A thing about traditional business travel is that it was not seen as an entertaining trip previously. As the recent pandemic disrupted all forms of lifestyle, people’s opinions on business trips have taken a U-turn. While there are traditionally thoughts given to leisure activities during business trips, a certain trend has begun to gain attraction by workers worldwide: bleisure travel.
The influence of pandemic working systems (remote and hybrid), the increase in awareness of workers’ mental health, and the strict aspects of old-fashioned business trips result in bleisure travel innovation, which combines business purposes and leisure activities!
As bleisure travel becomes more common among workers and companies, some of us might be wondering about the trend and curious about what it’s like to experience one. Today’s edition of our article will familiarize you with the travel trend: starting from the complete explanation to pro tips on planning your bleisure travel, we’ve got them all covered!
About Bleisure Travel Trend
A man arrived at his bleisure travel destination.
Business trips are usually two to three days corporate conferences that are often boring and do not offer anything remotely close to leisure activities. However, this was before millions of workers switched to remote and hybrid working systems during the pandemic – since then, a new travel trend that combines business and leisure was born and changed how people travel post-pandemic.
The trend, which is abbreviated as “bleisure”, gains the attention of workers ranging from freelancers to corporate executives who are looking to blend their business trips with vacations, as it allows them to immerse themselves in brand-new atmospheres and explore tourist destinations since the most views workers get to see during the traditional business trip are hotel areas and not much else.
A worker enjoying his bleisure trip.
So, what does a bleisure travel look like? According to Expedia via Adecco Group, it is a business trip extended for leisure purposes, which includes entertainment activities and how easy it would be to get around the destination.
As for the trip duration, it usually depends on where the worker is traveling from because they may have spent more time on the journey than at the destination. Nevertheless, statistics from Stratos show that a majority of 39% bleisure trips last for two nights, followed by three nights length in around 31%, four nights length in 17%, and only 12% stay for a night.
Motivated by business as its main purpose, the flexibility it offers for travelers to work from different locations, as well as the post-pandemic work systems has pushed bleisure travel to popularity among workers. These aren’t the only driving factors, as there are more reasons why the trend attracts employees, which we have covered in the next section!
Why Bleisure Travel is a Trend?
Illustration of stuff to bring during bleisure travel.
It’s no wonder why bleisure travel is becoming a trend and a tertiary need for workers. For starters, here are some of the main reasons why it is popular:
- Bleisure travelers can get a lower rate for a longer stay, as companies often cover the major part of business trip expenses.
- Most bleisure travels allow workers to bring along their family or friends, which is looser than the old-fashioned business trip.
- Bleisure travel is linked to employee satisfaction; it helps workers to refresh before returning to the office.
Other factors that influence the trend’s popularity are numerous surveys on bleisure travel for workers, a few of which are reported in the statistics below:
- Around 82% of bleisure travelers tend to stay at the same hotel during the whole trip. This allows companies to access favorable rates for extended stays while sharing the spending, thus helping to reduce the cost of accommodation.
- Since the pandemic, 33% of workers are more concerned with their physical and mental well-being. This increased their appreciation for bleisure travel for mental health benefits.
- Bleisure travel is seen by 86% of employees as a key to career development and crucial to maintaining business relationships.
Regardless of its popularity, there is still a long way to go for bleisure travel to improve and innovate. On the other hand, the trend is surely a worthy option for those who value this type of travel!
Bleisure Travel 101: Tips to Begin Your Trip
The perks of bleisure trips lure various types of workers to have one for themselves. If this is your first time knowing bleisure travel and planning to try it, take note of the following tips to make the most of your bleisure travel experience!
1. Do Pre-Travel Research
Do a research before you go on your trip.
Wherever you plan to travel, it’s important to do some research before taking off to the destined place. Whether to schedule your free time during the trip or list down tourist spots you would like to visit after work, these preparations will help you to make the most of your business trip and keep your leisure priorities in check!
2. Pack Your Bags
Pack your belongings in efficient ways.
What would your bleisure travel be without bringing your belongings? As you pack all the essential stuff for your trip, make sure to free some space in your luggage for a possible little shopping later. A pro tip: bring clothes that can pass as business and casual attire to make more room for other things in your luggage!
3. Manage Your Time
Manage your schedule for a seamless bleisure trip.
Schedule your leisure outings in a way that will work in tandem with your business activities! Whether you prefer to reduce stress with fun before answering business responsibilities or unwind after work is done for a worry-free holiday, managing your leisure time allows you to maintain your job performance and get the most out of your bleisure travel.
4. Use Good Company
Hang out with your friends during bleisure travel.
Are you going on a solo bleisure trip instead? Make it merrier by hanging out with friends in the destination you’re visiting once work is done. Another option worth trying is to hire tour guides to explore local attractions or ask your hotel concierges for travel spot recommendations. Whatever your preference is, it doesn’t hurt to use a good company to spice up your trip.
5. Get Additional Days
Book extra days to your bleisure trip.
Want to explore more of your bleisure travel destination? Add extra days to your trip! Depending on the date of your trip, Friday through Sunday are recommended days to add before or after your stay. While you are at it, make sure to enjoy the finer things with your pocket money, as most business trip expenses are covered by the company – which saves you more than a regular vacation would!
Wrapping Up
Bleisure travel changes people’s view of boring business trips! The range of perks it offers to both workers and companies, along with external factors like the shift of employees’ preferences to remote and hybrid working have pushed the trend into the spotlight and attracted much attention.
Seeing its popularity, more workers and companies are normalizing the trend, and the hospitality industry is taking advantage of this opportunity with hotels competing to provide distinguished services and facilities for bleisure travelers. However, bleisure travel is not exclusive to freelancers, office workers, or corporate executives; you too can have your own bleisure trip with RMC Asia!
We are specialists in cultural exchange programs that connect you with our affiliated host organizations through hospitality internships and management training in Asia’s famous destinations.
Our programs provide you with everything you need to be a valuable asset to the hospitality industry: hands-on work training with seasoned experts, access to the international job market, and cultural exchange experiences in numerous placement locations across Asia which go beyond an ordinary bleisure trip!
Seize this opportunity now; unlock your potential and embark on a successful hospitality career with us!
