Redefining womanhood: Solo travel as intersectional rites of passage

Solo travel has become an increasingly prevailing trend among young women, offering a unique opportunity for exploration and transformation. This qualitative study examines how solo travel facilitates identity transitions among Chinese women in emerging adulthood (ages 18–29), focusing on the interplay of gendered sociocultural expectations and age-specific developmental challenges. The analysis reveals three transitional pathways: gender-focused rites, and age-focused rites, alongside the intersectional rites of passage. By theorizing identity transitions through the novel conceptual lens of “intersectional rites of passage,” this study redefines womanhood as a dynamic and self-determined process. These findings advance tourism, gender, and intersectionality studies while offering practical implications for tourism stakeholders to better address the underserved yet strategically significant demographic of developmentally transitional female travelers.