More travellers taking advantage of blended trips

More than a third of UK employees (34 per cent) have taken a trip that combined business and leisure in the last year, compared to 17 per cent previously, as blended travel’s popularity continues to grow.

According to new research, nearly two-thirds of workers (62 per cent) say being able to extend work trips for leisure is important to them, and nearly half (48 per cent) have become reliant on business trips to enjoy leisure travel since the onset of the cost-of-living crisis.

The research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of spend management platform Pleo, canvassed the views of more than 1,000 UK workers in July.

Nearly half of respondents said saving money was a key benefit of blended travel, while 40 per cent appreciate the chance to explore new destinations and 35 per cent point to using less annual leave as an advantage of such trips.

More than a quarter of workers (23 per cent) claim to have saved over £1,000 on a trip by adding leisure time to a business trip, with an average saving of £788 per trip.

“Workers are enjoying the perks of blended travel this summer, but businesses can enhance this experience by offering leisure extensions and providing company cards for work trips,” said Benjamin Swails, general manager of UK and Northern Europe at Pleo. “This not only benefits employees but also helps businesses better control spending and ensures no one is left out of pocket.”