Business travelers are increasingly looking to tack on leisure portions to their work trips, but many are concerned with how it comes across to their employers.
These findings are part of a new study from Egencia, the Expedia-owned travel management company, on the habits of bleisure travelers.
Surveying 9,000 Egencia users, the study reveals that 74% of North American business travelers are planning or considering a bleisure trip in the next six months, compared to 87% of Asian and 68% of European travelers.
However, 20% of business travelers have skipped adding leisure time to their trips due to how it might look to their employer. Asian travelers are the most conscious of optics at 32%, followed by North American travelers at 20% and European travelers at 15%.
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Nearly one-fourth of those surveyed say proximity to the weekend – which helps lessen negative perception from employers - impacts their decision, and less than 2% have billed bleisure expenses to their companies.
The report also finds that destination is the biggest factor in determining if travelers take a bleisure trip, with 30% of North American respondents prioritizing location over 25% of European and Asian travelers.
Some 16% of business travelers cite location near family and friends as a determining factor, and sightseeing is the most popular activity for bleisure travelers.
“The insight that many business travellers have skipped bleisure trips due to employer perception reveals an opportunity for differentiation in the race for top talent,” says Wendy White, vice president of marketing at Egencia.
“With more companies today prioritizing work-life balance, it may be time to start including bleisure in your travel program to invest in employees and encourage them to make every trip count.”