[Business & Leisure, can we have both?]

LEISURE, without a “B” implies fun. But when B is put in the very front of this new portmanteau, the level of fun varies vastly with the weights of expectations and responsibilities from the business. Or would the length of “LEISURE” alleviate the psychological weight of the business mission for a business traveller? I am keen to find out from the personal dynamics with people of different age group, job hierarchical levels, inside and outside of the business world. It starts with me.

What is Bleisure?

Back in a report released in 2014 by the Future Laboratory, BLEISURE is defined as combining business travel with leisure time. They predicted this would be a new trend in the business environment and getting popular among Millenials in the media.

However, I am reserved to judge this from an age perspective because there is no quantitative report showing the correlation of age and travel habits. And I am not convinced because the blending of leisure activities in business trips were demonstrated by cross-border cargo truck drivers in Hong Kong who played a key role in fostering the entertainment industry in Shenzhen back in the 1980s.

Now that the data of travel itineraries in the hands of airlines, travel and hospitality booking platforms and credit cards are readily available, the behaviours of business travellers are more illustrative and predictable for leisure needs. But is it the real case that people will tag on a business trip to fulfil a personal leisure mission?

This is not a guide for afterwork leisure for business executives.

This is the memoir of my 8-year of active Asia Pacific business travel for the companies that I worked for from 2009–2017. And this is also a journal of an entrepreneur traveller since 2018.

This is a reflection based on the observation of myself as a business traveller on how business in Asia Pacific has been operated, systematically and culturally, and how the identity and life of business traveller like me has been shaped in the business, society and on the personal level.

Out of my curiousity, I will also share how different types of business travellers in Asia survive. And I am sure you will be interested too.

Upcoming next:

What are the changes over these years for the lives of business travellers?

Business.Technology. People. And…experience.

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