I still remember my last overseas work trip with endless meetings and the faint hope of squeezing in some sightseeing. By the end of the week, I’d explored nothing but meeting rooms. I decided to extend my trip by two days to experience the city. That’s when I realized, bleisure travel is the best way to travel.
Bleisure travel is the blend of business and leisure, where professionals extend their work trips to relax, explore, or experience a destination beyond meetings. It’s the perfect way to make business travel more rewarding and personally fulfilling by combining work and wanderlust.
Never heard of this term? Well, bleisure is trending, and if you want to make the most of your next business trip abroad, it’s time to pay attention. The next time you’re flying out for work, you can combine business with a little adventure and actually enjoy the city you’re visiting.
What Is Bleisure Travel and Why It’s Trending Among Indian Business Travelers
Simply put, it’s the practice of extending a business trip for leisure, adding personal days before or after your work commitments to explore the destination, enjoy local experiences, or simply unwind.
The shift from “business only” to “business + leisure” is part of a larger lifestyle change. Work cultures have evolved, corporate policies are more travel-friendly, employees are younger, and priorities are clearer.
People are not just traveling for work; they are traveling to grow and to make every mile count. This trend is gaining momentum among Indian travelers for several reasons:
1. Flexible Work Policies: More companies are allowing employees to mix work with personal travel.
2. Cost-Effective Exploration: Since flights and hotels are already booked for business, adding a day or two for leisure is economical.
3. Cultural Exposure: Traveling beyond meetings allows professionals to experience local cuisine, traditions, and attractions.
4. Recharge & Refresh: Even a short break post-meetings can boost creativity and reduce burnout.
For companies, it’s a win-win too; happier, more productive employees, and often lower travel costs if extensions are planned efficiently.
The Origins of Bleisure Travel: How It All Began
The concept of bleisure travel (blending business and leisure) isn’t brand new, but it has evolved over the last few decades. Here’s a brief overview:
1. Early 1990s – Emergence of Business Travel Focus
Business travel was primarily functional: flights, hotels, and meetings. The idea of adding personal days was informal and rare, usually for long-haul trips.
2. 2000s – Rise of Longer International Trips
As globalization grew, employees traveling overseas began to extend their trips by a day or two to explore destinations. The term “bleisure” started appearing informally in travel circles, mostly in blogs and corporate travel forums.
3. 2010s – Popularization of the Term “Bleisure”
Surveys and corporate travel studies in the 2010s highlighted that more than 40% of business travelers were extending trips for leisure. The term “bleisure” became mainstream in business travel guides and media around 2013-2014.
4. 2020s – Bleisure Becomes a Trend
With remote work flexibility, younger employees, and a focus on work-life balance, bleisure travel has grown significantly. Today, it’s a recognized segment in the travel industry, with hotels, airlines, and platforms catering specifically to this need.
In short, bleisure travel has been around in practice for decades, but it became a recognized and formalized trend only in the last few years, gaining momentum with modern work culture shifts.
5 Key Benefits of Bleisure Travel for Employees
Bleisure travel isn’t just fun; it has a lot of advantages for professionals. Here’s why extending your business trip for leisure makes sense:
1. Recharge & Reduce Burnout
Back-to-back meetings, presentations, and deadlines can drain energy fast. Adding a few leisure days allows you to step away from the work mindset, relax, and truly unwind.
Whether it’s exploring a local market, visiting landmarks, or simply enjoying a quiet cafe, these breaks help restore mental and physical energy, making you less likely to feel exhausted once you return home.
2. Enhanced Productivity
A well-rested and refreshed mind is more productive. After a short leisure break, employees often return to work with a clearer focus, sharper problem-solving skills, and heightened creativity.
Even a single day of leisure can provide enough mental reset to approach business tasks more efficiently and confidently.
3. Cultural Exposure & Learning
Bleisure travel gives employees the chance to experience local customs, cuisines, and attractions beyond hotel walls.
