Like mixing business & pleasure? Then you’re a ‘bleisure’ lover

Yep, that’s right, someone’s coined a term for the increasingly popular practice of mixing business travel with personal breaks.

Boffins from the University of East London reckon they’ve spotted a new trend for breaking out of the ‘business travel bubble’, Christening the new concept ‘bleisure’, and asserting that it can increase productivity and wellbeing.

We’re not sure on that word either. But key stats from the university’s survey of business travellers conducted at London City Airport include:

• 78% believe that being able to take part in bleisure travel increases their well-being when they return to work
• 61% said that bleisure travel contributes to increased productivity
• Only 36% have extended their business trip to engage in leisure activities
• 71% said their employer does not actively promote leisure travel before or after business trips

The findings counterbalance previous analysis, which pointed to negative effects of business travel including feeling tired, disorientated, or guilty about asking their employer for leisure time.

The main leisure activities cited were food and drink, sightseeing, culture and history, and visiting friends and relatives. 54% of travellers were joined by family members or significant others during their bleisure trip.

Birte Schmitz, co-author of the report and Lecturer in Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of East London, said:
“There’s a great opportunity here for urban business destinations and London City Airport to promote leisure and tourism activities along passenger’s journeys, to help them unlock the benefits to well-being and productivity fellow passengers say they feel.”

Dr. Nazia Ali, co-author of the report and Senior Lecturer in Event and Leisure Management, University of East London, said;
“The research highlights the importance of bleisure as a contributing factor to productivity and well-being in the work place, thus recognising the benefits of bleisure trips to business travellers. These benefits of bleisure include positive mind-set when returning to work, sharing of positive experiences with colleagues, and contribution to a work-life balance.”