The Rise of 'Bleisure' & Sustainable Travel

With the rise of ‘bleisure’ travel after the pandemic, the hospitality industry is experiencing a reinvention of travel, with 76% of travellers prioritising sustainability when choosing where to stay next. In honour of Earth Day, we're exploring the trend of combining business and leisure, along with how hotels can leverage this new trend to both benefit their business and the environment.?

What is 'Bleisure'?

The concept of ‘bleisure’ refers to the combination of business and leisure, where travellers extend their work stay to explore their destination and immerse themselves in the local culture.?

This trend was embraced by 89% of travellers planning to add personal time to their business travel back in 2022, and it’s clear why! By mixing leisure activities with business travel, 'bleisure' promotes a better work-life balance. In light of this, travellers are opting for accommodation with in-room workspaces so they can work productively before taking some time to unwind and explore their surroundings. 'Bleisure' can also promote deeper cultural connections with their destination, benefitting the local economy.

On top of an enriched travel experience, 'bleisure' is considered a "strategic decision to help deliver a more sustainable travel program". By promoting longer stays, it reduces travellers’ carbon footprint as they’re less inclined to make additional trips for leisure - ‘bleisure’ achieves both goals at the same time.

Leveraging 'Bleisure' & Sustainability

Introducing and promoting ‘bleisure’ facilities at your hotel can yield several benefits for the hospitality industry that are also more sustainable, such as:

Hotel destination showcasing

In the case of working travellers, it’s likely they don’t have the time to research their destination before they go there. Since their travel and accommodation costs are typically covered by their employer, they are more inclined to indulge in leisure activities. This provides hotels with the opportunity to promote their sustainability initiatives. Hotels can guide guests towards eco-friendly activities and local attractions that emphasise conservation efforts that satisfy travellers’ desire to travel more sustainably whilst also enhancing their experience at your facility.?

Off-peak business boosts

As already mentioned, 'bleisure' travellers extend their work trips, they also tend to stay at the same destination each time they travel. With this in mind, hotels can offer targeted incentives such as exclusive discounts for extended stays, whilst also promoting amenities that cater to both business and leisure needs to attract a wider audience. This not only helps to boost guest retention and loyalty through specialised experiences, but longer stays means higher occupancy rates!

This Earth Day, it's clear that there are numerous opportunities for the? hospitality sector? to promote environmentally friendly travel with the emergence of "bleisure." By embracing these trends, hotels are not only meeting travellers' needs but are also promoting environmental responsibility.