Immersing yourself in a new culture can inspire fresh ideas, enhance cross-cultural communication skills, and provide broader perspectives that are useful both professionally and personally.
This exposure can also help in understanding global markets better, a key advantage for professionals in multinational industries.
4. Work-Life Balance
Balancing professional commitments with personal life is critical for long-term job satisfaction.
Bleisure trips allow employees to blend work responsibilities with enjoyable experiences, giving them the sense that they are making the most of their time abroad.
This balance not only improves mood and motivation during the trip but also contributes to higher overall job satisfaction and engagement.
5. Cost-Effective Travel
One of the most practical benefits of bleisure travel is financial efficiency. Since flights, hotels, and some meals are already covered for business purposes, extending the trip for leisure days often costs much less than planning a separate vacation.
Employees can explore the city, try local experiences, and enjoy leisure activities while making the most of the pre-paid expenses, ensuring a more economical and rewarding travel experience.
5 Key Benefits of Bleisure Travel for Employers
Bleisure travel isn’t just advantageous for employees; it can also bring a lot of benefits to companies that support it. Here’s why employers should encourage the practice:
1. Increased Employee Productivity
A refreshed employee returns to work energized and focused.
When employees take a short leisure break after business commitments, they come back with renewed creativity, sharper decision-making skills, and higher efficiency, directly benefiting business outcomes.
2. Boosts Morale & Retention
Offering flexibility for bleisure travel shows that the company values work-life balance.
Employees feel recognized and cared for, which increases job satisfaction and loyalty. Happier employees are more likely to stay with the company long-term, reducing turnover costs.
3. Optimized Travel Budgets
Allowing employees to extend trips for leisure often costs less than arranging separate vacations. Companies can leverage pre-booked flights and hotel deals, making business travel more cost-effective.
4. Talent Attraction
Offering flexibility for bleisure trips signals a progressive work culture. Employees see the company as caring about their well-being, making it easier to attract high-performing talent.
5. Positive Employer Branding
Companies that promote work-life balance through bleisure travel gain a reputation as modern and employee-friendly. This enhances brand perception in the customers’ as well as the public’s eyes.
Planning the Perfect Bleisure Trip: A Financially Smart Perspective
Now, here’s where most people go wrong! They plan bleisure trips like vacations, not like extensions of a work trip. The result? Overspending, forex issues, and unnecessary stress.
A well-planned bleisure trip is all about timing, transparency, and smart forex management. Here’s how I plan mine (and how you can too):
1. Get Your Approvals Right
Always inform your company if you plan to stay back for personal reasons. Clarify which costs they’ll cover (usually flights, hotels, or business days) and which expenses will be on you. Transparency here avoids awkward surprises later.
2. Add Leisure After Work, Not Before
Add extra days after your meetings or conference. This ensures your professional commitments are completed first, letting you relax and enjoy the city without any work stress hanging over you.
3. Plan Budget Separately
Treat your leisure days as a mini-trip. Allocate funds for accommodation, food, sightseeing, and shopping. Avoid mixing these with corporate allowances or per diems, and track your spending carefully.
4. Sort Forex Before You Fly
This is the part that people underestimate the most. If you leave it to the airport counters, you’ll end up paying sky-high rates. Always exchange forex in advance from a trusted online platform like BookMyForex.
5. Use a Forex Card
Instead of relying on cash, use a forex card from BookMyForex to pay for your purchases. It helps you lock in zero markup rates and track spending via the BookMyForex app. Carry only a small amount of cash along with it for emergencies.
6. Book Leisure Accommodation Strategically
If you’re extending your hotel stay for leisure, check whether your corporate price can be continued. Many hotels offer discounts for extensions, letting you enjoy comfort without extra financial strain.
7. Factor in Extra Travel & Meals for Leisure Days
Extending your trip means extra local transport, meals, and small expenses. Estimate these costs beforehand and reload your forex card accordingly. The BookMyForex multi-currency forex card can be reloaded instantly.
