How to Appeal to Today’s Bleisure Travelers

Boost revenue by attracting business travelers who want to add leisure travel to their trip.

“Bleisure travelers,” guests traveling on business who add leisure and vacation activities to their trips, are becoming increasingly common. By combining business with pleasure, these guests make what’s also called a “bizcation” out of a routine business trip, adding in at least a couple of days or longer for relaxation and exploration.

“The rise of bleisure opens up the possibility of business travel guests extending their stays in hotels, and subsequently spending more money over the duration of their trip,” according to hospitality software company Revfine. “The bleisure phenomenon is a potentially lucrative market, which is growing and likely to become a greater focus for those in the hotel industry in the months and years ahead.”

A majority of bleisure travelers surveyed (91 percent) stayed at hotels for both the business and leisure portions of their trips, and 81 percent stayed at a hotel for the leisure portion,” according to a press release on bleisure travel from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

“Additionally, 82 percent of business travelers stayed at the same place for both the business and leisure portion of their trip on their most recent bleisure trip,” says the GBTA. “Gen-X and Baby Boomer travelers are more likely to stay at the same place for both portions of the trip than Millennials as they are high-frequency travelers.

The most common reasons for staying at the same place or hotel include:

• Convenience (71 percent)
• Location (57 percent)
• Price (48 percent)

“For those who chose to change locations, the top reasons were the same, but in a different order: location (49 percent), price (42 percent) and convenience (38 percent),” according to the GBTA.

“Bleisure travel – the combination of business and leisure travel – is growing and this has led to heightened interest from the hotel industry itself, with hotels looking to appeal to bleisure travelers,” says Revfine.

Here are five ways your hotel can attract and encourage bleisure travelers to add bizcation nights to their stay.

1. Offer up-to-date technologies

Whether traveling for business, pleasure or a combination of both, guests appreciate technology that makes their trip and stay easier.

Examples of technologies that appeal to bizcationers are “smart” devices like smart speakers, smart hubs such as Alexa, Amazon Echo and Siri and being able to enjoy contactless check-ins, check-outs and restaurant payments, according to Revfine.

2. Premium, high-speed Wi-Fi

Business travelers want reliable, high-speed internet service that allows them to get work done quickly on their laptops. But bleisure travelers also need high-speed internet service to book sightseeing, find places to explore in the city, learn about the culture and make additional travel plans.

3. Work with corporate travel agents

“Working with corporate travel agents could be one way to boost the number of bleisure travelers you are able to attract, as these travel agents specialize in arranging business trips and planning business events for their clients,” says Revfine.

“Similarly, you should think about the global distribution systems you use, where they are popular, and where the bleisure travelers you are hoping to appeal to are most likely to come from.”

4. Promote “bleisure” amenities

Showcasing both your hotel’s business and leisure activities makes your property especially appealing to bleisure travelers. In fact, seeing all the amenities available could even sway business travelers who hadn’t previously considered making their trip a bizcation.

Make sure you showcase leisure amenities like the pool, spa, sauna, fitness center, local sightseeing and nearby bike rental stations in addition to promoting your hotel’s meeting and event areas,  high-speed internet, device charging ports and other business traveler amenities, suggests Revfine.

5. Offer bleisure travel packages

To attract bleisure travelers, actively promote bleisure travel packages on your hotel website and social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and others, advises Revfine.

Examples of bleisure packages include offering business travelers a discount on additional nights and tickets for local tours and/or entertainment, restaurant and events.

“You might also highlight bleisure possibilities on your corporate website, advertise bleisure offers in pre-stay emails and include customer testimony from bleisure travelers on social media platforms,” says Revfine.