Business travel has often been known to be brutal. Pack everything into 48 hours, survive on airport food, collapse in whatever hotel room the company booked, then drag yourself home. But something is shifting. The U.S. market for combining business and leisure travel, known as bleisure travel, exploded from $175 billion in 2024 to over $800 billion in 2025. That’s not gradual adoption, that’s proof of a fundamental change in how people work.
Here’s what’s revealing about modern business travel: TravelPerk discovered that 34% of business travelers get their best ideas while traveling for work. Among younger professionals, that number jumps to 53%. Showing that more than half of the next generation of business leaders do their most breakthrough thinking away from their desks.
Think about what this means. The same trips that companies design to maximize efficiency—back-to-back meetings, tight schedules, immediate returns—are actively preventing the innovation they’re supposedly trying to create. It’s a fundamental contradiction that most organizations have yet to recognize.
The psychology behind this makes sense when you consider how creativity actually works. Neuroscience research shows that breakthrough thinking often occurs during what researchers call “diffuse attention“—moments when the mind wanders and makes unexpected connections. Airport delays, taxi rides between meetings, those fifteen minutes before a client dinner when you’re walking through an unfamiliar neighborhood. These aren’t inefficiencies to eliminate; they’re opportunities for the kind of pattern recognition that drives business innovation.
However, here’s the problem: traditional business travel often treats these moments as a waste of time. The goal becomes cramming maximum productivity into minimum time, eliminating any space for the mental processing that actually generates valuable insights. Companies spend thousands on travel to expose their teams to new markets and ideas, then structure the trips to prevent any absolute absorption of what they’re experiencing.
Why Companies Should Support Bleisure Trips
Sprint traveling used to be the standard. Land, meet, leave. But entrepreneurs who stick around an extra day or two report something different happening. Conversations change. Problems that seemed impossible suddenly have solutions. Deals that looked dead come back to life.
Market Research Opportunities: When there’s no rush between airports, details emerge. How customers actually behave. What competitors are really doing. Which trends matter and which ones are just noise?
Relationship Building: Real business relationships don’t form during speed networking. They happen over dinner when someone mentions a challenge you’ve solved before. Or during morning coffee, when a casual comment reveals a partnership opportunity.
Creative Thinking: Brains work differently in new places. Entrepreneurs solve problems they’d been wrestling with for months, simply because they give themselves mental space while traveling.
Cost Efficiency: This surprises most people initially. Extending trips often costs less than separate business and personal travel. Hotels typically offer better rates for more extended stays. You’re already paying for the flight.
The data backs this up more than expected. Deloitte research shows that 83% of business travelers now consider work travel “enjoyable”—a sentiment that would have sounded absurd five years ago. TravelPerk discovered that 75% of HR departments use travel opportunities to attract candidates.
Three Cities That Get Bleisure Travel Right
Naples, Florida
Naples throws people off initially. Expectations often center on retirement communities with beaches. Instead, there’s serious business infrastructure wrapped in Gulf Coast calm. The city attracts year-round business travelers due to its Florida market access, but without the chaos of Miami or the theme park energy of Orlando.
The Edgewater Beach Hotel works particularly well for extended business stays. It sits directly on white sand, but that’s not the only appeal. The rooms function as actual offices—complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, proper desk space, and Gulf views that somehow make video calls less tedious. Morning investor calls transition seamlessly to beach walks thirty seconds away.
Naples works because it provides access to Florida’s business networks without the intensity that makes other Florida cities exhausting. The pace allows clear thinking between meetings and time for rest and restoration.
New York City, New York
New York remains the ultimate bleisure travel destination, though not always for obvious reasons. Yes, the concentration of decision-makers creates unmatched networking potential. But what really matters is the energy of the Big Apple. It invites big thinking and strategy.
The Hotel Belleclaire on the Upper West Side offers something most Midtown business hotels miss: breathing room. The boutique property offers elegant accommodations with a European-inspired design, creating a calming workspace environment. Guests get the feeling of living in a neighborhood, while maintaining easy access to downtown business districts via subway connections.
The Upper West Side is ideal for more extended stays because it feels like living somewhere rather than just visiting. Central Park runs, Midtown meetings, and evening exploration without tourist crowds. This combination makes extended New York stays sustainable instead of overwhelming.
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers might not be the first city that comes to mind for business travel, but that’s precisely why it works for extended stays. The city combines Florida’s relaxed coastal vibe with emerging business opportunities in healthcare, technology, and real estate. Entrepreneurs and remote professionals are discovering the value of slowing down here.
The Luminary Hotel & Co. is tailor-made for bleisure travelers. Rooms are airy and modern, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and thoughtful workspace setups that make video calls or strategic planning a breeze. On-site amenities, from locally inspired dining to wellness spaces, make it easy to transition from work to relaxation. Step outside, and you’re moments from the Caloosahatchee River, waterfront parks, and a downtown that balances professional opportunities with leisure activities.
Fort Myers works as a bleisure city because it lets you stay productive without the overwhelm of larger markets. Morning investor calls can flow into afternoon brainstorming walks along the riverfront. Networking dinners aren’t lost in the noise—they happen at spots where locals actually spend their evenings. And when work is done, sunset kayaking or exploring nearby Sanibel Island provides the mental reset that fuels creativity for your next project.
Starting Your Bleisure Extension Strategy
Skip elaborate workation planning. Utilize trips already scheduled on the calendar, such as conferences, client meetings, and industry events.
Check company policies first. Most allow personal extensions if additional costs don’t exceed original travel expenses. Book the same flights with later return dates and cover any extra hotel nights personally.
Pick cities strategically. Choose destinations where extended stays serve multiple purposes. Strong business networks, combined with cultural offerings, provide the best value.
Research before traveling. Local business communities, networking events, and activities. Spontaneous decisions often result in expensive last-minute bookings or wasted time.
The Real Shift To Bleisure Travel
Extended business travel isn’t about vacation days or work-life balance. It’s about recognizing that breakthrough thinking often occurs outside of regular environments. Those who get the most value out of bleisure travel start by identifying the next required business trip, researching the destination for thirty minutes, and booking one extra night. That single night often justifies extending future trips. Savvy travelers view extensions as investments in market knowledge and creative thinking, rather than personal indulgences.