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Bleisure travel is meant to last
Business+leisure, or "bleisure" travel, is an emerging trend where employees combine their company trips with vacation time, one expected to continue to rise in 2024. This approach allows a traveller to remain at their destination for a longer period of time to explore it as a tourist before or after their work commitments. Bleisure travellers mostly take advantage of flights and accommodations paid by their employers to enjoy their holidays. According to a recent survey conducted by the Hilton hotel chain, around 46 percent of global full-time and self-employed workers plan to have a business or bleisure trip in 2024.
One of the main advantages of combining travel with leisure is increased employee motivation. Bleisure travel is able to prevent burnout and everyday stress at the workplace. Moreover, bleisure trips can increase a company’s attractiveness to new hires and help retain existing employees. Employees are likely to become more loyal to their employers if they allow them to make the most of their business trips by adding several extra days for down time. A recent survey demonstrates that more than a third of Generation Z and Y business travellers globally plan to add a leisure component to their business trips next year. Furthermore, around 24 percent of global business travellers plan to travel with a friend or a family member on their business trips in 2024.
However, bleisure trips can lead to possible noncompliance and excessive spending. Therefore, companies have to implement well-documented travel policies, without also appearing to be too invasive of employees’ personal lives. In addition, companies must be able to effectively manage bleisure travel as it can require different bookings, including leisure activities and extra nights at a hotel. If companies have a clear bleisure policy and effective travel management, blending work and leisure would be a great advantage for both employees and employers. Moreover, bleisure travel can positively affect the environment as it helps to reduce carbon emissions by combining trips.
Source: the recent survey conducted by Hilton https://stories.hilton.com/2024trends-business-travel
By Aidana Arynbek
