Meet Beth Santos: The Woman Changing How We Travel
© Image: Lux Travel Buzz
Beth Santos launched Wanderful in 2009 after traveling solo to São Tomé, a small island off the west coast of Africa. “I was in my early 20s, living in a Portuguese-speaking country, and no one had prepared me for what it would be like to be a woman traveling alone,” she said.
What started as a personal blog turned into a global movement. “Most of the messaging I got was that traveling alone as a woman was dangerous,” Beth said. “But I had such a wonderful time, and also a lot of complex emotions. I started writing about it, and that’s how Wanderful began.”
Why She Started Wanderful
Beth’s blog moved on to become a digital magazine, and by 2013 she officially launched Wanderful as a business. “I realized how powerful it was to bring women together in real life. We created this connected network of women all around the world who could help each other, give advice, meet up for coffee, or even travel together.”
Now Wanderful is a worldwide membership community with local chapters, events, and travel programs that empower women to explore the world with confidence.
How Travel Has Changed for Women
“When we first started out, women were told we were a niche in the travel industry, not powerful,” Beth said. “You’d go on Google and search ‘solo female traveler’ and it was always the same type of woman, over and over.”
But now, women are creating their own platforms and changing the game. “Content creation has become a really great way to show grassroots perspectives. Women are speaking on behalf of travelers who aren’t being heard in mainstream travel media.”
She added, “We’re making 85% of consumer purchasing decisions. We’re planning trips for our families. We’re spending the most, but we’re still treated like a side category in travel.”
What started as a personal blog turned into a global movement. “Most of the messaging I got was that traveling alone as a woman was dangerous,” Beth said. “But I had such a wonderful time, and also a lot of complex emotions. I started writing about it, and that’s how Wanderful began.”
Why She Started Wanderful
Beth’s blog moved on to become a digital magazine, and by 2013 she officially launched Wanderful as a business. “I realized how powerful it was to bring women together in real life. We created this connected network of women all around the world who could help each other, give advice, meet up for coffee, or even travel together.”
Now Wanderful is a worldwide membership community with local chapters, events, and travel programs that empower women to explore the world with confidence.
How Travel Has Changed for Women
“When we first started out, women were told we were a niche in the travel industry, not powerful,” Beth said. “You’d go on Google and search ‘solo female traveler’ and it was always the same type of woman, over and over.”
But now, women are creating their own platforms and changing the game. “Content creation has become a really great way to show grassroots perspectives. Women are speaking on behalf of travelers who aren’t being heard in mainstream travel media.”
She added, “We’re making 85% of consumer purchasing decisions. We’re planning trips for our families. We’re spending the most, but we’re still treated like a side category in travel.”
© Image: Lux Travel Buzz
Wanderful’s Events for Women Who Love to Travel
Wanderful offers several unique events each year:
• WITS (Women in Travel Summit) – A creator summit where women gather to learn, connect, and grow.
• Wanderfest – “It’s a big celebration of women travelers,” Beth said. “There’s music, dancing, local excursions, and a marketplace filled with all women-owned vendors.”
• Global Meetups – “We’ll book a hotel block and one group activity per day, and the rest is on your own,” Beth explained. “You travel with 35–50 women. It’s affordable, flexible, and you still get to be part of a community.”
She added, “We use a WhatsApp group so people can say things like, ‘Hey, who wants to check out this museum with me?’ It becomes a travel experience and a support system at the same time.”
What’s Next in Women’s Travel?
Beth sees a growing interest in intentional travel. “There are a lot of women who want to support women-owned businesses and be mindful of where their money goes,” she said. “Even big companies are now doing women-focused tours and hiring women guides.”
She mentioned their upcoming partnership with Impulse Travel, a company in Colombia run by a woman named Medina. “She’s showing the underbelly of Cartagena and taking people to women- and minority-owned businesses.”
Destinations like India, Jordan, and even Saudi Arabia are becoming more accessible thanks to group experiences. “Places that may be harder to visit alone are becoming easier through these women-led expeditions,” Beth said.
