Maximize Your Travel Experience with Bleisure: A Guide

If you’ve ever taken the chance to explore a new city after a work-related event or arrived early for a client meeting to unwind at the beach, hike, or try a popular restaurant, you’ve mastered the concept of "bleisure travel."

The concept of bleisure combines work and leisure into a single journey. Also known as "workcations" or "blended travel," this trend began gaining traction before the COVID-19 pandemic and has surged since then, fueled by the revival of business trips and the rise of remote and hybrid working arrangements.

How prevalent is this trend? According to last October’s Amex Trendex: Business Travel Edition, 80% of business travelers reported extending their trips in the past year for remote work or leisure activities. Additionally, data from online business travel management firm Navan revealed a 72% year-over-year surge in blended travel bookings during the first ten months of 2023 compared to 2022. Moreover, 24% of travelers intend to have a friend or family member accompany them on a business trip in 2024.

The advantages of bleisure travel are evident: you’re already at your destination and might not need to cover your flight expenses entirely to enjoy a wonderful place. Whether you’re embarking on your first bleisure journey or your tenth, here are some tips to enhance your bleisure travel experience.

1. Review your company’s bleisure travel guidelines.

To ensure a smooth bleisure experience, familiarize yourself with your company’s rules regarding extending business trips. This means understanding the flexibility for arriving early or staying later, knowing how to submit expense reports, confirming what activities are allowed during business travel, and checking if you can bring guests along.

2. Utilize weekends and public holidays.

If you want to enjoy bleisure travel without using your vacation days (and who doesn’t?), consider scheduling your business trips right before or after a weekend. For a longer escape, try to align your plans with a public holiday or long weekend to maximize your stay while preserving your PTO balance.

3. Choose versatile clothing.

Bleisure travel combines two journeys into one, which can make packing tricky. Opt for versatile and comfortable clothing that can easily shift from a business meeting to a casual sightseeing excursion (like these editor-approved travel pants). Sticking to a unified color palette is a great packing tip that helps save space in your luggage. Using packing cubes and adopting a one-bag strategy can also be beneficial.

4. Plan ahead when booking hotel stays.

When blending business and leisure travel, you’ll need to arrange two separate hotel reservations—one for your company-funded portion and another for your personal time. To avoid the hassle of changing rooms, consider contacting the hotel ahead of time to request the same room for your entire stay, which can save you time and effort.