What is bleisure travel?

Bleisure Travel combines ‘business’ and ‘leisure’. This is done by corporate travelers who want to explore a destination in greater depth than traditional business travel allows. This usually involves employees extending work trips to enjoy a little personal time, either outside of office hours or as a special personal leave day.

Vacation travel has become a big trend In recent years thanks to flexible working arrangements and an increasing focus on work-life balance. Employers understand the benefits in terms of employee satisfaction and reduced travel fatigue, while travelers appreciate the opportunity to add a little fun and relaxation to business trips.

That hotel industry increasingly aware of the opportunities presented by bleisure travel as well. By accommodating these guests, hotels can get high-value corporate travelers to stay longer, spend more money and become loyal customers.

This guide shows how hotels can leverage travel bleisure to get more bookings, generate more revenue, and generate more profits.

Why is travel bleisure important for hotel owners?

The bleisure travel market is important to hotel owners because corporate travelers typically spend more money, and bleisure travel allows them to extend their stays. These longer stays also create opportunities to increase guest loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals, as bleisure travelers often return with family or recommend the property to friends.

The opportunities presented by this travel trends very large. 42% of all consumers said they were planning a bleisure trip. The size of the global bleisure travel market is expected to increase more than double from US$762 billion in 2025, to US$1.7 trillion in 2032.

Because corporate guests are less price sensitive, they tend to book premium rooms and spend more additional services such as dining, health and recreational activities. Business travelers usually spend money around 25% more than holidaymakers.

From a strategic perspective, bleisure travelers allow hotels to maintain occupancy in slower periods. Because business travel focuses on weekdays and is not dependent on the weather – if there are corporate guests who tend to avoid peak travel periods – this helps hotels fill rooms at off-peak times. By extending these trips, you maximize the value of each guest during the most difficult times of the week and year.

By meeting the needs and desires of bleisure travelers – flexible check-in, co-working spaces, curated local experiences – a hotel can position itself as the destination of choice for long-term business and leisure stays.

Key points

• Vacationers stay longer than corporate guests and spend more money than vacationers on rooms and amenities.
• Hotels can increase occupancy rates during slow periods by attracting leisure guests.
• Serving bleisure travelers builds loyalty and increases repeat bookings and referrals.

What do the latest bleisure travel statistics reveal about traveler behavior?

The latest bleisure travel statistics reveal certain traveler behaviors that hotels can exploit to gain more bookings and revenue. However, a closer look at the numbers shows that hotels must sell local experiences, reward loyalty and maximize the value of each stay.

More than half of business travelers want to explore any destination where they work. This shows that no matter where workers are sent, or why they are sent there, curiosity is always there – most want to see what the local area has to offer.

Two-thirds of bleisure trips start with a conference, meaning business travelers will book hotels that have conference facilities on site, while bleisure travelers will look at non-work facilities. The best hotels will offer both.

Finally, bleisure stays are usually quite short – only one in six stays exceed three nights – so travelers will look for accommodation providers that allow them to make the most of their limited time, possibly through organized tours. The good news for hotels is that, although short, the stays are plentiful, and the average bleisure traveler travels every two months.

Key points

• More than half of business travelers actively seek local experiences during work trips.
• Most bleisure trips start with a conference, making hotel business amenities essential.
• Hotels should seek to maximize the value of the short, frequent trips typically made by holidaymakers.

How can hotels capitalize on the growing bleisure travel trend?

With the above statistics in mind, what can hotels do to capitalize on the bleisure travel market?

1. Work & play package

Business travelers want to explore their destinations. A hotel should actively encourage this exploration by developing work and play packages that give guests the opportunity to experience the culture, attractions and experiences of the local area when their laptops are closed. Keep in mind that bleisure stays are usually short, so any tours and experiences should be done frequently and efficiently, and ideally scheduled outside of business hours.

2. Create a flexible co-working space

With 67% of leisure trips starting with a conference, on-site meeting facilities are a must for any hotel looking to attract travelers. Your guests will also be looking for a versatile co-working space with all the facilities they might need, so they can work efficiently and free up more time to relax and explore.

3. Partner with local attractions

Consider partnering with other travel businesses to develop attractive vacation offerings. Perhaps a local tour agency can pick up your guests at the end of the work day and take them on a culinary tour of your area. Or maybe you can negotiate a deal to get discount tickets to a local attraction, in exchange for sending all your vacation guests there. This collaborative partnership can be a win for all parties involved.

4. Extend your stay incentives

Only 17% of bleisure stays are currently longer than three nights. This represents an opportunity to incentivize your guests to stay longer, perhaps with an offer like ‘stay six nights, get the seventh free’. Vacation travelers may be more open to extending their stay than other guests, as their employers typically cover work-related costs.

5. Flexible booking dates

Business is dynamic, so corporate travelers tend to value flexibility. By offering bleisure guests the ability to adjust their booking dates to changing circumstances, you can give them the confidence they need to book a room. Flexible booking policies act like insurance – providing peace of mind that builds booking confidence, even if circumstances don’t change.

Key points

• Work and play packages encourage travel bleisure and help guests maximize their time.
• Coworking and conference facilities are key to attracting leisure travelers.
• Incentives, flexible booking policies and local partnerships encourage longer, more rewarding stays.

What tools or technologies can help you capture the bleisure travel market?

To capture the bleisure travel market, hotels need technology that allows them to reach the right audiences, convert them into guests, and provide experiences that will keep them coming back. A complete platform like SiteMinder addresses each of these needs.

Technology plays an important role in transforming the bleisure traveler, influenced by comfort, flexibility and value-added experiences. By combining channel management, direct booking tool and guest engagement features, SiteMinder provides a complete platform that enables hotels to target the bleisure travel market and increase occupancy rates and revenue.

You can dynamically adjust rates based on traveler type and length of stay, promote special packages such as work and play offers, and present these offers across your booking channels via a single screen.

Upon arrival, guest engagement tools allow you to personalize communications in ways that enhance the stay experience and drive long-term loyalty. You can promote local experiences, increase sales of long-term stays, and better understand the needs and behavior of bleisure guests.

FAQ about bleisure travel

What are the benefits of bleisure?

For hotels, bleisure travel extends the average length of stay for big-spending corporate travelers, and gives your guests the kind of relaxing, enjoyable experience they’re more likely to remember, share and want to revisit.

How does bleisure travel cater to Millennial travelers?

Millennials typically prioritize work-life balance, which makes bleisure travel especially appealing. Local cultural activities can also provide deeper and more meaningful travel experiences that many Millennials prioritize.

When does the bleisure journey start?

While the term has been popular for decades, the term ‘bleisure travel’ started to gain traction in the early 2010s, as remote working capabilities increased and corporate travelers began turning business trips into vacations.