Bleisure travel is one of the emerging concepts in the travel industry, and its growth has meant a greater focus is now placed on the needs of the corporate traveler who wants to enjoy some leisure time during their trip. In this article, you will learn more about bleisure travel and what the average bleisure traveler is looking for.

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Bleisure Travel Defined

Bleisure travel is a term used to describe travel that combines elements of both business and leisure. It typically takes the form of business travelers extending their trip, to enjoy leisure activities, which may range from sightseeing and relaxation to hiking, visiting entertainment venues, or attending events.

A trip comprised of both business and leisure components may also be known as a ‘bizcation’, and travel of this kind has possible advantages for business travelers, their employers, and those in the travel industry.

For the traveler, the primary advantages will likely be a boost in morale and a stress reduction. Allowing bleisure travel may help a business by increasing the number of employees willing to go away on business trips. At the same time, the subsequent morale boost can result in improvements in productivity. Finally, for the travel industry, the rise of the bleisure tourist means visitors willing to stay longer and spend more money.

Bleisure Travel is a Growing Market

It is important to understand that spending on business travel is growing year-on-year. In fact, according to information published by Statista (1), since 2015, business travel spending has grown by between six and seven percent each year. The opportunities to attract repeat business have made business travelers a top focus for the travel industry.

Moreover, according to Expedia (2), 43 percent of business trips now include a leisure component. These figures highlight the growth of business travel as a whole and that leisure is becoming a key part of modern business trips.

The Bleisure Traveler Explained

The rise of bleisure travel has understandably led those in the travel industry to focus on who the average bleisure tourist is. A better understanding of who participates in bleisure travel, hotels, travel agencies, restaurants, and other industries can target them more effectively with their offerings and promotional content.

A joint Expedia Group and Luth Research study provides one of the most extensive insights into the modern bleisure traveler. It found that bleisure travelers tend to make frequent business trips, with the vast majority (70 percent) traveling on behalf of their business at least once every three months.

The same research found that bleisure travelers work in a wide range of different industries. Still, travelers in areas like technology, healthcare, public administration, and manufacturing were the most common.

Meanwhile, SAP Concur research found that Millennials were the most likely to engage in bleisure travel, accounting for 38 percent of all such travelers. Nevertheless, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers also accounted for 31 percent of bizcations each, indicating a need for travel companies to appeal to all of these age groups.

According to a CWT Solutions Group survey (4), women take fewer business trips than men. Yet, despite this, in both gender groups, 20 percent of business travelers asked said they take one or more bleisure trips per year. As a result, the study found that women have a slightly higher overall bleisure rate than men.

It is also interesting to note that many bleisure travelers feel reluctant to share the leisure experiences they enjoy during business trips. The National Car Rental State of Business Travel Survey (5) found that 45 percent of Millennials, 40 percent of Gen Xers, and 30 percent of Baby Boomers felt a need to downplay personal activities.

Why is Bleisure Travel Popular Among Business Travelers?

For business travelers, bleisure trips hold strong appeal for several key reasons. On a basic level, combining work and fun or personal activities helps create a far better work/life balance. This tends to result in greater happiness, lower stress levels, and more sense that business trips are worthwhile.

In many cases, bleisure travel represents an ideal opportunity to save on the travel costs associated with a trip abroad. Crucially, this allows people who may otherwise be unable to enjoy a personal holiday to do so. They will also have more money to spend on leisure, because their employer partially covers travel and accommodation costs.

Many business travelers return to the same location repeatedly, or at least more than once. With this in mind, bleisure trips offer an opportunity for travelers to get to know the location and its culture better. This, in turn, can help to improve the quality of work done, while allowing more meaningful business relationships to be formed.

Finally, bleisure offers the possibility of business travel with a companion, such as a friend, partner, or colleague. This can help to alleviate boredom, prevent feelings of isolation and assist with the overall enjoyment of the trip.

Video: The State of Business Travel — Bleisure Benefits

 

What Are Bleisure Travelers Looking For?

The aforementioned study from Expedia Group (3) and Luth Research also provides some interesting insights into what bleisure travelers are looking for, as well as the main factors that have an influence on their decisions.

For example, it was found that the top three factors which influence whether or not a traveler will make a business trip into a bleisure trip are: whether the person is traveling to an exciting destination (66%), the additional costs involved with extending the trip (59%) and how close the trip is to the weekend (51%).

Digging deeper, the research shows that, when considering their destination, some features or local offerings most likely to encourage a bleisure trip are sightseeing locations, beaches, restaurants, and the weather. Major events, such as festivals, cultural events, sporting events, and music concerts, are huge factors.

Furthermore, bleisure travelers want to use services that make travel easy and flexible. Regarding accommodation, they will likely seek hotels and other options that offer fast and reliable internet, work areas, and 24-hour services. They will also offer leisure facilities like spas, gyms, restaurants, and pools.

7 Tips for Hotels to Attract More Bleisure Travelers

For hotel owners, the overall growth of business travel and the emergence of the bleisure tourist represents a real opportunity. After all, business travelers with a leisure interest are more likely to extend their stays and may spend money on business facilities within hotels and various leisure offerings.

In the article “Bleisure: 7 Tips for Hotels to Attract More Bleisure Travelers,” you will learn more about the importance of bleisure to the hotel industry and find seven specific tips for hotels looking to attract bleisure travelers.

The Latest Business Travel Trends Business Travelers Desire

Many of those in the travel industry, including hotels, focus on appealing to corporate travelers. Doing so means keeping up with the latest trends and understanding what business travelers need, want, and expect.

In the article “The Latest Business Travel Trends Business Travelers Desire,” you will be able to find out more about eight of the key trends that are influencing the decisions made by business travelers, from bleisure and the sharing economy to healthy eating options and the need for fast and reliable internet and wi-fi access.
Conclusion

Bleisure travel is extending business travel for leisure purposes or combining work and leisure during a business trip. Appealing to this growing demographic is a top priority for many in the travel industry, so it is important to understand what they seek and the factors influencing their decisions.

More Tips Regarding Business Travel

The corporate travel market is receiving an increased focus from many in the travel industry, partly business travelers often spend more money on their travels, especially when their employer covers their costs. However, more importantly, business travel is growing, thanks to factors like globalization and the availability of flights. In the following articles, you will find more information about the corporate travel market:

More Tips to Grow Your Business

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.


Sources:
(1) Statista, Global business travel spending growth forecast
(2) Expedia, Business Trips are Extended for Leisure Purposes
(3) Expedia, Unpacking Bleisure Travellers Trends
(4) CWT, A Quantitative Look At the Bleisure Phenomenon
(5) National Car Rental 2019 State of Business Travel Survey Fact Sheet