The conventional business travel involving hectic schedules, back-to-back client appointments, and the stress of achieving business goals. This all becomes fun and motivational with efficient bleisure trips. Roughly 90 percent of business travelers aim to mix vacation with business as business travel recovers after the pandemic. It heralds a new trend in corporate travel with an apt name. Bleisure travel means a blend of business and pleasure when employees stay back to enjoy a vacation after the annual conference or trade fair participation, or spending a few days sightseeing after completing the assignment at a hill station. Additionally, bleisure traveler opens an entirely new market segment for businesses operating in the travel and hospitality sector.
Bleisure travel meaning
The concept of business travel combining business with leisure is a bleisure travel. The novel name, bleisure, meaning an extension of business travel to enjoy a vacation, is a new buzzword among business travelers. Bleisure travel is catching up fast after the pandemic as employees want to grab opportunities of visiting faraway places after the monotonous period of lockdowns and travel restrictions.
Whether an employee reaches the destination in advance to enjoy a relaxing vacation before starting the assignment or stays a couple of days longer after finishing the task, the organization stands to benefit from the bleisure travel. A mini vacation before the business assignment refreshes the employees for work, while companies can use a small vacation break after the business trip as motivation.
Who are bleisure travelers?
Identifying the characteristics of the bleisure traveler is crucial for designing strategies to focus on this segment by using special offers or creating appropriate content for marketing hospitality products and services. Bleisure travelers undertake frequent business trips to the same destinations to follow up on prospects or to find new business opportunities.
Employees in public administration, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing sectors are more likely to adopt bleisure travel. They are from all age groups, including gen-X, millennials, and Baby Boomers. It is common for companies to award a mini vacation to a large team of employees attending a conference at a holiday destination.
Importance of bleisure travel
A bleisure traveler can achieve several personal and business goals by combining work and play. The unique combination facilitates a better work-life balance, reducing stress and increasing productivity. Companies can ensure a better travel experience with the assurance of a better ROI.
Companies can reduce attrition rates by allowing employees to spend a few days on personal enjoyment before or after the business assignment. The strategy improves the affinity of the employees toward their organization. A bleisure travel does not cost a fortune as there are no additional traveling expenses to reimburse.
Why is bleisure travel popular?
Companies encourage bleisure travel among employees to motivate them to undertake business trips, as there may be a bit of reluctance to travel because of the recent pandemic. Some organizations allow employees to plan a bleisure travel with a friend or spouse to ease boredom, which is common during long outstation business trips.
Employees can understand the local culture and people by spending time with locals. It is helpful to improve the business trip outcome. Organizations can expect stronger business relationships if the employees are comfortable interacting with the clients. Bleisure travel is gaining popularity as combining work and leisure is a win-win for employers and employees.
Conclusion
The new segment of bleisure travel is an excellent opportunity for the hospitality industry despite its infancy. The growing number of millennial employees who enjoy work and leisure during business trips is driving bleisure travel adoption in companies. Blend of business and vacation benefits bleisure travelers and companies who can leverage the mini vacation as an incentive for better productivity. Corporates can easily book for a bleisure travel itinerary through online booking platforms such as Paxes. Paxes is an online platform that provides seamless booking of hotels and flights for high cost-savings.
Suggested Read: What Are The Different Types Of Corporate Travel
Bleisure Traveler FAQs
How can hotels make bleisure travel more appealing for business travelers?
Packing more fun-filled activities helps as the leisure stay is short, usually lasting for a few days. Sightseeing, mountain trails, and water sports are some activities to make their stay memorable.
Do bleisure travelers change their accommodation during the leisure part of their stay?
Most bleisure travelers stay at the same hotel for the entire duration of the bleisure trip.
How to take advantage of the weekend while planning a bleisure travel?
Plan to start your business trip on Mondays and reach the destination on Saturday to enjoy two days of vacation at the destination. Alternatively, a bleisure traveler may finish the business activities on Friday and continue till Saturday to enjoy a mini vacation.
Do travel policies of companies allow bleisure travel?
Most organizations do not include bleisure travel in their travel policies.
Which hotels are in a better position to attract bleisure travelers?
Hotels at holiday destinations or those serving business travelers have a better scope to attract bleisure travelers.
