If you’re one of the lucky ones, you “have to” travel to Barcelona, London or Prague on a business trip. Why not add a few days off at the end? We can tell you what to keep in mind.
Successful travel policies today strike a balance between cost savings and keeping travelers happy. The reason? Happy travelers are more likely to book within program and avoid unnecessary business expenses. So how does a company keep its travelers happy?
One effective path to winning over your travelers is allowing bleisure trips. Bleisure is the name given to the practice of allowing travelers to add a leisure trip to the beginning or end of a business trip. This term is a combination of the words Business and Leisure.
Research shows that work life balance and travel policies are increasingly important to today’s workforce—for some, even more important than compensation. Younger workers also place higher value in experiences than in things. As a result, many see business travel less as an obligation than as an opportunity. If you “have to” go on a business trip, and the flight’s been paid for already, why not take a vacation day to leisurely explore the city before returning home?
The key here? Transparency
The first and most important rule of planning a business trip is transparency. If you intend spend extra days at your business destination or if you’re traveling with a companion, get approval according to your company’s policy. Be prepared to cover any additional costs that extending your trip may incur. , an inbound flight from a business-focused city might be cheaper at the weekend than during the week. So, it’s worth comparing prices.
Bleisure in the travel guidelines
Your company’s travel guidelines may already outlines processes for bleisure travel, including what expenses can be charged as travel expenses and which ones travelers are personally responsible for. Clear rules make bleisure trips easier for everyone involved and can make employees feel good if the travel guidelines actively offers the option.
