Bleisure Adding pleasure to business travel
According to an old adage, it’s best to avoid mixing business with pleasure. This is not true anymore. Nowadays, most business travelers expand their stay to have fun with their family, relax or exercise, or explore new destinations. This is called ‘bleisure . I’m a very good example of this trend 😉
The origins of bleisure
The term “bleisure” (a contraction of business and leisure) was coined in 2009 by the European consultancy Future Laboratory. However, this trend has been observed since the late 1990s.
For employees, combining work and leisure can make travel more affordable, as part of the cost is covered by the employer. It also makes it possible to discover the world without taking a lot of time off.
To capitalize on the growing trend towards leisure, many governments are introducing special visas allowing visitors to work remotely in a country for an extended period, usually tax-free. For example, Barbados has introduced the “Barbados Welcome Stamp”, which allows people to live and work remotely in the country for 12 months without being subject to local income tax regulations.