Bleisure: It’s a made-up word, mixing business and leisure. I suppose you could also combine travel and working, but that’s a little too close to twerking, and I’m not sure how well that goes down at the office.
Bleisure can get a bad rap; adding a few days to a business trip often provokes snide comments from those who, quite often, aren’t allowed out of the office in case they cause a diplomatic incident or spend a night in jail, or because they’ve previously done both.
But bleisure’s image could be about to change; the pandemic has made the staycation a thing, with millions rediscovering how great the UK is and saving tonnes of CO2 in the process by not flying abroad. I’d argue we should think of bleisure in the same way.
If you’ve always wanted to visit New York and your firm is kindly sending you there, don’t go for two days and think ‘I’ll come back later’, because you probably won’t, and if you do, you’re then taking two more flights and dumping another load of emissions over Greenland.
Instead, stay on, put on your bleisure-wear and stride those streets. Travel less and do more. Many of us have been stuck at home for nearly two years now, so I don’t think anyone’s boss can begrudge them taking a few days extra as part of a business trip, especially if it involves a bit of team building after hours. Maybe even have your loved ones join you – let’s face it, with all the restrictions, it might be your only chance for a break abroad for a while.
With or without your colleagues or your family, a sporting event, music, theatre, or other entertainment is usually part of the bleisure appeal. Finding something to do in a strange location often takes some planning, but I’m happy to share a few of our secret sites and favourite options to help avoid that last minute, expensive ticket purchase (although if it’s last minute you need, we can get you there).
A good starting point for hot tips is American Express Essentials. Appallingly, it currently suggests 13 Delicious Ways with Oats, but don’t let that put you off, it also has a cracking guide to worldwide events. Among its listings are the Cape Town Jazz Festival in March, which sounds like a top way to end a trip, as does Toronto’s Food and Drink Market fest in April. I’m a little less keen on the Paris Marathon it also mentions.
Most of us can opine that watching sport is far more agreeable than doing it and Roadtrips.com has got all next year’s major sporting events covered, including the Qatar World Cup, Monaco Grand Prix, US Open Tennis and oh, the Daytona 500. Now we’re talking!
BucketListEvents is another go-to trick to have up your sleeve. Its current offering ranges from next year’s PGA golf championship in Tulsa to Comic Con in San Diego and Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls. Good luck with getting the latter past the Duty of Care test.
More sensibly, Skift gives us Event, aimed at event organisers. If you’re on the receiving end of a delegation from abroad who need entertaining, this is the place. Human fountains, hot air ballooning, climbing walls and if you must, selfie props; it’s all here.
So, enjoy your bleisure, but remember to behave and don’t become one of those employees secretly grounded because of their misdemeanours – maybe leave the twerking for the Christmas party.
