- Bleisure travel, combining business and leisure, is on track to take over traditional business travel.
- The change creates a new type of traveler who is neither a business traveler or a carefree vacationer but a combination.
- The hospitality industry can adapt by offering new services and amenities that make it easy for travelers to move from work to fun.
Time in the boardroom paired with time at the beach. Part work, part vacation. That’s the idea behind bleisure travel, a pandemic-fueled trend with staying power.
What is Bleisure Travel?
As the name implies, bleisure is part business travel, part leisure travel. It’s combining a work trip with an extended vacation before, during or after the work event.
With increased remote working capabilities and travel levels back to a pre-pandemic normal, bleisure has seen tremendous growth in recent months.
Bleisure was growing before the pandemic but has taken off recently. It’s poised to take over traditional business travel in 2022 and beyond. 89% of people plan to add personal vacation time to their business travel this year—many of whom will bring family and friends along.
And it’s easy to see the appeal, especially after a tumultuous few years. People can travel for a conference or event and then spend an extended vacation in the area while they work remotely.
What Does it Mean for the Hospitality Industry?
After a challenging past few years, bleisure travel opens the door to new opportunities in hospitality and creates a new type of traveler, one who is there just for business or just for fun. With this new type of travel, hospitality companies have the chance to adjust and tailor their services. Here are four impacts and opportunities of bleisure travel:
Turn Business Travelers into Loyal Guests
Most bleisure travelers stay at the same place for the work and leisure parts of their trips. That means that hotels traditionally associated with business travelers have a new opportunity to showcase their relaxing sides, deliver great experiences and create loyal guests. These hotels can entice business guests with tour packages and pre-planned itineraries, as well as amenities and services tailored to the family and partners who come along.
Blending Workspaces with Relaxation
Many bleisure travelers are still working remotely and need a place to check in. A growing number of hotels are adding flexible workspaces and meeting rooms. But travelers also need a place to unwind and unplug so they don’t feel the need to stay connected during their leisure travel. Hospitality companies can tap into the need for relaxation by making it easy for travelers to compartmentalize and step away from their responsibilities.
Showcase the Location
It’s not just about traveling for a meeting anymore. It’s about experiencing the destination. In many cases, bleisure travelers are willing to spend more on dining, entertainment and tours because their company paid for their flights. But bleisure travelers may not have time to research everything beforehand. For these travelers, ease is crucial. Hospitality companies can partner to create immersive experiences like full-day tours and well-rounded excursions.
Update the Travel Schedule
Business travelers are known to only stay in a location during the week. But bleisure travelers stay longer and through the weekend, which shakes up weekly booking patterns. There’s no longer a distinct line between business travelers during the week and leisure travelers on the weekend. The best hospitality companies serve all types of customers throughout the week and are prepared to provide tailored service and recommendations, no matter the day.
After a tumultuous few years, the hospitality industry is ripe for disruption. And bleisure travel might just be the reason things change for the better.
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Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist and the bestselling author of The Customer of the Future. For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here.