Regular readers know we like new buzz words here at Small Business Labs. So we had to post on "Bleisure" - a term describing the blending of business and leisure travel.
According to CNN, Bleisure travel is defined as:
a term used to define professionals who are shunning the all-work-and-no-fun grind of business trips by mixing them with vacation time.
While Bleisure travelers come from all age groups, millennials (aged 15-35) are seen as most likely to combine business with pleasure while traveling. Key quote from Fast Company's How Millennials are Redefining Business Travel:
... millennials can approach business travel as a lifestyle experience. In their position, why not hack a grueling travel plan to make it more enriching, rewarding, and—yes—pleasurable?
Enter what some in the travel industry are terming"bleisure" travel (to the dismayed groans of others). At first, "bleisure" only referred to business trips that were extended for pleasure. Now the word encompasses leisure experiences that are woven throughout a business trip.
In other words, millennials aren't just adding a few days of vacation here and there to their business trips, they're turning the entire trip into a fun experience. The Fast Company article has a great example:
I recently heard about a millennial business traveler who booked a hotel 40 minutes away from his destination city, in a ski resort town. He wanted to stay near his preferred CrossFit gym, and he liked the luxe vacation town better than the nearby city where business meetings were to be held. The company would cover his rental car and gas anyway.
A recent Washington Post article also looks at how millennial travelers are mixing work and fun with a focus on how they are changing the hotel industry. Key quote:
Hotels are also starting to integrate more unique and local experiences. For example, some properties [such as Denver’s Brown Palace] are implementing farm-to-table menus, brewing local beers on-site [Fairmont San Francisco] and organizing local excursions and activities for travelers.
There is a trend toward more open spaces. Younger travelers generally want to spend less time in the room and are more interested in meeting other travelers in social settings within the hotel. So you’re seeing things like lobby bars and open works paces that are not just for hotel guests but welcome locals as well.
Expedia's Future of Travel report has more data and insights on millennial travelers.
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