The days of back-to-back meetings and little else are being replaced by a new model of corporate travel: bleisure. Once a niche indulgence, the blending of business and leisure has now become a defining trend across global mobility.
Industry forecasts suggest the bleisure market could be worth £3.5 trillion by 2033, powered by flexible working cultures and a growing appetite for meaningful travel. For today’s professionals, the value of a trip is no longer measured only in contracts signed, but in experiences gained along the way.
Business travellers increasingly expect curated itineraries that balance professional duties with lifestyle enrichment. A trade fair in Milan might end with a private gallery tour, while a client meeting in California could be followed by a weekend wellness retreat. These aren’t optional extras—they’re becoming core parts of the journey.
Boutique travel firms are at the forefront, crafting packages that weave together corporate efficiency and cultural depth.
Technology is driving the shift. AI-powered platforms now predict traveller preferences, apps streamline bookings, and mobile concierge services make transitions seamless.
Standard perks increasingly include coworking space access, flexible check-in, and local cultural guides, ensuring that business trips feel less like obligations and more like opportunities.
Bleisure is also moving from perk to corporate strategy. Companies are partnering with travel providers to create tailored programmes with loyalty incentives, group pricing, and custom itineraries. For employers, this strengthens retention and satisfaction; for providers, it builds long-term, high-value relationships.
Perhaps the biggest shift is an emphasis on authenticity. Senior executives in particular are seeking experiences that go beyond the tourist trail—be it a sunrise hike after a board meeting or a vineyard visit en route to a client lunch.
This demand for connection rather than consumption puts boutique operators with local expertise in prime position to differentiate.
As hybrid working blurs the line between office and escape, bleisure travel has evolved from buzzword to blueprint. It represents a new currency of corporate mobility, where trips are measured not just in air miles but in wellbeing, culture and connection.