Bleisure Travel Is Booming — Here’s How to Turn Your Next Work Trip Into a Mini Vacation
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bleisure travel is booming; many business trips now extend into short vacations.
- 2024 research shows 54% mixed trips; 2025 index finds 42% planning bleisure.
- Set clear boundaries, verify company expense rules and pack tech and insurance.
The creation of this article included the use of AI and was edited by journalists. Read more on our AI policy here.
What if your next business trip didn’t end when the work did? That conference in Austin could include a weekend exploring the city. Your client meeting in London could extend into a few days of sightseeing. Same goes for your team retreat in Singapore that could become a mini vacation. This is what’s called bleisure travel, and it’s changing how people take work trips.
The numbers tell the story. In 2024, 54% of business travelers took at least two trips that mixed business and leisure, according to research from Navan and Skift. The Expedia 2025 Traveler Value Index found that 42% of consumers are planning bleisure travel, adding vacation time at the start or end of business trips.
So why not you?
The Appeal Is Obvious
You’re already there, which means the flight’s paid for and the hotel’s booked. Adding a weekend to explore a new city costs a fraction of planning a separate vacation, and for a lot of people, it’s the most efficient way to see the world without burning through precious PTO.
Beyond the savings, bleisure travel can improve work-life balance and reduce burnout. Turning a business district hotel into a base for exploring the city, or finally visiting that gallery you’ve bookmarked a dozen times — it adds a layer of adventure to what would otherwise be a standard work trip.
Keep in mind that company expense policies can get murky when personal days enter the picture. Time zone juggling can be exhausting, and there’s a real risk of returning home more tired than when you left if you don’t plan carefully (we’ll help you with this part).
Where Bleisure Travelers Are Heading
Not every destination works equally well for mixing work and play. Cities with strong business infrastructure tend to work best, which is why New York, London, Singapore and Tokyo have been ranked as prime destinations — they cater to both corporate and leisure travel.
What makes a great bleisure destination? Reliable Wi-Fi is a must, but so are walkable neighborhoods, good public transit and enough things to do that you won’t just spend your free time staring at your laptop.
Hotels have figured this out and adapted accordingly. Some major brands now offer programs tailored to remote workers with flexible check-in, dedicated workspaces and amenities designed for long-term stays. A lot even have coworking spaces with social atmospheres, which works whether you’re traveling solo or with your team.
Making It Work
The key to successful bleisure travel is setting clear boundaries so you know when you’re working and when you’re not. A few things that can help:
- Block your calendar ruthlessly. If you’re taking Friday afternoon through Sunday to explore, make that non-negotiable. Tell your team, set an out-of-office message and close the laptop when your workday ends.
- Communicate clearly with colleagues and clients about your availability in advance. Use calendar tools to set visible blocks for out-of-office time so everyone knows when you’re reachable and when you’re off exploring.
- Check your company’s expense policy before you book anything, since some employers are fine covering the business portion of extended stays while others have strict cutoff dates.
- Review your travel insurance. Coverage can get complicated when trips blend purposes, so read the fine print or call your provider.
Pack a portable charger (Mophie) and a portable Wi-Fi hotspot just in case of unreliable internet, download a VPN like NordVPN for secure connections on hotel Wi-Fi and keep your project management tools accessible on your phone so you can handle any urgent issues without scrambling. Some other helpful items to take could be noise-canceling headphones, a laptop stand and a travel adapter if you’re traveling internationally.
What’s Next for Bleisure Travel
The line between business and leisure travel will keep blurring as more people embrace remote work. Remote work isn’t going anywhere, and neither is the desire to see more of the world without burning through PTO.
The shift is changing how hotels design rooms, how cities market themselves and how companies think about travel policies. For travelers willing to plan ahead and set clear boundaries, it’s a chance to get more out of every trip without sacrificing productivity or sanity.
Your next work trip could end with a client dinner, or it could end with a sunset hike, a local food tour or a lazy morning in a café you’d never have discovered otherwise.
The flight’s already booked. So why not stay a little longer?
Helpful Resources for Booking and Managing Bleisure Travel
- Booking platforms: Booking.com, Expedia, Kayak
- Coworking spaces: WeWork, Regus, Selina
- Travel insurance: World Nomads, Allianz Travel
- Digital nomad visas: Reference Nomad List for up-to-date visa options and requirements.
This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 1:49 PM.
