Many female travellers planning trips to 'most dangerous countries for women'

Women are travelling to destinations described as dangerous for women (Soft_Light)

Thousands of women are planning to travel either on their own or as part of a female group to countries ranked as the world’s most dangerous destinations for women, according to a new study.

More than a quarter (27%) of women are planning an all-female holiday in the next two years, a survey commissioned by travel insurer Sheilas’ Wheels found.

Some 11% of this group intend to visit either India, Egypt, Turkey or Kenya, which are in the top 10 danger spots for female travellers as defined by the International Women’s Travel Centre (IWTC).

Nikki Sellers, head of travel insurance at Sheilas’ Wheels, said: “Crime can, of course, happen anywhere but women are more likely to fall victim in some places than others.

“We’re not saying that women shouldn’t visit these destinations but women travelling in these areas should do so with caution and knowledge of the culture.

“It’s also important to ensure you have a travel insurance policy in place should you become a victim of crime.”

The survey of 1,027 UK women also found that just 15% of female travellers check local crime statistics before deciding where to go on holiday, compared with 64% who research what the temperature is likely to be.

The IWTC said its list is based on issues such as harassment, problematic laws and negative treatment.

Here is the IWTC top 10 most dangerous countries in the world for women to visit in 2016: