US: New research from Expedia has revealed 60 per cent of corporate travellers extend their trips to add some leisure activities.
The study underlines the bleisure phenomenon that is seeing an increasing blending of business and leisure travel. Expedia commissioned the multi-national study that was conducted by Luth Research and covered American, British, Chinese, German, and Indian travellers
The results of the Unpacking Bleisure Traveler Trends report were released yesterday at the annual Phocuswright Europe conference in Amsterdam.
It found bleisure travelers take more than six business trips per year, and more than 60 per cent of business trips during the last year were extended for leisure purposes.
In the US, bleisure travel conversion is consistent with the multi-national average of 60 per cent, representing an almost 40 per cent increase in American bleisure travel since 2016. The study found 72 per cent of respondents said there are destinations they have visited or will visit in the future for business that they would like to extend for bleisure,
Fifty-six per cent said they are more likely to consider a bleisure trip in a destination with great food and restaurants, closely followed by 50 per cent influenced by beaches, weather, nature, historical monuments or sightseeing.
Andrew van der Feltz, senior director, EMEA & APAC at Expedia Group Media Solutions, said: “The study provides a deeper look at the influences and motivations of the growing and valuable bleisure audience, and the actionable insights will empower marketers to strategically target and convert these travellers within the condensed research and booking window. By showcasing unique experiences and activities, which are influential factors during the decision-making process, every destination, hotel, restaurant, attraction, airline, and more, can entice business travellers to extend their trip for leisure.”