8. Set a Daily Spending Limit
Set a daily spending limit on your forex card according to a daily budget for food, activities, and shopping. This keeps spending in check and helps you enjoy your trip without worrying about overspending.
9. Get Travel Insurance for Leisure Days
Corporate insurance usually covers only work-related incidents. Ensure your leisure days are covered financially to avoid paying out-of-pocket for medical emergencies or travel mishaps.
10. Choose Leisure Activities That Fit Your Budget
Plan experiences near your work location or within easy reach. Minimizing travel costs and using your prepaid forex card ensures your fun days remain enjoyable without unexpected financial strain.
A Few Challenges with Bleisure Travel
While bleisure travel offers the best of both worlds (work and leisure), it’s not without its hurdles. Balancing business commitments with personal exploration can sometimes be tricky, leading to scheduling conflicts, increased costs, or even travel fatigue.
Here are some common challenges faced by bleisure travelers:
1. Work-Life Balance Blur: Mixing business and leisure can make it hard to fully disconnect from work, reducing the relaxation aspect of the trip.
2. Tight Scheduling: Fitting client meetings, presentations, and leisure activities in a short trip often leaves little room for spontaneity.
3. Hidden Costs: Leisure add-ons like weekend stays, sightseeing, or dining out can quickly escalate the budget beyond what the company reimburses.
4. Company Policies: Not all organizations support or reimburse leisure activities during business travel.
5. Travel Fatigue: Longer trips with packed schedules can lead to exhaustion, affecting both work performance and enjoyment.
6. Shallow Destination Experience: Short breaks or extended evenings may limit authentic exploration, turning leisure into rushed sightseeing.
How to Overcome Challenges and Maximize Your Bleisure Experience
Bleisure travel comes with its hurdles, but with smart planning, you can turn potential pitfalls into smooth, memorable experiences. Here’s how to tackle common challenges while getting the most out of your trip:
1. Plan Your Schedule Wisely
Avoid cramming leisure activities around your business commitments. Prioritize key work tasks first, then slot in sightseeing, dining, or cultural experiences so you can enjoy both without stress.
2. Balance Work and Leisure
To avoid work-life blur, set boundaries: allocate specific hours for work or emails, and dedicate the rest to exploring. Even small breaks help recharge your mind and body.
3. Research Local Experiences in Advance
Identify must-see attractions, local markets, or cultural events before you land. This prevents wasted time deciding on the spot and ensures you don’t miss highlights.
4. Leverage Technology and Resources
Use travel apps, local guides, or corporate perks to make your trip smoother. Pre-book tickets, use maps for efficient navigation, and check for discounts or deals in advance.
5. Combine Networking with Leisure
Attend local events, cafes, or cultural spots with colleagues or clients. It strengthens professional relationships while letting you explore.
6. Extend Only When It Makes Sense
And finally, don’t add extra days just for the sake of it. Choose leisure days when meetings are over or during weekends to avoid work overlap and travel fatigue.
Going on a Bleisure Trip? Here’s How to Manage Your Forex
When your business trip turns into a mini-vacation, a BookMyForex prepaid forex card is your best companion. Here’s why it’s perfect for bleisure travel:
1. Zero Markup Lock-In Rates: Pay for meals, sightseeing, and local transport without losing money to high exchange rates.
2. Multi-Currency Convenience: Traveling to different countries? One card handles multiple currencies effortlessly.
3. Instant Reloads: Running low while exploring? Top up instantly via the app without any lengthy paperwork.
4. Track Expenses: Monitor all your spending in real time via the app, making budget management stress-free.
5. Set Daily Spending Limits: Use your card according to your planned daily budget for food, activities, and shopping.
About the Author
Bhawna Nijhawan is the Content Manager at BookMyForex and the go-to person for creating engaging, informative content that resonates with the platform’s diverse audience. With over 8 years of experience in content writing and more than 4 years in the forex industry, she knows exactly how to simplify complex forex topics into something everyone can relate to.
