Even when it doesn't involve anything as drastic as a career change, women are more adventurous than men. She most recently spent two weeks in Portugal with a university classmate. In the meantime, Mr. Sato stays at home. It's just as well. His wife notes that she often finds herself in dining rooms full of Japanese women while on the road.
Travel companies rely on women's wanderlust.
He sells tours to Europe and Hawaii, as well as to domestic hot springs, mostly to women in their 50s and 60s. It's not just the rich middle-aged who see the world. The key to attracting women, travel pros say, is safety, cleanliness, service fit for a princess and tasty local delicacies. While men are stuck with the same old golf weekends, agencies are outdoing each other cooking up special tours for women. Some marketers are selling serious business with fun.