"Have You Bleisured Lately?" By Featured Writer Mrs. Katie Steele Danner, Director, Missouri Division of Tourism

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While the 2013 word of the year nationally was "selfie," I would suggest the tourism industry’s transformative word of 2013 was "bleisure," a travel trend in which about two thirds of business travelers say they’re participating.

While not likely found yet in your dictionary, this word captures the blurring of business and leisure travel. It’s the tacking on of personal holidays to a business trip and it is growing in popularity.

Orbitz noted last year that 72 percent of 600 business travelers surveyed said they take extended business trips with a leisure component. And 43 percent said they had a significant other with them.

Count me in that category, as our family consistently takes bleisure trips while trying to compromise between our conflicting professional demands and treasured family time.

Plus, we maximize the value of the trip by extending our business stay with personal family time; our logic is we are already paying transportation costs to and from the destination for one of us. If our professional obligations take us to a desirable destination, why not stay a while and enjoy some quality vacation time?

This trend is good news for Missouri Tourism. We have myriad venues with amenities to meet business, professional and leisure interests of every industry and budget. With our family friendly attractions, you can bring the kids along on that business trip, reconnecting with your loved ones and creating new memories while also pleasing the boss.

Taking a business trip to St. Louis? Make it a family event that includes stops at the Gateway Arch, Saint Louis Zoo and the Saint Louis Science Center. St. Louis offers a budget friendly vacation, according to hotwire.com, which ranks it a Top 10 Value Destination.

Hosting an event in Kansas City? Encourage attendees to make it a couple’s getaway. Tout visits to Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Country Club Plaza, and remind visitors Kansas City ranks among the nation’s 10 most romantic cities, according to Livability.com.

Examples of great destinations to conduct business and have fun are found across the Show-Me State. Whether it’s a convention and live shows in Branson, a business meeting and basketball game at Mizzou in Columbia or conference and canoe trip in Salem, there are countless places to work and play in Missouri.

If you’re on the fence about the whole bleisure concept, it should be easy to convince yourself it makes sense. After all, in today’s always-plugged-in society, it’s a given you will perform some work-related task during your vacation. In fact, a study conducted last year by Harris Interactive found 61 percent of employed vacationers will work while on a leisure trip, up nearly 10 percent from 2012. These "bizcations" are becoming the new normal thanks to the evolution of technology and office approved communication devices.

Even when on a leisure trip, 38 percent of those surveyed expected to check work emails; almost 70 percent said they’d take a "work capable" device on their trip. And while they expect to get some work done, vacationers aren't thrilled with the prospect: 34 percent said they would do the work, but not happily, while 29 percent feel being compelled to work means the boss doesn't respect their time.

While looking for a venue that caters to these travelers, but also has options to take a respite from work, consider the following: 

• Connectivity: does the hotel or resort offer in-room wireless Internet? If so, is it free? Billed hourly? Billed daily? How accessible is any business center computer? What are the fees? What are the blocks of time that you can use the service? Do the computers have cameras to allow you to connect with colleagues – or family – that are not traveling with you?
  
  
• What are in-room options for refrigerators or other small appliances that can accommodate travel companions needs? How close might a snack shop or local luncheon option be located to the venue for your travel companion if you are involved in business meals for a few days of the trip?
• Depending on the length of stay, are there dry-cleaning services available? What about any washing machines/clothes dryers/ironing boards?
• Is there a separate work area from the sleeping area to accommodate different needs of the travel party? Can you take a work conference call without disrupting the in-room movie, video games, or the sleepy head you brought along?
• What public transportation options are conducive to flexible schedules depending on the work/play balance needs of the traveling party? Can you go out and explore on your own in a safe environment, with taxi fare, metro transportation options, or even by walking?
• Is the fitness facility family friendly or does it cater to a serious business clientele?
• Is there a continental breakfast option that has friendly hours to meet the needs of your work schedule and the casual needs of your companion?

 Keep in mind that in this evolving context, younger business travelers are showing different behaviors than their predecessors, according to a recent survey conducted by Expedia and its business travel arm, Egencia, with 8,500 travelers in 24 countries. Among some of the highlights:

• 18-30 year olds take more leisure trips (4.2 mean) than those 31-45 (2.9 mean) and 46-65 (3.2 mean).
• In North America, 54 percentof 18-30 year olds bring a significant other on a business trip, versus 36 percent of 31-45 and 16 percent of 46-65.
• Globally, 42 percent of 18-30 year olds say they would spend more of the company’s money on high-end meals, compared to 26 percent of 31-45.

Now that the Meetings, Incentive, Corporate & Events (MICE) segment of the travel industry tends to blur with more traditional leisure travel behaviors, needs and wants, how will hospitality stakeholders take notice and adapt their approach? Some meeting and convention sites find ways to entice business travelers by offering special incentives or activities for companions and families. As a quick example, a top hotel at one of Missouri’s leading destinations offers everything from spa services and "Chick Flick" parties in its on-site move theater to fishing trips, scuba lessons and nature hikes for guests of business travelers.

How can more destinations embrace this new reality and keep travelers longer, to spend their dollars with hotels, restaurants and other attractions within the city or resort?

There is certainly an opportunity here, and it will be interesting to see how this trend unfolds and which destinations make the most of it.