According to a recent study, nearly half of all business trips turned into bleisure trips. That means, that almost half of the people who plan trips for work, added extra time–either before or after they fulfilled work commitments–to have leisure time, explore their destinations, and take advantage of all that their new location has to offer.
But who are the travelers taking bleisure trips? And why do they put so much emphasis on the leisure side of their business travel? BlueOrange, a travel agency in NYC, has noticed trends with the people who take are prioritizing bleisure travel.
People who take bleisure trips are motivated to leisure by their travel destination. When work is scheduled somewhere exotic, somewhere new, or somewhere near family and friends, professionals are stretching their trips to accommodate. And bleisure trips are even more likely when work takes professionals to Europe, which makes sense given the expense and time commitment of international flights.
Travelers who combine business and pleasure come from a wide range of industries. But technology, research, and education professionals are the most likely to make their trip a hybrid of business and leisure.
Additionally, people who take fewer business trips throughout the year are more likely to transform their rare work trip into a bleisure trip, according to the Harvard Business Review. This could be due to the fact that frequent travelers look to home as their space to relax, while infrequent travelers have an opposite travel view. Or other commitments could keep the frequent traveler from having bleisure time.
Because of this trend, millennials are more likely to book a bleisure trip, as they are less likely than older demographics to travel for business, that is until a worker gets closer to retirement, when bleisure travel is again prioritized. And women are consistently more likely to book a bleisure trip in any demographic.
Bleisure trips are not necessarily solo adventures. Often professionals are opting to bring their families or a significant other with them to the exotic destinations, confirming that travelers prioritize sharing family experiences. Together, bleisure travelers book sightseeing, arts and culture activities, and unique dining experiences. Often, the trip is extended by at least two days and sometimes even longer.
With bleisure trips increasing in priority and frequency, travelers can benefit from a travel agency in NYC, like BlueOrange, with vast experience and expertise booking corporate and leisure travel.