"Want to Go on a Date During a Business Trip Abroad?"... Young People Embrace the 'Bleisure' Trend [The World is Z Gold]

The Bleisure Boom: Combining Business Trips and Leisure
Taking Vacations Before or After Business Trips, or Traveling with Friends
"Business Trips Are Now Used Like Mini-Vacations"

Editor's NoteGeneration Z (those born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s) is recognized as a generation that leads culture and trends in a rapidly changing era, setting new standards across society. [The World is Z Gold] sheds light on the lives and values of Generation Z around the globe and examines how they are changing society.

The boundary between business trips and vacations is being blurred as 'Bleisure' becomes a new workplace culture. 'Bleisure' is a term that combines business and leisure, referring to a way of pursuing a better work-life balance by combining work and leisure. Recently, there has been an increase in cases where people take business trips with family or friends, and this trend is spreading rapidly, especially among Generation Z.

The boundary between business trips and vacations is being blurred as 'Bleisure' becomes a new workplace culture. Pexels.

Traveling for business, then vacationing with friends... Bleisure is on the rise

U.S. media outlet Business Insider recently highlighted the working style trend among young people known as blended travel or bleisure, reporting, "This approach, which pursues personal enjoyment even during business trips, is spreading more rapidly as it coincides with the expansion of remote work and increased interest in work-life balance."

Types of bleisure include: adding personal vacation days before or after a business trip; bringing family or friends along and enjoying leisure activities together after work hours; and staying at the destination after the business trip to continue working remotely. These various approaches are being adopted.

"This approach, which pursues personal enjoyment even during business trips, is spreading more rapidly as it coincides with the expansion of remote work and increased interest in work-life balance." Getty Images

According to a survey conducted by hotel chain Crowne Plaza and market research firm YouGov, which polled 12,000 people worldwide, 74% of respondents said they would like to bring family or friends on a business trip if given the opportunity. This shows that many employees want to travel with acquaintances on business trips. Notably, one in five respondents said they had brought someone along without informing their employer.

Bryan, an employee in the film industry, said, "When I went on a business trip to the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, I stayed at the same hotel with a friend," adding, "I didn't tell my boss at the time because I was worried it might raise questions about my professionalism."

Some companies are officially embracing the bleisure trend

This trend is closely related to changes in Generation Z's attitudes toward work. Psychologist Jean Twenge explained, "Generation Z does not want work to be their entire life," adding, "They have relatively fewer family responsibilities and place a high value on personal time, so they tend to use business trips as a sort of mini-vacation."

More people are looking to improve their quality of life by embracing the bleisure trend. Pixabay

In response to these changes, some companies are also embracing the bleisure trend. Ginger Taggart, Vice President at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said, "Bringing a companion on a business trip is no longer a secret that needs to be hidden." She added, "Some employers are adopting this approach as a way to reduce employee stress and improve productivity," and emphasized, "Since it maintains work performance while improving quality of life, it can have positive effects for both companies and employees."

Korea is also working to attract foreign tourists in line with the global spread of the bleisure trend. The Seoul Tourism Organization is actively promoting Seoul as a bleisure destination under the slogan 'Seoul: Your complete MICE City.' The organization is consistently conducting global marketing campaigns focused on five major areas: Yeouido, Yongsan, Seocho·Gangnam·Songpa, Jongno·Jung-gu, and Seongsu·Gwangjin·Dongdaemun.

However, some point out that as the bleisure trend spreads, there are clear side effects, making it necessary to find a balance between personal freedom and professional responsibility. Stephan Meier, a professor at Columbia Business School, advised, "As the boundary between work and leisure becomes blurred, it is important to set clear standards and expectations for business trips in advance." He added, "For example, having a companion during free time after work is not a problem, but if there are scheduled evening gatherings or team activities, that time should be dedicated to work."