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Looking at 2023, of those workers surveyed who travelled an average of twice in the last year, one in five have ditched part of the work trip for tourism and/or relaxation.
In today's fast-paced world, the lines between work and personal life become increasingly blurred, giving rise to the concept of "bleisure" travel.
'Bleisure', a blend of business and leisure, refers to the practice of extending work trips to enjoy personal time and explore new destinations.
This trend is transforming the way professionals approach business travel, offering a balanced experience that enriches both their professional and personal lives.
As more companies recognise the benefits of bleisure for employee wellbeing and productivity, this travel trend is set to become a staple of modern work culture.
Research conducted by Howdy, surveying 1,000 full-time employees across the US, revealed four 2024 Bleisure travel trends:
*While the data is based on findings in the US, HRO believes it remains relevant to our readers in Asia.
- Despite only 30% of American workers knowing the term 'bleisure', many of them are already embracing the concept.
- 49% of nearly two in five Americans who are going on business trips in 2024 are planning to turn their trip into a bleisure one.
- 60% of Americans prefer bleisure over 'workcations', where workers plan a vacation that includes working on the trip and the destination is their choice.
- Employees embracing bleisure by generation are as follows:
- Generation Z: 68%
- Baby Boomers: 63%
- Generation X: 48%
- Millennials: 44%
Interestingly, the report noted, of the workers who travelled an average of twice in the last year, one in five have ditched a portion of the work trip for tourism and/or relaxation. This trend was most commonly seen most popular among Gen Zers, with one in four opting to skip work, while only 12% of Baby Boomers ditched work for play.
Additionally, while most workers enjoyed travel benefits and business expense categories such as round trip airfare, lodging, a food stipend, taxi stipend, and/or travel insurance, 17% still don’t think their companies cover all necessary expenses.
The report also highlighted what could be expected in the remainder of this year when it comes to Bleisure travel:
- Those planning a work trip could be adding about four paid time-off (PTO) days to their work trips for leisure.
- These travellers may also spend an average of US$3,900 on their trip.
- 67% of employees foresee themselves staying in the same accommodation as the work portion of their trip.
The above aside, the survey findings also highlighted six benefits employees see in bleisure travel:
- Relaxation after a work trip
- Lower-cost vacation
- Fewer details to plan
- Fewer PTO days used for travel time
- Exploring a new destination
- Addressing job burnout
READ MORE: Frequent business travel can exacerbate stress and burnout
Lead image /123RF
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