Coined from the words ‘business’ and ‘leisure’, bleisure travel refers to the act of combining business travel with leisure time – a trend that has seen a spurt in recent years, thanks to millennials who are raring to travel. With the number of millennials in the work zone growing, business travels are no more mere business; they are unofficial work bonuses that help fulfil wanderlust and even strike a positive balance between work and life.
As far as statistics go, bleisure travel reports indicate that young travellers between the ages of 20 and 25 are more likely to peg their business trips to weekends, thus giving a leisure angle to the serious business travel. It is, perhaps, the prospect of travelling without breaking the bank that makes bleisure travel so very attractive for millennials. With flight and accommodation expenses covered, adding an extra day for leisure time will not make a dent in the savings – millennial or otherwise.
Right, if your wish list is filled with travel destinations, bleisure is a perfect platform to get a few on the list checked every year. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your business travel:
Rules and Policies
While the prospect of giving business travel a leisure flavour sounds attractive, what is incumbent on you, as an employee, is having requisite knowledge of your company’s policies on travel. Most companies are sceptical of their staff extending business travel and may have a fixed per day allowance for the duration. Check out the company rulebook before you start the trip, so you are aware in advance about your personal expenses. Also, do not to be secretive of your proposed plan to extend the business travel by a day or two; keep your co-workers as well as your boss informed, so as to have a stress free break. And while there, remember not to mix business time with leisure. Balance your time according to the work demands; plan your leisure activities/outings in a way that they do not affect the work at hand.
Travel Bag
A short trip will, of course, mean a small suitcase, but don’t let the size dictate what you carry on your bleisure travel. Remember to include casual wear and a pair of flip flops for sight-seeing; maybe even a swimsuit if you are so inclined. Whatever the size of your travel bag, you could pack in clothes that can easily transition from daywear to eveningwear with some subtle additions/omissions.
Plan Ahead
Even if you have a short, chock-a-block schedule during your business travel, squeezing leisure into it is not difficult if you know someone in the chosen destination to guide you and even give you company, post the business meetings. But company is not the only criteria to experience bleisure; even if you do not know anyone in the city/town you are going to, you could rely on a host of online resources to find touristic attractions or simply to indulge in your favourite pastime. The hotel you are staying in would be able to guide you to some of the popular events taking place around the city to give you a taste and feel of the destination. Planning the travel between Sunday and Friday will give you ample time to do just that. Sunday is a weekend in most countries and Friday is one here, so make the most of the weekends tagged on either ends of your travel dates.
Leisure Time
With business appended to your travel, the time for leisure is obviously restricted. This demands a well-planned itinerary that can plug your entire spare time with outings and sight-seeing, depending on your preference (art and culture; food; amusement; shopping…). Make a list and prioritise what you want to do even before you land there. You could hire a local guide to squeeze in maximum tourist spots in your schedule, or simply trek to the popular spot – whatever it is you fancy. If you plan on relying on your own resources to become a tourist during your business travel, find out the transportation options available to you. Check out to see if renting a car is feasible or if public transport is your best bet. With transportation resolved, your outings can become a breeze.
A map, a plan and spare time is what you need to make your bleisure travel memorable.