Bleisure Travel 2017: How Business Travelers Are Using The Latest Travel Trend

The rise of “bleisure” – where travellers mix their business trips with leisure time – is allowing workers to save money and transform what can be an inconvenient trip away into a pleasurable stay.

It can be tough for anyone to find the time for a vacation. But if you’re an entrepreneur working on getting a new business off the ground, making the time for a break may seem nearly impossible.

According to a recent survey of Booking.com members, “49% of business travelers already extend their business trips to further enjoy the destination.” And a recent survey of Founder’s Card members showed that 81% of entrepreneurs participate in bleisure trips.

Part of this career travel lifestyle includes bringing family members, significant others, and friends along for the ride. This trend may involve more planning as far as tickets and hotel reservations are concerned, which is why it helps to have a travel agent or a personal reservationist on call to handle the extra details for you and your employees. Some companies are even paying for their employees to take bleisure days.

Here are some “dos and don’ts” that will help make your bleisure experience a good one.

DO schedule two extra days.

According to the Bleisure Report, most business travelers on a bleisure trip tack on two extra days in order to have fun and explore their new surroundings. This is plenty of time to stop by the Louvre, experience local sushi, or do some shopping.

DON’T save your work for last.

Can you imagine playing it up in Vegas all weekend, only to have to present at an all-important client meeting on Monday? The immediate shift to stress can create a “major vacation buzzkill” that you’ll definitely want to avoid.

DO bring someone along.

When you travel two weeks out of every month, it’s easy to lose track of the relationships that mean the most to you. A particularly fun way to bring back the spark is to invite your significant other or family member on a bleisure trip with you!

DON’T wing it.

Start a bleisure trip with a plan for how you might like to spend your time. Peruse local guidebooks or ask friends what activities they recommend in the location. Make a list of ideas you’d like to try—and don’t limit yourself to just touristy things, either!