What is bleisure?  And why it matters for tour operators

At its core, bleisure blends business and leisure travel. For example, a business traveler may stay in the area for a diving trip a few days after a conference, or set up a walking tour in the evening after meetings. For tour operators, this means more bookings, longer stays, and higher spending potential.

What if every business trip to your city also meant new bookings for your tours? With bleisure, it can. Bleisure is more than just a buzzword. It’s a growing travel trend you can use to add to your bottom line.

In this article, you’ll learn why bleisure travelers are valuable, and how to attract them to your tours and activities.

The 3 types of bleisure travelers

Not all bleisure travelers are the same. To get the most out of this trend, it helps to understand the distinct types of professionals blending business and leisure.

1. The solo professional

This traveler is in town for a conference or client meeting and wants to unwind alone after a long day. They often book experiences last-minute and are looking for something low-pressure and restorative.

What they want: Flexibility, privacy, and stress-free planning.
Best-fit tours: Private walking tours, food tastings, sunset cruises, or anything that offers a “reset” after a full day.

2. The team bonding traveler

These are coworkers traveling together who want to make the most of their trip. They’re looking for fun, easy-to-book group activities that don’t feel like “forced fun.”

What they want: Convenience, casual fun, and light networking opportunities.
Best-fit tours: Mixology classes, ghost tours, cooking classes, escape rooms, or team scavenger hunts.

3. The tagalong vacationer

This traveler has tacked on a few vacation days, often bringing a spouse, partner, or family along. They’re in full vacation mode once the business part wraps.

What they want: Memorable experiences they can enjoy with others.
Best-fit tours: Family-friendly adventures, scenic day trips, or immersive cultural experiences.

Pro Tip: Structure your booking calendar around these behaviors — weekday evenings for solo professionals, mid-week group events for teams, and weekend-ready offerings for tagalongs.

Why bleisure is good business for tour operators

In 2024, a U.S. survey found that 48 percent of business travelers took a bleisure trip in the past year, and 84 percent said they wanted to add some vacation time to their corporate journeys. (Business Traveler USA). That makes bleisure one of the most important travel trends for tour operators to watch.

Bleisure travelers often extend their work trip into the weekend or seek activities after the day’s meetings wrap up. They might be remote workers enjoying the flexibility to work from anywhere, or professionals making the most of their time in a new city.

For tour operators, this means a unique chance to capture high-value customers. Think about a group of conference attendees booking a local food tour or evening cruise together. Suddenly, you’re not just filling one or two spots, you’re hosting a whole group.

Even better, bleisure travelers often return. After discovering your tours during a work trip, they’re likely to come back with friends or family in tow.

How to attract bleisure travelers

Position your tours to appeal to professionals

Use professional-friendly language in your marketing and tour descriptions. Words like “stress relief,” “balance,” or “networking after hours” speak directly to this audience. These cues make your experiences stand out when bleisure travelers are scrolling between meetings.

Offer options that work for their schedules and comfort levels. Solo-friendly tours, like private walking tours, give flexibility, while small group events — think an exclusive tasting at a local restaurant — make it easy for colleagues to book together.

Work with hotels, coworking spaces, and conferences

Partnerships are one of the fastest ways to get in front of bleisure travelers. Connect with local hotels, coworking spaces, and conference venues to make your tours part of their guest experience.

Offer exclusive packages or discounts for conference attendees. It’s an easy upsell for the venue and a new stream of bookings for you.

Pro tip: Invite venues to sell your tours through the FareHarbor Distribution Network (FHDN). Position it as a win-win for both of you. They earn affiliate revenue, and you gain wider exposure.

Use digital marketing to reach this audience

Bleisure travelers are planners. They research activities between meetings or while booking conference travel, which makes your digital presence critical.

Optimize your website and tour descriptions with terms they might search, like “things to do after work in [city]” or “weekend tours near [conference center].” Share availability for evenings and weekdays on your Google Business Profile to capture quick decisions.

Don’t overlook business-focused platforms. Sharing posts or running ads on LinkedIn can help tour operators grow bookings and partnerships by meeting travelers where they’re already planning their trips.

Add-ons and pricing strategies to appeal to bleisure travelers

Bleisure travelers are often willing to pay a little more for comfort, flexibility, and convenience. That makes add-ons and smart pricing strategies an effective way to win them over.

Offer extras that align with a professional’s needs, such as private transfers, coworking day passes, or a bundled dinner reservation after your tour. These small touches make their experience seamless and save them time.

You can also adjust your pricing to fill weekday or off-peak slots — prime times for business travelers looking to book after hours. Consider offering weekday specials or flexible packages that extend into the weekend.

Pro tip: Practical upgrades that match bleisure priorities, like a “VIP early start” option that or hotel transfers resonate more with business travelers.

Turn bleisure into your next growth opportunity

Bleisure isn’t just a passing fad. It’s a growing travel trend that brings longer stays, higher spending, and more repeat business. By positioning your tours for professionals, building local partnerships, and offering thoughtful add-ons, you can tap into a steady stream of high-value customers.

Ready to capture this market? Explore how FareHarbor can help you design and manage experiences tailored for business travelers on our private events page.