Bleisure travel: How the hospitality industry can overcome challenges with smart support

The line between business and leisure travel is blurring, which has led to the emergence of a whole new travel category. The hospitality industry can gain a competitive advantage by quickly capitalizing on this trend and overcoming the challenges related to this travel form with smart support. 

Business + leisure = Bleisure

Bleisure travel is a portmanteau blending “business” and “leisure.” It’s a trend where business trips are extended to personal vacation time. As far as the business part of the trip is concerned, the employer takes care of the airfare and hotel stay. Once that’s over, the traveler takes care of the additional leisure nights and expenses. This approach not only maximizes travel efficiency but also offers an affordable way to enjoy new destinations. 

Bleisure travelers generally fall into two categories:

1. Corporate, group, or conference guests who add a few extra days for leisure after attending meetings or events
2. Business travelers with companions who extend their business trips by bringing along friends or family members

Corporate travel experiences that identify with the bleisure market are experiencing explosive growth. According to industry projections by a leading website providing data, statistics, and market research, the global bleisure travel market is expected to grow by as much as 500% by 2033. In 2024 alone, the market was valued at approximately $430 billion. 

Let’s look at some additional statistics to help paint the picture of how rapidly this category is growing and the tremendous opportunities available for the travel industry: 

• Travel frequency and duration: A website dedicated to sleep found that corporate travelers spend an average of 22 days per year on work trips, each lasting about 3.8 days.
• Regional insights: In the UK, 42% of travelers reported adding leisure days to their business trips, and in the U.S., 84% expressed a desire to integrate vacation time into their work travel — with 48% having already taken such trips in the past year. This data was captured from a strategic report by a British hospitality company.
• Industry response: About 41% of travel managers have observed a rise in requests for extended stays, while 62% of CEOs plan to increase their corporate travel budgets in the coming year.

Organizations also consider bleisure travel as a strategy to help employees avoid burnout, reduce turnover, and foster creative thinking. A 2023 trends report by a global hotel chain states that for half of American employees who feel guilty about taking time off, marrying corporate travel experiences with pleasure travel becomes a great way to unwind without guilt. 

The surge in bleisure travel is already impacting the hospitality industry, and this will only increase. Unlike business trips lasting two to three days, bleisure trips often extend to six days or more. In addition, more and more travelers are bringing their partners, friends, or family to the trip, with work being the priority for the business segment of the trip. 

This evolving trend presents a dual-edged opportunity for hospitality providers:

Exemplary customer service remains paramount for the travel and hospitality service industry. Front desk teams, support agents, and digital communication channels collectively form the guest’s first impression. 

Smart support systems, such as those providing artificial intelligence (AI) customer experiences (CX), can empower service providers to meet the unique needs of bleisure travelers by:

1. Enhancing responsiveness: With AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, inquiries and issues can be resolved in real time across voice, chat, email, and social media channels.
2. Personalizing travel experiences: Intelligent systems can analyze guest preferences to offer tailored recommendations, special offers, or room upgrades that fit both business and leisure requirements.
3. Streamlining operations: Automated support solutions help manage bookings, check-ins, and concierge services efficiently, freeing human resources to focus on high-value interactions.
4. Operational excellence: Marrying smart support systems with data-driven insights allows providers to optimize staffing, extend stays seamlessly, and maintain consistently high guest satisfaction.

TP leverages an extensive suite of capabilities that uniquely positions it to provide smart support to the hospitality industry. We enable service providers from travel sites, hotels, airlines, and others to navigate the bleisure trend with AI-driven CX, intelligent automation systems, and real-time assistance technology. 

These include:

1. Multichannel customer engagement: Offering comprehensive support across digital and traditional channels ensures guests receive timely and accurate information wherever they are.
2. Advanced analytics: TP utilizes cutting-edge analytics to monitor guest interactions, anticipate needs, and personalize services.
3. Scalable support solutions: Whether managing increased booking volumes during peak seasons or handling extended stays, TP’s flexible service models adapt to dynamic market demands.
4. Industry expertise: With deep experience in CX management, TP understands the nuances of both business and leisure travel, ensuring that every interaction is crafted to enhance guest satisfaction and loyalty.

TP’s generative AI-powered CX helps providers deliver best-in-class services by combining the precision of artificial intelligence with the human touch of customer care. This innovative approach heralds a new era where technology and empathy converge to create unparalleled customer experiences.