Bleisure travel at a crossroads

Once a pandemic-driven growth area, blended business-leisure trips now face pressure from stricter work schedules

Hotels are watching closely as return-to-office mandates reshape travel behavior. The pandemic fueled a surge in “bleisure” trips, with travelers extending stays and blending work with leisure. But as companies push employees back to their desks, the question is whether this trend will endure or retreat to pre-pandemic norms.

Key takeaways

• Shift in peak travel days: Traditional midweek corporate travel slowed, while Thursday and shoulder nights gained occupancy.
• Longer stays: Remote work flexibility allowed travelers to extend trips, but this may tighten as office mandates increase.
• Return-to-office effect: Hybrid work cut into business travel, and while some recovery is visible, mandates could reverse bleisure gains.
• Domestic reliance: Hotels saw strong summer demand from Canadians staying local, but cross-border travel is still well below 2024 levels.
• Future uncertain: Hoteliers agree it’s too early to know if bleisure demand will prove resilient or fade as corporate routines normalize.

Get the full story at the Financial Post