Integrating Work and Leisure: The Future of Business Travel

Bleisure is shifting our perspective on business travel.

Remember those old business trips? Fly into town. Check into a hotel. Finish up a few meetings. Fly right back home. Exhausted. But packed with work done.

Those days are over. Or at least they’re in the process of ending. Employees are expanding trips. Exploring new cities. Relaxing after the work is done. And actually enjoying their destinations.

And the best news of all… This is not a trend. This is the new normal. Work and travel are blending like never before. Welcome to the future of business travel.

Read on for…

1. What Is Bleisure Travel?
2. Why Bleisure Travel Is Growing So Fast
3. Benefits Of Work-Play Integration
4. How To Make Bleisure Work For You

What Is Bleisure Travel?

Bleisure travel. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Business travel with a leisure component.

Let’s take a look at a basic example…

• A professional flies to Miami for a conference.
• They do their work during the week.
• Instead of flying home Thursday night, they stay and explore over the weekend.
• The employer covers the main trip.
• The employee covers the additional time and expenses.

Easy, right?

This work-play integration method has taken off in the last few years. According to Deloitte, 66% of corporate business travelers combined leisure and work on trips in 2023. This is a huge chunk of the business travel market adding personal time to work trips.

For those seeking to get the most out of this travel style, it pays to read a comprehensive bleisure travel guide. This can provide the how and whys of blending work obligations and vacation time together. The trick is doing both without sacrificing either.

Why Bleisure Travel Is Growing So Fast

The market for bleisure travel is growing at breakneck speeds. And for good reason.

• Work-life balance is more important than ever.
• The rise of remote work transformed people’s outlooks.
• Employers are more than happy to encourage it.

Take a closer look at each of these.

Work-Life Balance Matters More Than Ever

Employees are prioritizing work-life balance. As a result, they’re approaching business trips differently.

Business travel used to be a time to focus and grind. Meetings all day, all night. Rush back to home office. Rinse and repeat.

Now they’re an opportunity. A chance to travel. To do work. To recharge. And to combine both.

In fact, Navan found 54% of business travelers took two or more work-play integration trips in 2024. This is a majority of the overall business travel market actively seeking this type of travel experience.

Remote Work Changed Everything

In the early days, people never questioned business travel. It was simply a requirement of the job. But remote work changed all of that.

If you can work from home… Why not work from a hotel room in Barcelona for an extra three days? Once a week at work. Twice at the office. A few times on vacation.

This transformation in travel made work-play integration so organic. Who knew you could send emails just as easily from a beachfront bar in Bora Bora?

Companies Are On Board

Did you know…

Employers are not just okay with this trend. They’re encouraging it.

Organizations are discovering the benefits of bleisure travel to increase employee happiness and retention. After all, employees who get to visit new places and cities are happier. Happier employees stay with companies longer.

Some organizations even partially cover the cost of the leisure portion of trips. A small investment for a greater return on employee satisfaction.

Benefits Of Work-Play Integration

Combining work travel with leisure time delivers tangible value. Both for employees and their companies. Let’s take a look at exactly why.

Improved Productivity

I know what you’re thinking.

Wait, isn’t that the opposite of productive? Don’t worry. I was confused, too. But there’s a method to this madness. Employees know leisure time awaits them at the end of meetings and presentations. This creates focus and motivation during work hours. Get the work done. Earn the reward of personal time.

Cost Savings

If you include personal time with a business trip, the actual trip is cheaper.

Flight is covered. You only need to pay for the hotel and activities.

This makes bleisure travel an accessible and affordable option for those who otherwise can’t afford vacations. A work trip to London? Suddenly you can visit Big Ben for a reasonable price.

Reduced Travel Fatigue

A continuous string of business trips. Flying to a city. Working nonstop. Flying home. Exhausted.

Business trip. Bleisure. Repeat.

This wears on employees. Travel fatigue is real. Which is why a day or two of personal time can work wonders.

Giving yourself space to recharge. To decompress. To enjoy time away from the office. Makes returning to work less of a slog. Travel less exhausting. Increases the desire to take more trips in the future.

Better Mental Health

Travel comes with stress. After all, moving from city to city, time zone to time zone can do a number on your psyche.

But it also has incredible mental health benefits. Not to mention, the joy of seeing new destinations and cities for the first time is a thrill unto itself.

Bleisure travel offers the best of both worlds. Accomplishing work obligations and then rewarding yourself. Getting the business done and then treating yourself to local cuisine, experiences, and activities that support stress relief and happiness.

How To Make Bleisure Work For You

If you’re ready to start combining business travel and leisure time, these are the key tactics to do it successfully.

Choose The Right Trips

The first step is selecting the right business trips to include bleisure time. Not all of them work. But some do. Consider these strategies:

• Opt for trips to the most desirable cities possible.
• Combine trips to those cities that also end late in the week.

Targeting business trips that end on Thursday or Friday creates the easiest bridge into leisure time. Doing so also prevents dipping into valuable vacation time.

Set Clear Boundaries

The golden rule of successful work-play integration is maintaining clear boundaries between both. Don’t try to squeeze leisure activities in between meetings.

Focus on your work. During work time. Then separate yourself entirely. Cut off at the knee. Leave business behind.

Planning the leisure side of your trips during off-hours ensures neither are neglected or burnout. This also helps both portions of the trip be more satisfying and fulfilling.

Communicate With Your Employer

Most employers are fine with work-play integration. So long as they’re aware of it. The trick is maintaining a certain level of transparency about your plans.

Making it known up front you’re going to tack on leisure time at the end of a business trip. This will allow for any logistical expenses to be worked out. Plus, ensure there’s no confusion between which costs are for business. Which are for pleasure.

Plan Ahead

You can successfully do this on the fly. But to maximize time and efficiency, it’s best to plan ahead.

Do your research on the destination ahead of time. Book restaurants. Line up must-see activities and attractions.

By planning ahead, you’re more likely to make the most of your limited leisure time. Instead of wasting it trying to figure out what to do.

Pulling It All Together

Work and travel are and will continue to become more blended than ever before. This is the future of business travel. A win-win-win for all involved.

Employees no longer feel obligated to burn themselves out after every work trip. Employers get happier employees. Who, as a result, are more productive. The travel industry benefits from longer trips and higher spends.

The trend lines are clear. This is not a temporary blip in our behaviors. It is a long-term movement towards work-play integration.

So to make the most of the current and future landscape:

• Select the right business trips to complement.
• Pick those that end late in the week.
• Set hard boundaries between work and play.
• Be open with your employer about your plans.
• Plan activities ahead of time.

The days of a commuter-class business trip are behind us. Smart professionals are waking up to this new world of travel. Work travel doesn’t have to be a misery anymore. With the right planning and mental models, every business trip can be an opportunity for adventure.