The ultimate bleisure travel guide

What is bleisure travel?

The term "bleisure" combines the meanings of "business" and "leisure" in a single word. Bleisure travel combines business with leisure, as the term suggests. Recent years have seen more businesses and vacationers do this.

With the globe getting more and more turbulent, business travelers are finding ways to balance their work and personal lives while abroad. They like walking tours, hiking, beach days, and relaxing in the hotel spa, among other activities.

While there are a variety of approaches to vacation travel, the most common ones involve adding on extra days to the beginning or end of the trip or bringing along loved ones to squeeze in some quality time between work and other obligations. We think that if business travelers are happy, they will be more productive, and the organization will get a better return on investment.

What are the benefits, for a business traveler, of combining work and pleasure?
As a result of the coronavirus, many organizations have adapted to a hybrid setup. In general, a flexible work environment has several benefits; however, there are many perks for bleisure travelers in particular:

• Crossing time zones: Working remotely from a foreign nation is a common perk of business travel. The traveler can adjust to the time zone and perform at peak efficiency if they give themselves more time at the beginning of the trip.
• Reduced tension: Combining work with enjoyable or personal pursuits can fundamentally improve work-life balance. The traveler may feel less anxious and have a better time as a result.
• Job satisfaction—If workers believe their employers value them, they may be more motivated to put in extra effort, which can lead to greater satisfaction with their work after the trip.
• Reducing emissions: When workers have pleasure in leisure travel, they might not feel the need to take that additional vacation later in the year. This not only saves them time and money, but it also reduces their carbon footprint because they may not have to fly as much.

What ways might bleisure trips for your staff help your business?
Making vacation travel choices available to employees might boost job satisfaction and deter them from seeking out other opportunities.

Raising morale and team spirit—Letting employees take a break and recharge on a vacation excursion ensures they'll be ready to tackle the day when they return to work!

Offering bleisure travel as an incentive to current employees is a fantastic way to keep them motivated, but it may also bring in fresh talent for your firm.

The likelihood of a rise in earnings is directly proportional to the level of productivity inside an organization.

Customer Retention—Encouraging staff to work remotely isn't always a picnic, particularly when they have responsibilities back home. However, letting your staff combine it with a vacation may encourage them to take it and return when needed.

Does bleisure travel provide any difficulties?

• Trust is an essential component of any kind of business travel, and visibility is key. Even when the person is working abroad, you still want them to produce a fantastic job for the firm, just like when they are at home.
• Expense management: It is critical to know who is responsible for paying for what and how. While there is no universally accepted method, it is usual practice for employers to pay for employees' airfare and expenses on work days, while the employee is responsible for paying any expenses associated with their vacation.
• Establishing lines of contact for the business traveler to use for check-ins is essential. Be careful not to micromanage or overly supervise the employee; there has to be a fine line between checking in and doing too much.

5 things to keep in mind when organizing a getaway trip for your employee
Assess the level of danger. If they intend to travel to areas considered particularly dangerous, you may choose to prohibit them from taking any extended vacation. To find out more about where your employees can travel safely, you should visit your country's official website.

While bleisure is fun, your staff shouldn't let it take precedence over their job. For instance, you might advise them not to drink too much the night before the weeklong conference begins if they arrive a day or two early. In the end, this journey is all about business.

Clearly defined policies: Before an employee leaves on business, make sure they understand your company's travel policy and agree on what counts as working and personal periods. Business owners and travelers alike will appreciate the ease and safety that comes from having a clear understanding of what is and isn't covered in terms of traveler spending and security. To illustrate the point, if your company's travel business only provides assistance and insurance, you might advise your employees to secure their own travel insurance for their leisure activities.

No matter how trustworthy your staff is, relying solely on a "handshake agreement" is insufficient. Companies risk noncompliance, inflated costs, and even litigation if they do not put their bleisure travel policy in writing.

Privilege loyalty programs, contactless payment solutions, and safety-focused GPS apps are just a few examples of the new tools that digital companies are offering to businesses to cater to this growing trend. While it may be impossible to totally remove danger for business travelers, management teams can utilize technology to monitor their employees' safety no matter where they are.

Here are 5 pieces of advice for businesspeople on their first vacation:

Be smart with your vacation time. Your vacation excursion should ideally take place on a bank holiday, either right before or right after the weekend, if at all feasible. This is the most effective way to plan your vacation, allowing you to explore a new country for three days without sacrificing any of your paid vacation time. To avoid paying exorbitant amounts for flights and hotels, make sure you book in advance.
Why not broaden your journey by exploring a few nearby cities during your journey? For instance, when visiting a European city, it's not uncommon to find another stunning and intriguing city just a short and inexpensive train ride away. Look around at your leisure!

Pick a hotel—Find out how much money you have to spend on lodging and see whether you have any say with the hotel accomodation. You probably won't have much time to explore the area around the hotel, so any on-site amenities, like a pool or spa, would be perfect. You might also be planning to bring along a family member or significant other on your vacation. That being said, it would be ideal if there were facilities and activities, such as tennis courts or a kids club, that they could participate in while you worked.

Be sure to research hotspots beforehand; not all hotels provide dedicated workstations or even have any idea of where you may put up a makeshift office. Make a note of possible cafes in the vicinity that have free wifi, a decent signal, or even simply a peaceful place with a wonderful view of the beach before you arrive.

Pack like an expert. The original three-day work trip has been extended to an eight-day vacation. Choosing the smaller carry-on bag instead of one medium-sized case will free up more space in your backpack, eliminating the need to wear your swimsuit under your suit. This is a simple answer to the seemingly insurmountable process of packing. If you're short on closet space, think about investing in pieces that can transition from work casual to more formal settings. This way, you can throw on a pair of heels or smart shoes for a client dinner, then hop into your sneakers for a day of exploring the city.