percent were women travelling alone. Because women have been outspoken about their needs, many in the travel industry have risen to the challenge of addressing security concerns. Some hotels, car rental agencies, airlines and travel providers have developed marketing programs aimed at a female clientele, not just because their numbers are increasing, but also because their allegiances are still forming. The Total Research survey found that 81 per cent of 217 female business travelers surveyed said they would be more loyal to companies that address their special needs.