Sure Travel Journey 6.1 Summer 2020 | Page 18

DEPARTURE LOUNGE // SUMMER 2020
family
Bleisure
SO-CALLED “BLEISURE” TRAVEL HAS BEEN A
BUZZWORD FOR SOME TIME NOW, WITH STUDIES
SHOWING THAT TRAVELLERS BENEFIT FROM
COMBINING BUSINESS AND PERSONAL TRIPS.
REBEKAH FUNK INVESTIGATES.
© MOSTOVYI/ADOBESTOCK.COM
18 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
As many as 62% of people under the age
of 30 said they had combined a business
trip with a holiday in the past, according
to a recent global business travel poll by
The Globe and Mail. But it’s not just a
millennial trend: 51% of 31-to-45-year-olds
said they have done it, too.
In this, South African business travellers
are on trend.
“We have quite a few business people
taking their spouses or partners along;
more so than families with children,”
explains Shirley Bennie, a travel consultant
with Sure Dynamic Travel in Bedfordview,
Gauteng. “We often see business travellers
adding on a few days or a second city.
The most common instances of this are
travel to France and Italy – if the business
is in Rome, they will add on Florence and
maybe Venice, or a few extra nights in
Paris. Additionally, many people who have
family living overseas will extend their trip
if they’re doing business in that country.”
Bennie says the corporate clients she
works with don’t take issue with their
employees adding on leisure time or
bookings for family members, but she
notes that it’s always prudent to check
with management or human resources