The hospitality industry is ever-changing, with trends and patterns that come and go. Lately, we're seeing travel numbers get back up to pre-pandemic levels, the rise of international travel, and a new player: the "bleisure" traveler.

What is “bleisure”?

This new buzzword in the hospitality industry implies the combination of business travel with leisure travel: come for business, stay for leisure. 

Say a business professional has a conference in Miami, but wants to make sure they get to see the city—they might stay for two nights in the Brickell neighborhood at a hotel and attend the conference, then book an Airbnb in Miami Beach for the weekend for dining, beaching, and boating. 

The “bleisure” phenomenon started pre-pandemic, but seems to be peaking after travel was impacted globally over the past few years. According to a survey from Hilton Hotels & Resorts, seven out of 10 business travelers ages 25-30 want to extend work trips for mini vacations.

Skift, a leading news organization for the hospitality industry, says “the line between leisure and work has never been so blurred.” 

Whether it’s a work trip that’s packed with leisure activities or a personal decision to bookend a trip with remote work, this way of traveling is on the rise.

What does it mean for the industry?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, travel was 70% business and 30% leisure. Now, it’s flipped to 90% leisure and 10% business. 

While the jury’s still out on whether or not it will go back to the way it was, hotels should be focusing on how to accommodate the “bleisure” traveler. This can look like a variety of different things—from incentivizing longer stays to hosting activities for retreats.

To adjust to this trend in hospitality, mainstream tour operators like Germany’s Tui are rolling out “workcation” packages, which inspire families to extend their vacation by adding a week on either side of the trip for remote work. 

Others, like the apartment booking platform Ukio, are envisioning new crossovers between work and leisure travel: they now reward their staff with long-term stays across their properties, within a short distance of local offices. 

While it may seem that travelers would pick different accommodations for business vs. personal travel, research shows that the majority of “bleisure” travelers stay at the same place for both portions of the trip. This presents an opportunity for properties to provide service that not only accommodates these all-in-one guests, but an experience to remember and come back to.

Communicating offerings 

To incentivize travelers to stay in the same place on their “bleisure” adventure, hotels need to give them a reason they can’t say no to. Start by offering discounted rates for an extended stay, complimentary drinks, or a free breakfast.

Getting the word out can be the easiest part—with top hospitality guest messaging systems like Kipsu, an “outreach” feature reaches all current guests at the touch of a button. Properties can also individualize offerings through digital messaging channels.

Texting for hotels also allows teams to notify guests about local happenings and activities in the area—this helps travelers save planning time. Four out of five bleisure travelers spend five hours researching what to do once they’re done with their business trip—save them that time by sending a message about an art fair coming up, a local movie theater, or concert in the park. 

Whether it’s considering the family or whipping up a quick local itinerary, there’s lots of ways hotels can keep business travelers on for the leisure portion of their trip using guest messaging for hospitality. Learn how hotel texting services like Kipsu can help or schedule a conversation with the team today!

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