68% find business trips more appealing when THEY can add a holiday
- Only 1 in 4 are allowed to add personal leisure time onto a business trip
- Most companies lack clear policies on ‘bleisure’ travel
Blending business with leisure – often called ‘bleisure’ where extra holiday days are added at the start or end of a business trip – is becoming increasingly popular among UK professionals, especially younger workers.
According to a new Opinium survey* of 500 UK business travellers, conducted on behalf of global travel risk management organisation World Travel Protection, 68% say business trips are more appealing when they can add some holiday time.
This feeling is particularly strong among Millennials (73%) and Gen Z (71%), compared to 58% of Gen X.
Yet despite this growing interest, only 27% of business travellers say they are able to add personal leisure time to their trips; and only one in four (24%) say their company has a clear policy or guideline on doing so.
The global bleisure travel market was worth $430 billion** in 2024, up from $394 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow 500% by 2033**.
Kate Fitzpatrick, Regional Security Director, UK, World Travel Protection says: “Bleisure trips are likely to increase as holiday prices continue to rise, along with a desire to take fewer flights. Yet despite this trend, it’s surprising that so few organisations have a clear policy on this. If something were to go wrong when away, does the member of staff have their own insurance in place or do they expect their work insurance to cover them?”
Kate continues: “It’s crucial that business travellers speak to their employers, before travel, about insurance and the support mechanisms in place, particularly if they’re planning to add some leisure time. It’s important to understand where business insurance coverage ends to know what personal leisure insurance needs to cover. In the event of a medical or security emergency, we’re here to help get travellers to safety. But if you’re injured while white-water rafting after a meeting in Croatia, or skiing post-conference in Geneva, and you’re not covered by either policy – you could end up paying out of pocket.”
