Work and business trips have been a fact of American working life for a long time. While perhaps the glamor of midcentury America has waned, that doesn’t mean that contemporary American workers don’t know how to have a good time anymore. When work takes you to a destination you’d like to relax in, why not extend your business trip and embrace mixing business and leisure?
“Bleisure” travel — or business and leisure travel, blended travel, etc.— is catching on as business travel continues to bounce back since 2020. For some workers, it’s a cheaper vacation, and for others, it combats burnout.
To see how American workers feel about bleisure, and how many are engaging in bleisure in 2024, we surveyed over 1,000 full-time employees across the U.S.
2024 Bleisure travel trends
Bleisure might be a new portmanteau, or combination of two words — only about 30% of workers were familiar with the term – but many more are already on board. When we polled workers about traveling for work, half of the 2 in 5 workers traveling for business in 2024 were planning a bleisure trip. This might be partially because over half of traveling workers are going to a destination they’d consider for a vacation anyway!
Another popular phenomenon is the “‘workcation,” in which workers plan a vacation that includes working on the trip and the destination is their choice. About 1 in 4 workers are planning on a workcation to save PTO this year. When asked their preference between the two, 60% preferred bleisure over workcations.
Bleisure is especially popular amongst the oldest and youngest workers: 63% of Baby Boomers and a whopping 68% of Gen Z are planning a bleisure trip, while only 44% of Millennials and 48% of Gen X are doing the same.
For those planning a bleisure trip, they will spend an average of $3,900 on their trip and take 4 PTO days. Most — 67% — are planning on staying in the same lodging as the work portion of their trip. Benefits these workers look forward to include relaxation, a cheaper vacation, fewer details to work out, and less PTO used for traveling. Not to mention the excitement of exploring a new destination and addressing work burnout.
Top benefits of bleisure travel
Bleisure travel brings many benefits to the workplace, including a more cosmopolitan outlook: 3 in 4 employees surveyed would be more willing to work with international teams if there were greater opportunities for bleisure travel.
Many also cite the lower cost of bleisure. Roughly 1 in 5 say they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford a vacation, and 64% feel bleisure brings a greater sense of work-life balance. So much so that over 2 in 3 would be more attracted to jobs that encouraged bleisure travel. Many think their companies should offer a ‘free day’ on a work trip to encourage bleisure as well.
The state of business trips and PTO in 2024
Business travel is on the rise after a lull during the COVID-19 pandemic; 41% of full-time American workers have traveled for work in the last year. 80% of their travel destinations have been domestic, while 14% were a mix of international and domestic, and 6% were international.
Workers traveled for business an average of twice in the last year; of these, 1 in 5 have ditched a portion of the work trip for tourism and/or relaxation. This trend is most popular among Gen Zers, with 1 in 4 opting to skip work, while only 12% of Baby Boomers ditched work for play.
While most workers enjoyed travel benefits and business expense categories like round trip airfare, lodging, a food stipend, taxi stipend, and/or travel insurance, 17% still don’t think their companies cover all necessary expenses.
Some also willingly test boundaries: nearly 1 in 3 have spent more money traveling for work because they know it’s “on the company dime.” When we prompted respondents to list the most extravagant purchase, the vast majority cited an expensive dinner, but other highlights include “multiple margaritas,” “300 CDs,” and “a Gucci bag worth $1,500.”
We also asked workers about PTO in 2024. Full-time employees in America receive an average of 18 days of PTO and take an average of 15. This results in an average of two vacations a year, though 22% of workers feel guilty taking time off work. 32% extended a past work trip with PTO, and many hope companies will encourage them to embrace the vacation: 89% think their company should offer a travel stipend.
5 Bleisure travel ideas in Latin America
Our business is in connecting U.S. companies to top-tier talent in Latin America, and as such we’ve spent a lot of time in Central and South America in our Howdy Houses– but also exploring the best these beautiful places have to offer. Here are 5 bleisure ideas in Latin America that will make your work trip more fun than a vacation:
Meetings and the Mercado del Rio in Medellín
Medellín, Colombia, is a city in transformation, it is a South American capital for tech and innovation, and a magnet for globetrotting digital nomads. Enjoy working in this vibrant city and then explore Medellín’s Mercado del Rio, a 5,000-square-foot food hall featuring cuisine from dozens of countries.
Tech and tango in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina, known as the “Paris of the South,” is a global capital and tech hub. Meet a new employee or have a vibrant company retreat and end your days with the tango, a world-famous Argentinian dance. We recommend La Viruta, a tango school that caters to tourists and porteños alike.
Business meetings and a secret beach in Florianópolis
Florianopólis, Brazil, is a beachy island 500 miles south of Rio de Janeiro. If this description isn’t enough, it sports hiking trails, swimming holes, and even a secret beach — not to mention some of the top tech talent in Brazil.
Build a website and grab brews in Montevideo
Sip some mate (a caffeinated herbal tea) and build a website from the capital city Montevideo, Uruguay, and discover just how easy it is to hit the beach after work. Featuring aforementioned beaches as well as a beautiful city center, Montevideo is perfect for the bleisure traveler who enjoys long walks after work or during their lunch break.
Mountains and meet-and-greets in Santiago
In Santiago, Chile, you don’t need to choose between mountains and ocean, because the city has both. Located between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Santiago is trending as a tech hub with many unicorn startups. Plug into the tech scene and then wander the Parque Bicentenario, filled with greenery, lagoons, and stunning views of the mountains next door.
Methodology and Fair Use
In April 2024 we surveyed 1,013 full-time American workers on their thoughts around business and leisure travel. 50% were men, 49% were women, and 1% were nonbinary. Ages ranged from 20 to 77 with an average age of 40.
For media inquiries, please contact media@digitalthirdcoast.net
Fair Use
When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing Howdy.
