As the saying goes: With great corporate travel opportunities come great leisure travel moments. Well, something like that anyway. In any case, that's the story the data is telling right now — work trips are on the rise, and with that, bleisure travel.
Ble-what?
While the term hasn't taken hold yet in the vernacular (one of our colleagues asked if "bleisure" was a typo when we pitched this story), you're probably already doing it if you travel for work.
Bleisure travel — or blended travel, as it's sometimes called — is the combination of work and play in one trip, whether you're adding personal vacation time to an overseas work conference, or integrating work into a holiday (though it's mostly used to refer to the former).
Business + leisure = bleisure, get it?
The rise of bleisure travel
According to a recent YouGov survey, more than 51 per cent of professionals in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and India have taken work trips in the past two years, and seven out of 10 business travellers in the Asia-Pacific region are in the habit of extending these trips for leisure.
Data from travel management company CWT shows that bleisure travel is most common among those aged 25 to 34, with nearly 80 per cent of millennials choosing to add personal time to a business trip.
Happily, companies are becoming more accepting of this too. One Amex Global Business Travel study noted that 57 per cent of firms have policies that enable young employees to extend their work trips with annual leave.
And why wouldn't you? Tacking on a holiday to business travel can help you save costs and reduce your carbon footprint when it comes to transportation, not to mention that seeing the world is one of the best ways to gain new experiences and widen your perspective.
How to travel in a bleisurely manner
Juggling work and play can be tough, but you can definitely put the "pleasure" into bleisure. Here are six tips to help you get the most out of your next trip:
1. Stack play days after work days
If you're deciding between adding leave before or after the work event that you're travelling for, always pick after. This way, you won't be stressing over work during your vacation time and can fully enjoy your holiday once business is done.
2. Check if the hotel you're booked into for work has special rates
Sometimes, especially if your company has booked a large number of rooms across a specific period for an event, hotels will extend the same special rate to you that was given to your company for one or two days before or after the event. Take advantage of this to save on accommodation, which typically makes up the bulk spend of any holiday.
3. Don't confine yourself to the city that your work is taking place in
Even if you can get a special rate at the company hotel, you may want to consider staying outside of the area during your personal time. This is a chance for you to check out interesting regions that are close by or explore somewhere that you may otherwise not get to visit.
4. Make sure you're insured outside of your work days
Some company travel insurance policies don't cover personal travel, so it's better to dig into the specifics of your company's policy first. Make sure you have your own travel insurance for the days you aren't covered by it, just in case — *touch wood* — anything happens.
5. Consider sharing the experience
It's always more fun to travel with someone, which is why an increasing number of bleisure travellers are choosing to take family or friends on their work travels. Or you could invite your colleagues to extend their trip with you — it's easier to bond and build trust when you're not focused on work.
6. Always be transparent with your boss and colleagues
On a work trip, work should always come first, so be honest with your boss and teammates when you combine business with leisure. This way, they won't think you're skiving when you post that pic of yourself on the beach in the middle of the day. Let them know you're taking personal time, and stay contactable so they can reach you if needed.
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