Two years ago, I wrote about the growing trend of bleisure travel and it seems like this trend is a sticky one, perhaps because we work longer hours than ever before or simply because we take less vacation time in general, at least here in North America, the lines between business travel and leisure travel are blurring more than ever.
Michelle Mangan who works for The Europe Hotel & Resort, in Ireland, came up with this insightful infographic summarizing a couple of key recent findings about bleisure travel. Did you know for example that:
- Business travel makes up 30% of annual travel. Bleisure is where employees add extra days of leisure time to their business trip.
- More than one in two travelers taking bleisure trips bring family members, or a significant other with them.
- 83% say that they use time on business trips to explore the cities they are visiting.
It’s no wonder companies such as Airbnb are crossing over from a leisure focus to gain more traction with business travelers, where growth opportunities are not only mind-boggling, they are also very real.
When people opt for extended stays during a business or leisure trip, the odds are higher to opt for apartments or vacation rentals for various obvious convenience reasons.
Thus, it’s no wonder 60% (3 in 5) of business travelers are more likely to take a bleisure trip today than they were 5 years ago. Are hotels and destinations tapping into this potential too?
What stat did you find most surprising in these findings? If you travel for business, have you ever extended your stay for leisure purposes and was it fine with your company? I would like to hear your feedback in the comment section below.
Frederic Gonzalo
Senior marketing and communications expert & speaker with more than 20 years of expertise in the travel and hospitality industry. Consulting since early 2012, I provide strategic planning, social media & mobile development counseling to small and medium businesses alike. Reach me at frederic@gonzomarketing.biz
Original article
