The Rise of Bleisure: How Business Travel Has Changed Post-Pandemic

The travel industry was hit hard during the pandemic. 

And while some people continued to travel for business, most became well acquainted with Zoom, online conferences, and other tools for remote teams instead. 

More than two years later, many people are finally back to traveling for business again, but it doesn’t look quite the same. 

Here’s a look at what’s changed and what to expect when you hit the road (or the sky) for upcoming business travel.

Post-Pandemic Travel: What’s Changed? 

Traveling came to a screeching halt in spring 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. Most people went to work from home and professionals who routinely traveled for business had to find a new way to manage their professional affairs. 

More than two years later, we’re still not back to pre-pandemic “normal,” and might never be. Business travel has changed in four main ways: 

• Frequency
• Purpose
• Logistics
• Attitudes 

Here’s how they’ve shifted. 

Frequency of travel

Global business travel and activity declined by 53.8% in 2020, representing a decrease in billions of dollars for the industry as a whole. It rebounded by 14% in 2021 and continues to increase year after year. 

The Global Business Travel Association reported the following in June 2022:

• The majority of companies (89%) are allowing non-essential business travel 
• Travel bookings are up, as reported by 84% of travel supplier companies
• In-person meetings and conferences/events are up (31% and 17%, respectively)

This increase in business travel shows a continued upward trend in frequency as the pandemic wanes. 

But will it continue? The three other factors below—purpose, logistics, and attitudes—all impact the frequency of business travel. Time will tell if we return to pre-pandemic levels or if there’s permanent “shrinkage” of the business travel industry. 

Purpose for traveling

“Bleisure” is a new buzzword that is popping up all over corporate America. It represents a shift of the type of travel many people are engaging with. 

What used to just be traveling for business is now combined with leisure, tourism, and recreation. And there are a few driving forces behind this trend:

• Uncertainty: The only consistent thing was change during the global pandemic, and the corresponding travel restrictions mean that people are most interested in staying in one place for a longer time. They can get all their business done without having to hop in and out of countries frequently. With more time in one country, there’s more time for leisure activities. 
• The Great Resignation: People quitting jobs to pursue their own side hustles or find a new company that aligns with their values and needs has meant employees hold more influence than ever before. If an employee wants to tack on a few days of vacation to their business trip, employers are more likely to approve the request. 
• Digital Nomad Culture: The rise of “digital nomads,” self-employed professionals, remote workers, and freelancers have all played a role in the evolution of business travel. The world is shifting towards more flexible work environments and positions, and the pandemic only accelerated that trend. It’s one reason we see the rise of coworking spaces as an integral part of the new work world. With flexible schedules, workers are blending travel and leisure more easily than ever before. 

Logistics of traveling

Anyone who’s traveled for leisure, business, or any combination of the two knows that things have changed. Between COVID-19 testing, paperwork, government rules, masks, sanitization standards, luggage delays, airport staff shortages, and more—the logistics of traveling aren’t what they once were. 

These logistical challenges can be sorted into two categories: 

• COVID-19 direct impacts: This includes current health and immunization status to travel government restrictions that dictate when, where, and how to travel. 
• COVID-19 indirect impacts: This includes changes to businesses (i.e., hotels) who’ve struggled to remain afloat, staffing shortages impacting airport efficiencies, and economic challenges like inflation. 

Business travelers have more to navigate than ever before, which contributes to the reduced levels of travel or changing attitudes and purpose towards it. 

Attitudes toward travel

This last factor might be what underpins the other three. Attitudes towards business travel have changed over the last few years, explaining some of the trends we’re likely to continue to see. 

Consider these stats:

• 47% of business travelers reported in June 2022 being as likely or more likely to travel for overnight business compared to pre-pandemic; 60% reported the same for when the pandemic ends.
• 42% of frequent pre-pandemic business travelers reported in February 2022 that they would never return to the road, up from 38% in October 2021. 
• 43% of business travelers “strongly disagree” or “disagree” that travel for business purposes will return to pre-pandemic levels. 

While not conclusive, this data points toward the dichotomy of attitudes towards traveling. There’s one section of business travelers who are ready to embrace the Great Reconnection and are happy with in-person meetings while traveling, and another group who is content staying at their home offices. 

There are two main factors that contribute to these competing attitudes. 

• General comfort levels about the pandemic because of personal health risk, cleanliness and sanitization standards abroad, or government restrictions. 
• New ways of working (i.e., Zoom, teleconferences, satellite offices) have made traveling unnecessary or undesirable for some workers. 

No matter the driving factors, attitudes towards business travel have shifted because of the pandemic. And these attitudes will continue to drive consumer behavior toward business travel for years to come. 

How to Prepare for Business Travel

The changes to business travel in the post-pandemic era are significant. While we can identify and anticipate some trends, it’s impossible to fully predict the future. Instead, business travelers can keep up-to-date with current events and trends and prepare adequately for them. 

Here are some general tips to prepare for business travel in 2022 and beyond:

• Know your purpose: With more uncertainties and logistical challenges, travel isn’t as easy as it used to be. Know why you’re traveling, consider if it’s necessary for your work, and plan ahead. 
• Do your research: While travel restrictions are decreasing globally, and even completely gone in some countries, things can still change rapidly. Make sure you’re up to date with what’s happening in your destination country and do your research ahead of time. 
• Secure a workspace: Again, with more uncertainties than ever before, it will give you peace of mind knowing that you have somewhere to work. Coworking spaces typically offer meeting rooms and event spaces for rent so you can have somewhere to meet with clients or colleagues when you’re on the road. You can also leverage virtual office services as a way to maintain a fixed address, package receiving and storing, and telephone services, even when you’re traveling and don’t need a physical. Workspace. You can also consider a coworking membership that lets you drop in when you need to without paying massive overheads for dedicated space. 
• Communicate expectations and guidelines clearly: Companies differ in their policies and each person has their own attitude and comfort level around business travel. Communication between colleagues or people you’re working with around what to expect can help make things go smoothly. 
• Expect delays: A little patience will go a long way in the post-pandemic travel era. Many businesses are still recuperating from pandemic-induced losses and airports are struggling to keep up with demand. Give yourself extra time and practice being flexible while traveling. 

There’s no doubt that business travel looks different than in the pre-pandemic era. But, it’s on the upswing and there are increasing opportunities to re-connect in person at events, conferences, business trips, and more. 

With a bit of planning and preparation, business traveling in the post-pandemic era can be both productive and enjoyable. 

— 

Looking for a well-appointed flexible workspace where you can grow your business in a community of like-minded professionals? Then book a tour of your local Launch Workplace today.