Many professionals secretly love business trips. However, it is not just for the meetings but for the chance to stay a little longer.
I cannot blame them. An extra day in Vienna or a weekend in Dubai can easily turn into a mini vacation. That small habit has now become a big global trend called bleisure travel, a mix of business and leisure.
Since the pandemic, the way people travel has changed. The lines between business and personal travel have blurred as many people work remotely combining both. Moreover, professionals want balance, comfort, and a bit of joy while they work abroad.
In this blog, we will explore what the bleisure travel is and why it is becoming so popular.
What is Bleisure Travel?
In our time, working remotely or in a hybrid format has become a new normal. Many professionals can work from anywhere: from a café or a seaside apartment.
For those who still spend most of their time in the office, business trips often become the perfect opportunity to break the routine. A few extra days after meetings or a short weekend at the end of a work trip can be a great way to relax.
This is the reason the bleisure travel has become so popular. The idea is to combine business and leisure into one trip. Instead of flying straight home after a conference, you can stay a little longer and enjoy the city. After all, why fly home right after the conference when you can explore?
Why Is Bleisure So Popular?
The popularity of bleisure travel has grown for a few simple reasons.
First, people are more aware of the importance of work-life balance. A short break during or after work trip helps reduce stress. Second, it’s often cost-efficient, companies already cover flights, so extending the stay only means a few extra nights in a hotel.
Finally, travel has become easier than ever, with flexible flight options and remote work tools.
Tips for a Great Bleisure Experience
When people mean bleisure it does not always mean a vacation in a city of your drams. Some places you’d never plan to visit on your own. It’s natural they wouldn’t make it onto your vacation list. But when work takes you there, it’s the perfect chance to explore. That’s the beauty of bleisure travel as you can turn an ordinary business trips into small adventures. And with a little planning, it can be easy and stress-free.
If you run your own business, t’s useful to book flights with flexible return dates. Plans can change and meetings may be moved, or you might decide to stay an extra day once you fall in love with the city. Flexibility saves both time and money. If you are sent by a company, ask a travel manager or a travel agent not within your company to find such flights.
Companies usually book hotels that are close to the meeting or conference areas. Do a quick research and find the best places near the hotel or the routes to the sites you want to visit. By the way, download an offline map and research during a flight, do not miss time.
Bleisure as a Teambuilding
Bleisure travel can also become a powerful form of team building. When colleagues travel together for work, they often spend long days at conferences, meetings, or presentations.
However, if they have common interests, adding a bit of leisure time at the end of the trip changes the whole atmosphere. It allows people to connect outside the office, share experiences, and build real friendships.
For example, imagine you’re on a seven-day business trip to New York, but the conference lasts only four days. Instead of flying back right away, you and your colleagues can spend the remaining three days together
Longer business trips often make this possible. Flights aren’t scheduled every day, or sometimes it’s even cheaper to stay for the weekend. Those extra days are a great option not just to see the sights, but to connect with people you usually only meet in meeting rooms.
Walking through Central Park, visiting museums, having dinner or simply standing a queue for the city’s most popular pizza bring the team closer. You start seeing your coworkers differently not only as colleagues, but as individuals with stories, interests, and humor.
Why Should Companies Encourage Bleisure?
Companies that encourage bleisure travel are smart. Allowing employees to combine work trips with a bit of leisure time improves both morale and long-term performance.
When people feel trusted and valued, they return more motivated and engaged. A short break after an intense conference or meeting helps them recharge. Besides, they do not take a long holiday but may be 2-3 days, a short and good way to stay productive.
It’s also a great tool for employee retention. Professionals are more likely to stay with a company that understands the importance of balance of work-life.
From a financial point of view, bleisure travel makes sense too. Since the company already covers the main travel, extending a stay adds little extra expense.
Levon Travel has experience of working with corporate clients and helps companies build travel policies that make this easy and safe. If you are not aware of such experiences, our team can recommend how to handle them.