Bleisure Boom: How SMEs can leverage the rise in business travel

Why choose between work and wanderlust, when your business can offer both? The bleisure boom, where business meets leisure, has officially arrived, and it is transforming the global travel landscape. As companies resume corporate travel with renewed energy, employees are no longer content with just boardrooms and briefings. They want experiences and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Travel & Tourism sector are smartly seizing this opportunity, crafting tailored packages that blend work commitments with leisure indulgences.

With the right strategy, SME travel solutions are evolving beyond traditional bookings to offer immersive experiences that cater to both business travellers and the explorers within them. This shift is a powerful market movement that travel SMEs cannot afford to ignore.

A golden opportunity for travel SMEs

Corporate travel is bouncing back, but not in the way it existed pre-pandemic. Today’s professionals, especially millennials and Gen Z, crave personalisation, flexibility, and purpose in their journeys. This is where travel SMEs come in. With their agility, creativity, and local expertise, they are uniquely positioned to ride this wave.

Instead of offering one-size-fits-all packages, small travel companies are now creating curated experiences that combine productivity and pleasure, like combining a three-day conference pass with a weekend wellness retreat or pairing a business seminar with a local cultural tour. By embedding leisure elements into their SME travel management offerings, these businesses are offering lifestyle experiences that cater to a growing demographic of bleisure travellers.

How travel SMEs are innovating in the bleisure space

1) Crafting business-leisure hybrid packages

Travel SMEs are moving beyond booking hotels and flights. They are designing hybrid itineraries that appeal to business travellers looking to unwind without planning a separate holiday. A few examples include:

• Executive wellness getaways: Partnering with boutique resorts or spas to offer post-conference relaxation.

• Local immersion experiences: Organising after-hours city tours, culinary walks, or nature escapes to help business travellers make the most of their destination.

• Tech-savvy convenience: Integrating productivity-friendly tools like coworking space access, seamless check-in/check-out options, and 24/7 concierge support into packages.

These innovations are part of the new SME travel solutions that make bleisure not only appealing but also efficient.

2) Tapping into corporate travel partnerships

Many SMEs are now actively collaborating with corporates and travel management platforms. By offering value-driven bleisure packages under corporate contracts, they gain repeat clients and long-term partnerships.

SME travel management models today include flexible group pricing, customisable agendas for business teams, and incentives like loyalty points or employee discounts. This synergy benefits both business travellers and SMEs, creating a win-win ecosystem.

3) Leveraging local expertise for authenticity

One of the strongest advantages small travel firms have is their intimate knowledge of the local scene. By tapping into this, they can offer business travellers more than just typical touristy add-ons.

For example, a private tour of a hidden art gallery after a trade fair, a curated dinner with local chefs following a conference, or sunrise hikes or yoga sessions to help unwind after corporate meetings. These authentic touches elevate the bleisure experience, positioning SMEs as premium lifestyle partners, not just service providers.

4) Embracing digital tools to scale bleisure experiences

Technology is powering the next generation of SME travel solutions. Small travel businesses are using AI-driven platforms to predict traveller preferences, mobile apps to manage bookings in real-time, and data analytics to personalise offers.

More importantly, digital tools allow SMEs to scale, offering consistently high-quality experiences across cities, while still delivering local flair. SME travel management no longer needs to be manual and fragmented; it can be tech-empowered and streamlined.

Bigger value from every business trip

From the business traveller’s perspective, bleisure means getting more out of every trip—professionally and personally. But from an SME’s perspective, it’s a chance to:

• Expand revenue streams by packaging business and leisure together.

• Strengthen client relationships through personalised, memorable experiences.

• Position themselves as premium providers in a niche but fast-growing market.

Whether it is through hotel-stay extensions, curated weekend escapes, or after-hours itineraries, travel SMEs can monetise this demand while delighting customers.

The lines between work and leisure are more blurred than ever. With hybrid work becoming the norm, professionals are no longer bound by rigid schedules or office locations. This makes every business trip a potential leisure opportunity and a potential booking for travel SMEs ready to meet that demand. The future belongs to small businesses that can merge professionalism with pleasure, corporate with culture, and deadlines with downtime. The bleisure boom is the new normal and it’s your ticket to growth.

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