As the world becomes a smaller place and people are traveling more for business purposes, bleisure has emerged as a popular travel trend. As the name suggests, bleisure refers to mixing in a dose of pleasure with business travel. It is a true life-saver for people who frequently travel across the globe as a part of their work yet crave for the luxury of holidays. If you are going to explore the concept for the first time, here are some useful tips that can help you to make the trip a successful one.  

Business first  

Even though bleisure is a great concept, remember that the prime objective of the trip is business and it should not be ignored at any cost. Think of other engagements only once you have fulfilled your work responsibilities. After all, your boss does not expect you to relax by the poolside or soak the sun on the beach while having people waiting for you in the boardroom. So the rule of thumb is always business first!  

Transparency matters 

Mixing in some fun on a work trip is good as long as you are honest about it. Since you are being paid for the trip, make sure that your superiors and peers know your schedule well enough. The situation may get tricky if they see your fun pics on the social media. If you do plan to take some leisure time while traveling for work, communicate openly with the team and bosses.  

Research your destination 

Before setting out, research the destination thoroughly to check the holidaying options in its vicinity. Have a checklist ready to plan exploring the ones that you want to visit as a part of your bleisure experience. Not only do you need to know all about the well-known cities and tourist hubs nearby, but also find out the uncharted and unknown territories that you would want to explore. The internet can be a great source of information in this context. 

Plan judiciously 

If you have the freedom to pick the days of the trip, starting or ending with a weekend is a great idea. This way, you will have a weekend free for leisure either before or after your business meetings. You can even schedule meetings on free days to create space for holidaying on working days. Joy Bray from Chi Chi, LLC says that many people turn a business trip into a “bleisure trip” by taking advantage of the covered flights and working in some personal days to enjoy the trip. 

Use “window days”  

Smart use of window days means that you get long weekends, as with a Friday or a Monday being national holidays. This is a great idea because you get three days of traveling for leisure without losing even a single paid vacation day. It is always good to know your company’s policy in this regard before you plan utilizing these window days during your business tour.  

Focus on overseas trips for bleisure 

When you do plan your first bleisure trip and even the subsequent ones, make sure that you choose an international destination. After all, you would not want to focus all your energies to explore a local destination, rather would want to opt for one that is exotic. A nearby holiday is something that you can do any time yourself but one to a distant location can take a toll on your pocket.  

Take your partner along 

The best holiday experiences are the ones that are shared with your partner. No wonder, a large number of business travelers prefer to take along their spouse, partner or friend for their tours. You can spend for them yourself but this surely means that you can save on your half of the trip. While you go for your business meetings, your partner can explore the place and shortlist the best for you. All in all, this turns out to be an affordable holiday option for couples. 

Visit friends  

A business trip can easily be turned into a blesiure trip if you have close friends living at your destination. They can be your local tourist guides and show you around on the free days. What more, every day can be a great experience as you can get together and enjoy once you are done with your business engagements.  

Mixing business and leisure becomes really easy and enjoyable if you know how to do it. The best thing to do is to make the most of it because it is a chance to holiday without spending your own money. These tips can help you to become a seasoned bleisure traveler and share advice with others as well.