Travel Trend Report: The Rise of the "Bleisure" Traveller

The means of the modern man have evolved and so have the needs of the discerning traveller. The present day traveller is forever on the lookout for more activity, more recreation, and more information than ever before. To suffice its needs the world of science and imagination have met and created infallible resources. The creation of such rich resources has given birth to the so-called "Bleisure" traveller segment which of course as the name suggest is a portmanteau of Business and Leisure together. Its play at work in simple terms. The bleisure traveller evolved with the increase in frequency of corporate travel in recent years which resulted in an explosion of quirks unique to the modern day man. For the travel & tourism industry understanding and meeting the biz traveller needs is essential to stay competitive and capitalise on what can be an extremely lucrative segment of the market, bearing in mind that there is a shift in the behaviour of corporate travellers who now want to engage in both business and leisure activities widely.

Nowadays, one might be flying business class to New York, and then take a budget hopper over to Los Angeles. While this trend has been apparent for flight connections for a while, it is now showing a stronger impact on hotel bookings especially in the Asia Pacific region where business & commerce is ever flourishing. Markets like Singapore and Bangkok see a strong increase of boutique hotels that not only attract European & American leisure travellers, but also a growing number of business professionals. Upscale and luxury segments are the key element of a Hotelier's strategy and Bleisure successful positioning will give credibility with investors in these markets.