Catching the Bleisure Wave: How Travel Insurance Can Enhance Your Bleisure Experience

Last updated on 01/30/2024

"Bleisure" travel—that is, the fusion of business and leisure travel—is a trend that professionals are taking advantage of more for its ability to help them enjoy destinations they would otherwise only be able to work in. It's also a phenomenon that travel agents like you can capitalize on. To help you make the most of this business (and recreational) opportunity, we have gathered our top tips on how you can leverage the bleisure trend for your business.

Educate Clients about Bleisure Travel

So what is bleisure travel? While it's growing in popularity, some of your clients might still be unaware.

If they ask, try telling them something like this:

It's great that you want to know about the bleisure trend! Simply put, bleisure is the combination of "business" and "leisure," and it can be what you make it. A bleisure trip can be a trip in which you find fun or relaxing things to do that help you enjoy the destination you're going to for work. A bleisure trip could also be one in which you use a little vacation time after your work trip would be ending. That way, you are extending your stay after your professional obligations are complete and giving yourself time to recharge, have fun, and take in new surroundings.

To provide extra information, consider creating resources that educate your clients about the benefits and possibilities of bleisure travel. Some materials to think about include:

• Pamphlets on the topic that your clients can take with them after an in-person visit
• Website articles or videos explaining bleisure travel in depth
• Dedicated web pages on your site (or links to other trusted resources) that explain the bleisure travel possibilities

In addition, prepare to brainstorm with your clients on how they can blend work and play. They may need help envisioning how to effectively manage schedules, choosing accommodations that cater to both business needs and leisure experiences, or finding business travel insurance that also works for a recreational experience. When you do this, you help clients see themselves living the bleisure experience and position yourself as a resource they can trust for their travel needs.

Offer Bleisure Travel Packages

You can also integrate bleisure travel more deeply into your business model. Offering a specialized travel package can help you build authority as an expert in the space, while showing that you cater to bleisure travelers' needs with a focused, personalized approach.

Try promoting your bleisure services with information that’s easily visible both on your website and social media accounts. Publish content that answers the question “What is bleisure travel?” in addition to the specific packages you provide. You could also provide tips for finding business travel insurance they can use during their stay. This may help your clients make informed decisions and build their excitement to participate in a growing travel trend.

Partner with Local Businesses

Another tip is to try building strong partnerships with local businesses at popular travel destinations. This strategy can set you apart as a travel agent clients can trust, thanks to your strong connections in the location they’re visiting.

Collaborate with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues to offer exclusive discounts and experiences to your clients. For example, partner with a well-regarded local restaurant to provide a free meal or a discount on a spa treatment to your clients who are traveling for both business and leisure. Ensure that these partnerships are clearly presented on your website and in your promotional materials to persuade travelers that they should pursue your services.

Note that you should also be prepared for businesses that you want to partner with to ask questions. Just like some of your clients, they may need you to answer the question “What is bleisure travel?” Being ready and eager to answer their questions can help them see you as a true asset they want to work with.

Remind Bleisure Travelers to Consider Insurance

Business travel insurance is important for your bleisure travel clients to think about as they plan their part work/part getaway experience. While it can be similar to coverage they might get for a solely recreational adventure, business or working travel insurance takes a few additional elements into account, including:

• Business equipment: bleisure clients will most likely be traveling with laptops, tablets, dedicated smartphones or other devices they need for their professional obligations. Working travel insurance may include specific coverage for these items where some leisure travel policies might not.
• Business interruption: while bleisure and normal recreational travel can both be interrupted by flight cancellations or delays, your bleisure clients’ issues can compound because of the professional angle (e.g. a delayed flight could result in a missed meeting that could reflect poorly on your client, not to mention missed hotel or rental car reservations). Working travel insurance may protect them by reimbursing them for lost business expenses.

When discussing these and other benefits of travel insurance with your clients, encourage them to learn more from licensed professionals, and compare the business travel insurance plans available to them, through a resource like InsureMyTrip. As the leading travel insurance comparison website, we can help them take an unbiased look at their coverage options so they travel confidently, achieve their professional goals, and have some fun while they’re at it.

To begin, let your bleisure travel and other clients know that they can begin comparing their travel insurance options by starting a quote at InsureMyTrip.