Travel and Politics
Beth didn’t shy away from discussing the role politics plays in travel, especially for women. “Travel is political,” she said. “When you travel, you’re supporting governments and systems, whether you mean to or not.”
She also noted that cuts to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs in the U.S. are hurting women-focused travel communities. “I know organizations that have lost funding because supporting women isn’t a priority anymore. That has a ripple effect.”
Changemakers in the Travel Space
Beth highlighted several inspiring women shaking things up in the travel world:
Katrina Rivera: “She’s been so loud and clear about accessibility in travel. She won our Trailblazer Award last year.”
Sojourner White: “She’s known for train travel and showing people how to do it sustainably.”
Youmie Jean Francois: “She runs Flex and Fly, doing wellness in airports. She’s also created travel wellness kits.”
Meg Ten Eyck: “She runs EveryQueer, helping LGBTQ+ travelers find safe spaces around the world.”
Amanda from StillWaters Safaris: “She started one of the only women-led safari companies in Tanzania. She said, ‘Local women need to take this into our own hands.’ And she’s doing it.”
Beth’s message is clear: women aren’t just travelers, they are the future of the travel industry.
“We’re not just a niche. We are the market,” she said. “If you show all kinds of women traveling, more women will feel empowered to do it. And that’s how you change the world.”
Interview by Kim Edelsbacher
Link to Wanderful
Wanderful offers several unique events each year:
• WITS (Women in Travel Summit) – A creator summit where women gather to learn, connect, and grow.
• Wanderfest – “It’s a big celebration of women travelers,” Beth said. “There’s music, dancing, local excursions, and a marketplace filled with all women-owned vendors.”
• Global Meetups – “We’ll book a hotel block and one group activity per day, and the rest is on your own,” Beth explained. “You travel with 35–50 women. It’s affordable, flexible, and you still get to be part of a community.”
She added, “We use a WhatsApp group so people can say things like, ‘Hey, who wants to check out this museum with me?’ It becomes a travel experience and a support system at the same time.”
What’s Next in Women’s Travel?
Beth sees a growing interest in intentional travel. “There are a lot of women who want to support women-owned businesses and be mindful of where their money goes,” she said. “Even big companies are now doing women-focused tours and hiring women guides.”
She mentioned their upcoming partnership with Impulse Travel, a company in Colombia run by a woman named Medina. “She’s showing the underbelly of Cartagena and taking people to women- and minority-owned businesses.”
Destinations like India, Jordan, and even Saudi Arabia are becoming more accessible thanks to group experiences. “Places that may be harder to visit alone are becoming easier through these women-led expeditions,” Beth said.
Travel and Politics
Beth didn’t shy away from discussing the role politics plays in travel, especially for women. “Travel is political,” she said. “When you travel, you’re supporting governments and systems, whether you mean to or not.”
She also noted that cuts to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs in the U.S. are hurting women-focused travel communities. “I know organizations that have lost funding because supporting women isn’t a priority anymore. That has a ripple effect.”
Changemakers in the Travel Space
Beth highlighted several inspiring women shaking things up in the travel world:
Katrina Rivera: “She’s been so loud and clear about accessibility in travel. She won our Trailblazer Award last year.”
Sojourner White: “She’s known for train travel and showing people how to do it sustainably.”
Youmie Jean Francois: “She runs Flex and Fly, doing wellness in airports. She’s also created travel wellness kits.”
Meg Ten Eyck: “She runs EveryQueer, helping LGBTQ+ travelers find safe spaces around the world.”
Amanda from StillWaters Safaris: “She started one of the only women-led safari companies in Tanzania. She said, ‘Local women need to take this into our own hands.’ And she’s doing it.”
Beth’s message is clear: women aren’t just travelers, they are the future of the travel industry.
“We’re not just a niche. We are the market,” she said. “If you show all kinds of women traveling, more women will feel empowered to do it. And that’s how you change the world.”
Interview by Kim Edelsbacher
Link to Wanderful
