Turn Business Travel into an Adventure

Too many people fall into a routine on business trips and are missing out on an incredible opportunity to explore the destinations they visit.

You know the routine. Another business trip. First, you break the news to your spouse or significant other, anticipating the look of disdain that will follow. Then you pull out that suitcase, wondering if this time a cranky gate attendant will make you check it because it doesn’t actually fit into that tiny little sizer in front of the jet bridge. “Do you know how many times I have taken this bag on planes?” Now it’s time to pack. You add your destination to your phone weather app to determine which suits to pack, start counting out underwear and socks to make sure you have enough, and with whatever little space you have left, you have some decisions to make. What if I go out to dinner? What if the hotel has a gym? Never mind that I hardly use the gym at home… I might go at the hotel. Not.

Business travel can be tiring. Normally you end up doing twice the amount of work as you would at the office because you spend the whole day in meetings or at conference sessions, and there is only so much you can keep up with the daily barrage of emails on your phone without being rude. At the end of the day you end up back in your hotel, which, if you hadn’t seen the name on the building you probably wouldn’t know what brand it was. But hey they have free artificial powder eggs on the buffet in the morning so who cares right? Get to the room, connect to wifi and start cleaning up that inbox.

I think too many people are missing out on an amazing opportunity to explore the destinations they visit during business travel. It took me too long to learn this lesson, but every single business trip is an opportunity to explore. I took this photo while on a recent trip to Spain. Sure I could have just ordered another Caesar salad from room service and worked in my room, but instead I found a local market with free wifi and took in some of the local food and culture. I just spent these last 2 weeks in Bogota, Colombia and it is truly an amazing city with some fantastic neighborhoods, restaurants and street markets. Who knew?

These days with apps like Tripadvisor, Yelp and Aroundme, it is relatively easy to discover all kinds of places depending on your tastes, no matter where you are traveling. Sometimes though, I find that the best source of information is the people you are visiting who know the hidden local gems that may not have been discovered yet by the smartphone-wielding masses. Some of you might be thinking, “But my travels don’t take me to cool destinations like Spain or Colombia.” Small towns across the US have amazing local food and experiences. Take just two hours out of your trip to go out and explore something. Not only will it make your business travels a lot more enjoyable, it’s a great conversation starter at your meetings. People appreciate that you took the time to get to know something about where they live.

Lastly, if your company travel policy allows it, try to stay in an independent hotel. I know that you point junkies out there will have a tough time with this, but it really does make your travel experience more interesting and authentic. Just be sure to check on the reliability of the wifi before you book.

Oh, one more thing. Make sure to bring a little something home for your spouse or significant other, so that when they call you and you happen to be out enjoying a nice local meal, you don’t come home to find the locks have been changed. Happy traveling! Click Here to follow me and my business travels on Instagram.