Bleisure Boom: Australian Business Travel Doubles Global Average

• Global average for business travellers is 3.5 nights compared to Australia’s six nights
• Nights away by Australian business travellers increases by 5%.
  

Australian business travellers officially spend almost double the global average of nights away on work trips as new data reveals bleisure travel has reached a new peak of six nights on average. This contrasts sharply with global counterparts, with an average business trip spanning only 3.5 nights.[1]

Corporate Traveller, the flagship SME division of Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), today released the figures following exclusive analysis of flight booking data from October 2023 to March 2024, which revealed a five per cent rise in the average bleisure stay length.

Fuelled by flexible working trends and a continued appetite for travel following the pandemic, the figures show Australian’s are combining business and travel far more compared with the same period in the previous year.

Additional figures from the Global Business Travel Association reveal that more than six out of 10 (62%) of travellers blend business and travel more than they did in 2019, with 79 per cent choosing to stay at the same accommodation for both work and play.

Australia’s Total Business Travel Spending (BTS) forecast for 2023 was put at $23,519 million USD, up from $18,538 million USD in 2022, which highlights Australia as an important market in the global business travel industry, while further reflecting recovery and growth in business travel spending.

Australia-based Global Managing Director for FCTG’s Corporate Traveller, Tom Walley, says the figures reveal more than just a homegrown love of travel, but the growing flexible working trend that accommodates bleisure feasibility.

Corporate Traveller’s insights reveal that education professionals are leading this trend domestically, with sectors like utilities, construction, and transportation also showing strong inclination towards bleisure. Conversely, industries such as real estate, retail, and finance are less likely to blend work trips with leisure time.

Tom says that cost of living pressures could also be behind Australian business travellers embracing bleisure trips as it offers a cost-effective way to enjoy a destination while saving on expenses. Organisations are also benefiting from this trend as it is leads to higher employee productivity, satisfaction, and retention – without additional costs to the company[2].

Corporate Traveller provides regular insights for customers through their comprehensive online Business Support Hub, which for years has provided businesses with a wealth of prescriptive information.



In addition, Corporate Traveller’s travel event series, Unpacked, offers customers bleisure travel insights and hacks through webinars and in-person events; and its regular market research uncovers business travel behaviours and needs to help businesses make informed decisions around travel, meetings and events.

ENDS

About Corporate Traveller

Corporate Traveller is an award-winning business travel management and solutions provider for SMEs, operating in six global markets. Established in 1993 as Flight Centre Travel Group’s first corporate brand, Corporate Traveller has offered its personalised service, expert tailored advice, dedicated travel consultants, and advanced booking technology to more than 6500 Australian business customers. Offering an all-in-one innovative booking platform with the support of a personal travel consultant, Corporate Traveller makes travel simpler, faster, and easier for businesses. With a wide range of solutions available, Corporate Traveller can cater for simple requirements through to the most complex SME business travel management needs. For more information or to book a business consultation, visit corporatetraveller.com.au

[1] GBTA Beyond Rebound: Charting the next course for global business travel. March 2024

[2] https://markwideresearch.com/bleisure-travel-market/