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Business and events travel

Bleisure

After the commitment, one or two extra days to explore the city.

Bleisure combines two English words, business and leisure, business and leisure. It’s the travel industry’s name for an old habit: using a business trip to get to know the place by arriving a little earlier or staying a little later than the commitment.

The equation is simple. The ticket already exists, the city is already there, and one or two extra days turn a business trip into a short leisure trip.

How to extend your business trip with leisure

The most common way is to use the weekend. If you have a meeting on Thursday or Friday you return on Sunday; if it starts on Monday you arrive on Saturday. Adjusting the travel dates when buying the ticket is usually simpler than changing them later.

You need to agree with your company. What counts as a business expense, such as the fare and the hotel nights for the days of the commitment, and what is a personal expense, such as the extra nights, tours and weekend meals, should be clear before the trip. Many companies have written rules about this.

It’s also worth deciding where to stay. Lodging near the event is convenient during workdays; for your free days it may make sense to move to a nicer neighborhood for walking, or remain in the same place and save the time of relocating. Family or a companion can arrive on the last day of the commitment. Frequent travelers to the same city can split the sightseeing: a neighborhood or a museum each trip.

What fits in a few hours

You don’t always have extra days. With an afternoon free or an evening, the right programs are those that are nearby and have predictable duration.

A museum can be visited in two or three hours. A municipal market shows regional products and foods in one walk. A walk through the historic center in the late afternoon fits between the end of a meeting and dinner. And dinner at a local restaurant is itself a sightseeing activity.

In Petrópolis, for example, the Imperial Museum and the streets of the Historic Center take an afternoon. In Salvador, Pelourinho can be explored on foot in a few hours. Many museums close one day a week: check before you go.

What fits in a weekend

With two days, the city where the commitment takes place reveals itself or serves as a starting point. In São Paulo, the weekend can be filled with museums, markets and restaurants. In Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, beaches add to the historic center. In Brasília, the architecture of the public buildings and Lake Paranoá fill a day well.

In others, the attraction is nearby. Someone going to Foz do Iguaçu for a conference sets aside a day for the Cataratas do Iguaçu. If you have a commitment in Gramado you extend your trip through the Serra Gaúcha, and if you go to Florianópolis you stay for the beaches. From a meeting in Rio de Janeiro you can go up the mountain to Petrópolis, about 60 kilometers from the capital’s international airport.

The same applies abroad. Lisbon, Portugal, and Barcelona, Spain, host conferences and fairs and are cities where two extra days allow for pleasant walks and sightseeing.

Bleisure and other types of tourism

The extra day is the gateway to other trips. Gastronomic tourism appears first, because everyone needs to eat: typical dishes, markets and fairs fit any schedule.

Cultural and historical tourism comes next, with historic centers, museums and monuments, which are usually in central areas near the accommodations of business travelers. In beach cities, sun and beach resolve the morning after the event.

With a full weekend, ecotourism, on a trail or in a nearby park, enotourism and drinks at a winery, and wellness and health activities for those who just want to rest after intense days become possible. Many people discover a place this way and return later on vacation.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the word bleisure come from?

From the combination of business and leisure in English. It names the business trip that gains a few days of sightseeing before or after the commitment.

Who pays for the extra days on a business trip?

Generally, the traveler does: hotel nights, meals and tours for the leisure days are personal expenses. The company covers the days of the commitment. Agree on the rules before traveling.

How many extra days are worthwhile?

One or two days are usually enough to see the main sights of a city. The weekend attached to the commitment is the most common choice because it doesn’t require additional time off work.

What to do in a city with only an afternoon free?

Choose nearby programs with a set duration: a museum, a market or a walk through the historic center, and finish with a dinner of local food. Confirm in advance whether the place is open that day.

Can I bring my family on a business trip?

You can, provided their expenses are paid separately and the company agrees. Many people arrange for their family to arrive on the last day of the commitment.

Where to go: Bleisure

Pick a region or a state on the map, or type what you are looking for, to see the cities and who offers it in each.

Tap a state or a region to see the cities. Mapa: @svg-maps/brazil, CC BY 4.0

Salvador BA
Centro histórico e praias depois do evento.
Brasília DF
Eventos frequentes na capital e a arquitetura de Niemeyer para visitar.
Belo Horizonte MG
Estrutura de negócios na capital e Inhotim a curta distância.
Rio de Janeiro RJ
Praias e centros de convenções na mesma cidade.
São Paulo SP
Museus, teatros e restaurantes para o dia a mais depois do compromisso.
Curitiba PR
Parques e passeios urbanos depois dos eventos empresariais.
Florianópolis SC
Eventos na área central e praias na mesma ilha.