The purpose is twofold: on one hand, to reduce uncertainties and barriers for women planning their first solo trip; on the other, to boost destination competitiveness using digital tools, data, and certifications that inspire confidence—from maps of better-patrolled areas to quick-assistance buttons in official apps and 24/7 helplines.
Within this framework, Portugal acts as a catalyst for a shared agenda that includes “first-time” guides for cities and regions, itinerary recommendations that prioritize safe mobility, and accommodations with verified protocols, as well as awareness campaigns on responsible conduct aimed at both visitors and providers.
The countries in the alliance are also moving toward a common seal of good practices that will recognize businesses and institutions meeting criteria for prevention, response, and support, with periodic audits and reporting mechanisms. Training is likewise planned for staff in hospitality, restaurants, museums, and transport in gender-sensitive service, along with the expansion of volunteer networks and peer-to-peer information points where other travelers share practical tips validated by tourist offices.
The approach places the digital dimension at its core. Official tourism apps are expected to integrate proactive notifications—from schedule changes to suggested alternative routes during large events—geolocation of useful resources (pharmacies, health centers, police stations), and a services directory with reputation verification and insurance coverage. This will be accompanied by editorial content to help realistically plan budgets, cultural norms, and local regulations.
The initiative underscores that the notion of a “safe destination” goes beyond police statistics and requires urban-design policies that facilitate pedestrian movement, continuous lighting, and frequent night transport, as well as collaboration with mobility platforms and accommodations to strengthen controls, traceability, and reporting channels.
Across the board, sustainability targets are included—because safety also means predictability and quality of the environment—promoting the distribution of visitor flows to less crowded neighborhoods, clear signage of well-maintained trails, and experiences with certified hosts, supporting local commerce and culture.
For international travelers, the expected result is a travel ecosystem that minimizes friction from the moment they start searching for information: multilingual portals with clear advice on documentation, health, dress, and codes of conduct; filters in tourism search tools that prioritize daytime activities, small groups, and women-led guided visits; and a network of affiliated establishments where service and response standards are comparable across countries.
Destinations, for their part, gain in reputation and repeat visitation by offering a consistent promise that narrows the gap between expectation and experience, while the private sector gets a roadmap for investing in improvements with measurable returns—from satisfaction and repeat rates to incident response times.
Portugal’s leadership in this alliance does not aim to homogenize identities, but to establish a common baseline enabling each country to communicate clearly why its cities, cultural routes, natural areas, and festival calendars are ideal to discover individually and without undue worry—and why traveling solo can be synonymous with autonomy, enjoyment, and an authentic encounter with place.
In short, the collaboration among Portugal, Belgium, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovakia, Finland, and Croatia lays the groundwork for a new grammar of travel in Europe: one in which destinations turn women’s safety into public policy, a value proposition, and a competitive advantage.
