Shifted mindsets toward work-life balance have made event profs want to combine their business travel with leisure—“bleisure.”
French-based hospitality giant Accor operates more than 5,000 locations—including Fairmont, Sofitel, Mondrian, SLS, M Gallery, and so many more hotel brands—in 110-plus countries around the world. Thus, it only makes sense that the execs at Accor, including chief sales and distribution officer Markus Keller, are uniquely positioned to have their fingers on the pulse of the hospitality industry, including travel and business tourism trends.
One thing BizBash knows for sure is
“bleisure” travel is on the rise (we even heard so at Accor’s Global Meeting Exchange in San Francisco back in July). The relatively new concept combines the concepts of business and leisure travel, with professionals wanting to attend a conference, but also wanting to bring their loved ones along with flexibility in the itinerary to relax, explore, and have family time. Perhaps the growing popularity of bleisure travel is a result of the pandemic shifting mindsets about the workforce, or maybe because it’s cost effective for travelers.
To get the lowdown on the travel trend, we’ve turned to the pro, Keller. He’s been with Accor since 2004 and held front line, senior management, and corporate positions in Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and now Paris.
Keep reading to find out what bleisure means for the hospitality, travel, meetings, and events industries, plus what companies encouraging MICE travel can do about it…
What does the word “bleisure” mean to you?
Bleisure is the blending of business and leisure travel. People travel differently now—they leave home on Wednesday night and come back on Tuesday morning, giving them the full ability to work from a hotel or co-working space on Thursday, Friday, and Monday while taking advantage of the trip to enjoy the weekend.
Why do you think bleisure travel has risen in popularity so much recently?
Guest expectations have changed dramatically over recent years, with the need for alternatives to the traditional workplace setting being greatly accelerated by COVID. This has created a stronger desire for more authentic, personalized, and sustainable experiences that can be experienced not only far from home but also within local communities close to nature, and to the places where individuals live and work.
Domestic leisure travel has increased notably as changing work cultures and new modes of productive working have allowed people greater flexibility and the opportunity to work in different settings. This trend now sees people frequently commuting a few hours from home to discover new cities and locations where they can experience living as a local [with new] cultures, environments, and foods as part of their work week. This all needs to be facilitated and guided by hospitality providers who can instill guests with the confidence and inspiration to try new ways of working.
SOURCE: BizBash.com
