What is Bleisure Travel?: A Comprehensive Guide

Bleisure travel is a relatively new concept in the world of business. The word is a combination of “business” and “leisure” and is the term given to business trips extended for the traveller’s personal time. Bleisure travel happens when someone goes on a business trip and takes time after they finish their work to remain in a particular destination to experience some of the tourist sites and leisure activities the place offers.

It is a concept that has become particularly popular with millennials and young workers, although those who have been working for longer are also starting to take advantage of this trend. In this article, we’ll delve further into the principles behind bleisure travel and look at aspects to consider when organising it. 

Understanding Bleisure Travel

In the modern world of remote working and an increased number of people having the freedom to choose whether or not they work in an office or from home, there has been a shift in people’s approach to work. This is part of why more employees have realised that combining work-related travel with recreational time is possible. 

Most employers would agree that employees must fulfil a set of key objectives when they are sent away for business. But what about when these objectives have been achieved? If work schedules allow, employees now have the freedom to extend their business trips to take some time out for themselves and perhaps discover an area they were otherwise unfamiliar with. This is the concept of bleisure travel. 

What is Bleisure Travel?

Another key aspect of the modern working world is the emphasis employers and managers place on good company culture. Advertising to prospective employees that bleisure travel is an option when away for work can be highly appealing. 

In modern times, employees also have a lot more say in how they spend their time, with other corporate trends like flexitime, reduced weekly work days, and more flexible leave schedules being granted. 

This type of travel is no exception. As more people have cottoned on to the fact that they can have their employers cover the cost of leisure travel by extending their time in a given location, the trend of bleisure travel has grown. Fundamentally, it is the concept of combining business travel with leisure travel, and it's a concept that more employees and employers alike are harnessing the advantages of. 

The Rise of Bleisure Travel

Since the pandemic, business travel has become more prominent, with the borders opening up again and a few found appreciation for face-to-face meetings being realised. Leisure travel has also increased after so many people could not travel during lockdown and the borders were shut. With both travel trends rising concurrently, the trend of bleisure travel was born. 

Another factor that has contributed significantly to the principles of bleisure travel is the fact that travelling for business takes a lot of time and effort for whoever is doing so. Bleisure travel is therefore seen by some companies as a reward for hard work, which is why the costs of such travel are often partially covered by employers. 

As mentioned above, employers are granting their staff a lot more freedom in the workplace, which entails ensuring that good culture and work-life balance are maintained. Bleisure travel is an example of how employers are considering their staff’s need for downtime and helping to ensure they have a happy culture within the company.

Benefits of Bleisure Travel

There are many benefits to engaging in bleisure travel from both the employee and the employer’s sides. Bleisure travel is highly advantageous to those who get to enjoy it as it means that a holiday does not end up costing as much as it would if they were to fund it entirely themselves. Below we’ve taken a closer look at some of the advantages both employees and employers can glean by engaging with bleisure travel. 

Employees can explore new places

When an employee is asked to travel for business, it may not be to a place that they are familiar with. If a staff member is particularly keen on travel anyway, this is a great opportunity to experience somewhere they may not otherwise have. It’s a great way to make travellers get out of their comfort zone and see the world without costing them a fortune. 

Added value for employers 

Travel expands people's perspectives on different countries and cultures. If a company needs their employees to travel internationally on a regular basis, then a deeper understanding of that culture may be highly advantageous to the company. This is where bleisure travel can have a massively positive impact on a company. If an employee can spend more time engaging with locals and experiencing the country in ways other than for business, it can help form improved business relationships. 

Boosted morale and reduced stress

Although travelling for business is a lot of fun, there are scenarios in which it can be stressful. For example, if a company representative has to deliver a presentation or pitch, there is a lot of pressure on that person. If an employee has a trip to look forward to after completing their work assignments, this can greatly boost their morale and reduce the stress they may have experienced in the gear-up to their trip.

Accommodating Bleisure: The Importance of Choosing the Right Stay

If your organisation has granted an employee bleisure travel, then you must ensure that the accommodation they stay in can serve them for both business and leisure. The key aspect you must consider is the increased need for privacy and comfort. However, you will also need to ensure that the accommodation is close to where they must be for business purposes. For example, they may need to be close to a client’s office or site. 

If you are a company travel manager, you need to ensure that the accommodation you select for business travellers meets this criteria. For this reason, consider serviced apartments as an option for bleisure travel accommodation. If you are the one travelling for business, staying in serviced apartments may be the right option for you. 

The Role of Serviced Apartments in Bleisure Travel

Serviced apartments offer travellers more flexibility, privacy and agency during their stay. You can enjoy all the comforts of home while not having to worry about domestic tasks like cleaning. A serviced apartment allows you to cook all your meals and do your laundry, giving you a lot more space than a hotel room would. 

If you’re on a bleisure travel trip, then serviced apartments are the best accommodation option. The range available on TrustedStays are all vetted by us before we list them on our website. They each have to go through a quality test, and we ensure that their insurance policies are up to standard to give you and your organisation maximum peace of mind during your stay. 

Serviced apartments are also great for business and recreational travel as they often come with all the facilities you need to ensure you get the work done you need to. Facilities like a reliable internet connection and a dedicated workspace are common in serviced apartments, making them ideal for bleisure travel.

Tips for Planning a Successful Bleisure Trip

As someone who wants to take a bleisure travel trip, you may need to pitch the idea to your employer beforehand. That is why you need to make sure you are well-organised beforehand. Here are a few tips to consider when planning a bleisure travel trip.

Be certain of your work itinerary

As a bleisure traveller, it’s vital that there are no discrepancies or clashes between your personal itinerary and your one for work. You must prioritise what your employer needs you to do before you can take time off. If you are certain about where you need to be and when for business, then it’s easy to work your recreational time into your bleisure travel trip. 

Communication is key

When on a bleisure trip, ensure that you keep the lines of communication between you and your employer open. This will ensure no misunderstandings surrounding which travel expenses fall on your employer and which fall on you. It will also help your employer understand where you are at any given time, which is important from an insurance perspective.

Be well-organised 

Ensure you keep a good record of what you spend and ensure the expenses you record are separated between business and leisure expenses. You may have to claim business expenses back from your employer when you return from your trip. You cannot claim money spent on leisure activities back from your company.

Conclusion

As bleisure travel is becoming more popular, there are increased opportunities for employers to incentivise their staff and for business travellers to make the most out of the places they visit. It is also a great opportunity for more people to travel at reduced personal costs. 

Bleisure travel also means that serviced apartments are becoming the more desirable accommodation option for business travel, given their increased flexibility and comfort for those who stay in them. If you’re looking for serviced apartments for bleisure travel, take a look at the TrustedStays website and get in touch today!