Bleisure travel moves into the mainstream of corporate travel

More professionals are extending business trips, creating new demand patterns for hotels

Bleisure travel — combining business trips with personal leisure time — has moved from a niche behavior to a widespread travel pattern among corporate travelers. Recent data compiled by Navan shows that professionals increasingly extend work trips to explore destinations, spend time with family, or simply recharge. This shift reflects broader changes in workplace culture, including flexible work policies and a stronger focus on work-life balance. For hotels, the trend is creating new opportunities to capture additional nights, increase ancillary revenue, and position properties as both business and leisure destinations.

Key takeaways

• Bleisure travel is growing rapidly: The global bleisure travel market was valued at roughly $315 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach about $731 billion by 2032, highlighting strong long-term demand for trips that combine work and leisure.
• Business travelers frequently extend trips: More than half of business travelers report taking multiple bleisure trips each year, indicating that extending work travel with personal time has become a common practice rather than an exception.
• Traveler demand is widespread: Nearly nine out of ten professionals say they want to add leisure time to business trips, and a large majority have already done so at least once.
• Work-life balance is the key driver: Many professionals now see business travel as an opportunity to combine professional obligations with personal experiences, especially when visiting attractive destinations.
• Corporate policies are adapting: Companies are gradually adjusting travel policies to accommodate bleisure trips, allowing employees to extend stays at their own expense or supporting flexible travel schedules.
• Hotels benefit from longer stays: Bleisure travelers often extend trips by two to four nights, creating additional room revenue opportunities and increased spending on dining, spa services, and local experiences.

Examples of typical bleisure trips

• Conference in Barcelona, weekend by the sea: A marketing executive attends a three-day industry conference in Barcelona and stays two extra nights to enjoy the beach and explore the city’s restaurants and museums.
• Client meetings in New York, cultural extension: A consultant travels to New York for meetings during the week and remains through the weekend to visit Broadway shows and major museums.
• Trade fair in Berlin, city break afterward: An engineer attending a trade show in Berlin adds a long weekend to explore neighborhoods, galleries, and local food markets.
• Corporate meetings in Singapore, leisure stopover: A regional sales manager schedules meetings in Singapore and extends the trip to experience the city’s culinary scene and nearby island resorts.
• Business trip to London, family joins later: A finance executive completes meetings during the week in London and has family members join for a weekend visit to the city’s historic sites.

Source: Navan

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