Business Travelers Often Pair Vacations With Work

This year, 40% of Americans plan to take a business trip, and nearly half of those travelers plan to turn their trip into a leisure trip—a blend of business and leisure travel—according to a new report from Howdy. While only 30% of American workers know the term bleisure, most business travelers (56%) are going on a work trip to a place they’d consider a vacation destination. Additionally, for 19% of American workers, a bleisure trip is the only way they can afford a vacation.

Moreover, most Americans (68%) would be more attracted to a job that encourages bleisure travel, and 85% think jobs should offer a “free day” on a work trip to encourage bleisure. Further, the survey found that most (64%) think bleisure creates a better work life balance.

Most Americans (60%) also prefer bleisure to workcations or traveling to a vacation destination but working while there to save paid time off (PTO). Still, nearly a quarter (24%) plan to take a workcation in 2024.

This year, U.S. workers are forecast to:

• Add four PTO days to their work trips for leisure.
• Spend $3,900 on their PTO.
• Stay in the same lodging as the work portion of their trip (67%).

The top benefits of bleisure that Americans cited include relaxation after a work trip, lower cost vacation, fewer details to plan, less PTO used for travel time, new destination exploration, and addressing job burnout.

Bleisure is especially popular amongst the oldest and youngest workers: 63% of Baby Boomers and 68% of Gen Z are planning a bleisure trip, while only 44% of millennials and 48% of Gen X are doing the same.

Last year, 41% traveled for work with the vast majority domestic travel (80%), compared to 14% for international and domestic travel and 6% for only international travel. Last year, 17% said they don’t believe their company covered all necessary expenses, while 32% said they spent more while traveling for work because it’s “on the company dime.” Additionally, one in five U.S. workers ditched a portion of the work trip for tourism/relaxation, with Gen Z being the generation most likely to do so—followed by millennials and Gen X.

On average, U.S. workers were given 18 days of PTO per year, but the average PTO taken per year is 15 days. Workers take an average of two vacations per year, while 22% feel guilty taking time off from work.