As the line between work and life continues to blur, Travelers (particularly Millennials and Gen Z) continue to embrace bleisure travel as well—and Travel Managers can leverage this trend to improve event attendance.
Bleisure travel is nothing new at all. Nearly a decade ago, travel publications were discussing the growing trend of Travelers using business trips as an excuse to enjoy a bit of leisure travel while in a new destination. However, one trend in bleisure travel’s orbit is relatively new. More and more organizations and Travel Managers are using bleisure travel to their advantage, harnessing its popularity to improve event attendance.
Key Takeaways
- Travelers are likely already engaging in bleisure travel when traveling for events.
- Combining bleisure with MICE travel can increase satisfaction, engagement and attendance.
- Increasing bleisure travel around events requires picking event dates and locations that are attractive to Travelers, as well as making the booking process as convenient as possible.
Why Bleisure Around Events Makes Sense
Bleisure travel is already taking place in correlation with events and conferences. According to a report published by Meetings & Incentive Travel, nearly 70% of bleisure trips start as a business trip for a conference. If you don’t think that your team’s Travelers are engaging in bleisure travel, you may just not be in the know. One study found that about a quarter of surveyed Travelers engage in bleisure travel by bringing a family member or friend along for work trips — and they simply don’t tell their boss.
At this point, the only thing left to do is for companies to recognize the benefits of integrating bleisure travel into their MICE planning, in order to improve event attendance. If you do so, the benefits will be myriad, both for Travelers and event planners.
As an IBTM World article on the subject noted, Travelers who attend a conference and then extend their trip for several days after the fact, to enjoy the destination, may be more engaged. They’re not thinking about having to hurry home after their last meeting. They can relax, enjoy the event, and look forward to bleisure time afterward.
Additionally, the article noted, if you’re planning recurring events that always take place in the same destination, encouraging Travelers to enjoy bleisure travel as part of that experience can deepen their connection to the destination. This improves their chances of attending the event again in the future.
Lastly, the article argued, bleisure travel tacked onto MICE travel can also be seen as a way to make business travel more sustainable. Travelers aren’t necessarily booking the fastest, cheapest travel options. Plus, if their bleisure trip replaces a personal trip that they would’ve taken anyway, then they’re essentially cutting their travel emissions in half.
In short, combining bleisure travel with event travel leads to happier, more satisfied Travelers, while increasing event engagement and attendance.
Strategies to Improve Event Attendance Through Bleisure Integration
Trying to improve event attendance through bleisure integration is more complicated than merely saying something along the lines of, “Feel free to combine your trip for the event with a leisure trip.” You’ll need to think about various factors throughout the event planning process to make that bleisure element more attractive to Travelers.
1. Schedule your event accordingly.
Think about how your Travelers might extend their trip before or after an event, most easily, when picking your event dates. For example, if a conference takes place from Monday through Wednesday, then that makes it convenient for Travelers to enjoy leisure travel from Thursday through Sunday. However, a Tuesday–Friday conference might make a trip extension for leisure purposes less desirable.
Beyond days of the week, also think about the time of the year. Scheduling your event for a destination’s shoulder season will allow Travelers to extend their trips more affordably.
2. Think about venue proximity.
Does your venue make it easy for Travelers to book a single hotel for their entire trip, both the business and leisure aspects? Will they be able to travel to the venue with ease, as well as to nearby attractions, after the event is over? Make it as simple as possible for Travelers to be where they actually want to be.
In addition to venue proximity, likewise consider your venue location overall. Are you headed to a destination that Travelers actually want to visit? Is it a destination that’s popular for leisure travel, with lots to enjoy beyond the convention center?
3. Clarify your travel policy.
When building out your travel policy with bleisure travel in mind, allow for flexible travel dates. Clarify your reimbursement rules and how you’ll reimburse a blended trip, as well as when Duty of Care will start and end. Additionally, make it so that Travelers can book both their business and leisure travel, all while using one platform. The more convenient it is to plan their trip, the more likely a Traveler will be to take it.
Tips for Success
Once you begin attempting to increase event attendance by pairing events with bleisure travel, keep a close eye on your data so you can gauge what’s working and what’s not. Use internal surveys to monitor bleisure uptake, Traveler satisfaction and reduced burnout. Of course, event attendance will also be telling.
Additionally, ensure that all employees have equal access to bleisure opportunities, regardless of their role and location.
Incorporate Bleisure Travel into Your Event Strategy
Allowing Travelers to enjoy bleisure extensions when traveling for events isn’t just a nice employee perk. It’s a strategy that you can use to increase event attendance. However, you’ll want to take care when planning your events to ensure that bleisure uptake occurs.
As you plan for 2026, evaluate your event travel strategy and consider how you can integrate bleisure travel. Need help? Get in touch with JTB Business Travel now.
