Would you make travel plans based on destinations featured in your favorite TV show or a romantic movie?

That's the premise behind a recent study from Qunar.com that says Asian women are leading the way in China tourism, and their travel decisions are largely based off of social elements like fashion and entertainment.

But not all material things help make up a woman's mind.

According to the 2010 Trend Report of Women's Travel, the amount of travel by Chinese women increased by 20 percent from 2009, with well-educated and well-paid single women becoming the main force in the China tourism market.

China Daily¹, which received survey results and analysis from Qunar.com, reports women's spending power has grown among well-educated and well-paid single women, resulting in more Chinese women to choose travel as a means of self-improvement and self-satisfaction.

"Travel not only releases work pressure, but also opens up my horizon on the world. I like to see and experience how others live," said Zhang Jing, a 31-year-old woman who was interviewed by the newspaper.

This trend isn't too far off from what the hospitality industry is predicting and putting into place. Women-only hotel floors in Hilton Hotels and Marriott's, for example, are one way hotels cater to the demands of women travelers.

Additionally, more hotels are placing products targeted at women in their rooms - yoga mats, exercise videos, health and beauty tip cards, shopping maps and coupon books, and women-specific magazines, and room renovations were catered to women traveler demands.

A few years ago, the Premier Hotel in New York's Time Square, for example, revamped its rooms to appeal to women travelers' requests for better lighting, adjusted its room service menu to include more diet-friendly and nutritional options, and offered more bathroom amenities including flat irons, bath salts, vanity kits and loofahs.

The hospitality industry's focus on women-only travel amenities hasn't always been received with rose petals. A few years ago, the concept of women-only hotel room floors was met with discrimination lawsuits and endless debates in the press on whether or not the focus on women travelers has gone too far.

But the industry turned another cheek. The Metropark Wanchai Hong Kong opened a floor specifically for women, and larger hotel groups like Mandarin Oriental are continuously updating their room amenities to focus on women business travelers.

As for the women travelers? Seems the savvy sex is more than happy to spend their money on more travel as it relates not only to fancy amenities, but also to social scenes.

The Qunar report also revealed that women's choice of travel destination is not only influenced by fashion and design, but by television and movies. Scenic spots in Thailand, Vietnam and India, to name a few, have seen a rise in women travelers.

1 - www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/china/2011-03/04/content_12114787.htm

Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.

Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com