Over the last two years, Bleisure has been in the news. A whole new segment with business travellers are increasingly combining business with leisure.
New buzzwords like Bleisure introduce a lot of excitement into an area that seems relatively predictable. But is it really a new segment?
So what follows is always an interesting investigation. There is a lot of effort to figure out what it means, how it works and how one can benefit from it. And there are usually further mutations – Bizzcation for an example.
(By the way, I discovered from a friend who was in Colorado recently that the hotel industry is “buzzing” there – they include weedcation, bud & breakfast and green tours.)
Most of us would agree that Bleisure is a pretty awful word. Pullman by Accor maybe responsible for coming up with it? Anyway, that is really not the point.
Now that two years have passed, what is the truth of Bleisure travel? Is it a real segment? And is there a targeted approach to address them? Or is it just that we have a better understanding of what a business traveller wants?
My conclusion:
This is no new market segment. It is a recognition of an ongoing evolution in traveller needs. There are increasingly blurred lines between work and play that represent the modern traveller.
So instead of focusing on it as a new segment, learning from travellers choices and preferences is critical. And then to continually adapt products and services.
Make no mistake though, the discussion on Bleisure is extremely relevant as it focuses our attention on the needs of the traveller. This is the driving force. Hotels that adapt and cater and promote to the mixed needs of their core audience will reach business travellers, bleisurer’s or bizzcationers or anyone else!
Hotels tend to over rely on technology solutions and distribution channels. In the fast changing travel marketplace replete with shared economy solutions, hotels will do much better by looking at the big picture. Understanding customer preferences is key (one of the reasons for the succes of the travel marketplace companies like Air BnB at the cost of hotels). Then create a customer proposition with the right elements and market it through relevant channels.
Here are articles that provide some additional perspectives:
Look out for the Citizen M perspective on their approach to this trend. This is what I believe is the approach that hotels should be taking in this fast paced environment.
Targeting the New Bleisure (Business and Leisure) Traveler
‘Blurring’, or the gradual intermingling of professional and personal activities, is a global trend that is transforming the organization of private and work lives.
Hotels Respond to Blurring of Business and Leisure Travel
When a business traveler incorporates personal vacation days into a work trip, some would say they’re enjoying a bizcation. Others prefer the term bleisure to describe the mixing of business and leisure travel. Either way, it’s a rising trend in business.
The Trends Behind The Rise of Bleisure Travel
One of the travel trends that have been increasing in popularity over the past few years is the merging of business and leisure travel.
Save Money By Combining Business And Leisure Travel
Taking a bleisure trip doesn’t always mean flying solo. According to Skift more than half of those who do bring family or a significant other along.
Bleisure travelers: A new tribe injects fun into business trips
What do you get when you mix business and leisure travel? The growing trend of bleisure travel (aka, bizcations) isn’t just taking time out from a business trip to relax; but rather, it’s the act of rolling business trips and vacations into one.
Travel Trend Report: The Rise of the “Bleisure” Traveler
It’s no wonder companies such as Airbnb are crossing over from a leisure focus to gain more traction with business travelers, where growth opportunities are not only mind-boggling, they are also very real.
