The Rise of Bleisure Travel: How Gen Z and Millennials Are Redefining Business Trips

Young professionals are increasingly bringing friends and family on work trips, transforming traditional business travel into a booming industry

A new trend called "bleisure" - combining business and leisure travel - is reshaping how professionals approach work trips. Young employees are extending business travel for personal enjoyment and secretly bringing companions along, often without telling their bosses.

The bleisure travel market was valued at $692.7 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach over $3.5 trillion by 2034, representing explosive growth driven by changing work attitudes. In 2024, 84% of travelers wanted to include vacation time on their next corporate trip, and 48% had taken a bleisure trip in the past year.

Globally, around 34% of Gen Z and Millennial business travelers plan to extend a business trip in 2024 for leisure time. More surprisingly, 74% would invite a family member or friend on a work trip, with Gen Z and millennials being the most likely to do so. Nearly one in five said they'd brought a plus-one without telling their employer.

Social media has amplified this trend. One TikTok influencer gained attention by stating she brings friends on every business trip, saying "When you hire me, you're hiring my friend too." Another shared how her boyfriend brought her to New York for his work trip while she enjoyed the luxury hotel and explored the city.

Jean Twenge, a psychologist and author of "Generations," explains that Gen Z's focus on work-life balance drives this behavior: "They don't want their work to be their whole life." Many younger employees are simply unsure whether bringing companions is acceptable and avoid asking their bosses.

The psychology professor notes it could also be because younger workers are relatively new to the workforce and aren't sure about company policies.

The economics make sense. About 73% of employees view adding leisure time as a corporate perk, and 85% of bleisure travelers report their company covers hotel costs, while 76% have roundtrip airfare paid for by their employer. Travelers typically only pay for extra nights and personal activities.

New York City generates the most bleisure trips each year, with Paris and London following. Most bleisure trips (70%) last two to three nights, with conferences driving 67% of trips. Notably, 82% of bleisure travelers extend their stay at the same hotel used for business.

Some companies are adapting. Columbia Business School Professor Stephen Meyer suggests employers should "clearly present expectations for business trips" with frameworks like allowing personal activities after 5 PM to make companion travel more acceptable.

However, challenges remain. 31% of employers don't extend corporate travel risk policies to cover leisure portions of trips, leaving travelers responsible for their own safety during personal time.

80% of Millennials and Gen Z like using travel planning apps or social media to plan journeys, while 83% found at least one aspect of generative AI technology useful for booking.

47% of American bleisure travelers express interest in accommodations with on-site coworking spaces. Hotels are developing specialized amenities, and travel companies are creating packages for this growing market segment.

54% of business travelers took at least two trips blending business and leisure in 2024, suggesting this trend will continue growing. 89% of business travelers want to extend their next business trip to include leisure time.

For employers, embracing bleisure travel could become crucial for talent recruitment and retention. Companies that adapt to these changing expectations may better attract top talent in a competitive market.

The data shows that future business travel isn't just about efficient work trips - it's about creating meaningful experiences that serve both professional and personal goals. As work-life boundaries continue blurring, bleisure represents a permanent shift in how younger generations view the relationship between work and travel.