PUSH Travel, Combine Business Trips Into "Me Time"

PUSH Travel

Combine Business Trips Into “Me Time”

Ever heard of the term “bleisure?”

As we have all experienced, travel in the sports tourism industry can be taxing, especially when you spend most of your time in airports, airplanes, Ubers, convention centers, meeting rooms, and hotels. Not to mention, restaurant bills equivalent to the cost of your monthly car payment. Nothing about these experiences equals relaxing, approaching the feeling of being on vacation, or taking time for yourself.

In our line of work, traveling for the business of creating relationships, securing sponsorships and events, and speaking engagements is part of the mix. However, it doesn’t have to be so draining. Even though we have these responsibilities and requirements, we can still find time to enjoy, relax, and take in some sightseeing that broadens our horizons and boosts creativity. So much so that, now more than ever, we see our colleagues responding to the idea of bleisure experiences. Business trips combined with leisure activities allow us to minimize the grind.

Many of us try to create time for fun while on a business trip. Building in time to visit a museum, see a game at a stadium you’ve never been to, or eat at a famous chef’s restaurant makes traveling enjoyable. These experiences don’t take too long to plan and can happen before or after the work begins. The workforce in the United States needs to improve at taking a break from work. Over 55% of the workforce uses only some paid time off annually. Americans are so bad at prioritizing ourselves that the US Travel Association created a National Plan for Vacation Day each January.

It’s true that booking a week-long vacation to lounge on a beach in the Caribbean isn’t in the cards for many of us (but it can be a goal). Instead, planning some time to explore a city and its surrounding areas while on your next business trip can provide snippets of happiness mixed with the travel you plan to do.

With the conference lineup in 2024, you could take a scenic, guided tour of the Oregon coast or take a day trip to Mt. Hood. While in Las Vegas, you won’t be too far from the West side of the Grand Canyon. Check out the Harley-Davidson or Milwaukee Art Museum while in Wisconsin. Buy tickets to an Angels baseball game during your trip to Anaheim. Or don’t miss the Sedgwick County Zoo when visiting Wichita.

If you have the perk of collecting rewards points, add a night on the front or back of a bleisure trip and stay at a nearby resort. Maybe you need a book to engulf yourself in and a great resort view to unwind and enjoy life as a visitor.

Make a vow to plan and enjoy one memorable experience every time you travel for work. We all have different interests and ideas that will energize a work trip, but you must decide to move forward and participate in the experience. You’ve worked hard, and you deserve it.