Business Travel

Today’s business travel no longer has to be incompatible with leisure or vacation. In fact, new trends involve the unification of both concepts to the detriment of the corseted idea of a business trip characterized by a briefcase full of papers, a suit neatly folded in a dry cleaning bag and business meals or snacks while moving from one train to another. For better and for worse, we are living in an era where reality demands that we reconcile all areas of life.

You’re traveling for work, yes, but you’re still a person, and that’s why it’s important that the business travel experience be as uncool and human as possible. This type of travel, which many count as an important element in terms of emotional salary, is often grouped under the acronym MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions).

Of course, the reason for the trip is work-related, but it is clear to you that your human side is still active: or is it established by contract that the company provides for such vital and basic experiences as feeding and sleeping? If you are taken away from home for work, beyond working hours, that the conciliation is present even in that exception. And from that thought come ideas like…. Why not take advantage of those dead moments of the trip to go sightseeing?

It is obvious that it is a way to take advantage of time, to travel more economically (without duplicating budgets) and to visit cities or countries that would otherwise be more difficult to visit. It is about giving in on both sides: the company “imposes” the when and where; but at the same time it is flexible so that you can modify the “how”. For example: if you go to Cancun for a 48-hour meeting, the company might be willing to let you take some days off to compensate for jetlag and open to you deciding that instead of resting at home, you use them to get to know Cancun, agreeing for example to extend your stay and change your return ticket a couple of days, even if you are the one who assumes part or all of the cost of these changes.

This type of travel is known, in the latest tourism trends, as bleisure travel. This word comes from two Anglo-Saxon terms combined in a new word for business and leisure: bleisure. Currently, 36% of business travelers take the opportunity to take a leisure trip. You can extend your stay by a few days or take advantage of the structure and the business program to carry out leisure activities interspersed between sessions, meetings or visits to clients.

How to organize a bleisure business trip

If you want to organize your business trip so that nothing is left up in the air, it is not that you should not improvise at any given moment, but you should plan some key points to avoid mishaps. You can follow the following plan in which we propose the key points for your mixed business and leisure trips.

Carefully prepare your travel documents

Supervise all your documents, they must be in order. And you should renew any expired documents in advance. It all depends on how often you travel. If you do it often, it is clear that this point is something you check regularly.

To know what documents you need you should consider two points: what nationality you are and where you are going to travel:

  • Identity card if you are a European citizen of the Schengen area.
  • Valid passport: be careful, there are countries that only accept electronic passports.
  • Visas can be purchased at the airport of arrival in the country, usually at a post near the passport control. But don’t worry, in some countries you won’t be able to do it this way and you will have to go to the consulate to apply for the visa beforehand; as it takes a couple of days, you should plan for it. For example, in Saudi Arabia this procedure is complicated, so you have to do it months in advance.
  • If you drive, your driver’s license may not be valid in some countries. In this case, you must obtain an international license.
  • Vaccinations: depending on where you are going, you should check that your vaccinations are in order. Go to your health center or the international travelers’ medical center.
  • The European or international health card, depending on where you are traveling, or your private coverage. However, it is always in your best interest to take out travel insurance.

Make photocopies or scans of all your documents in case they are lost or stolen! If it happens to you, report it to the police and then go to the consulate in the city you are in.

Keep in mind that some of the activities that are part of the leisure part of your business trip may require some documentation or planning and that, in principle, your company will not handle these issues. For example: if you need medical insurance with coverage in that country to practice a risky sport during your trip, or if you need to rent a car with prior reservation and a valid driver’s license to go on an excursion.

Check the weather forecast

It’s not a silly thing to do. Before packing your suitcase, you should know what the weather will be like at your destination. The weather forecast may even allow you to alter decisions such as whether the days of enjoyment at your destination will be before or after the work event.

In addition, in special cases where environmental conditions have a substantial impact on your health, you may need to take some precautions. For example, if you are allergic to pollen and you will be traveling to a destination with high pollen levels and no rainfall forecast, it may be a good idea to pack some antihistamine in your suitcase.

The country factsheet

Take a look at the country’s political situation, its history, its natural resources or its geography; it will be very useful for your meetings and networkings. It’s good to know their local customs; business deals get ruined by being completely ignorant of their social and commercial customs! Do you know that there are places with important business protocols? That’s right, from how to greet or how to dress, to a lot of details.

Electronic devices

Crazy as it may sound, plugs are not the same all over the world. And you, with your plug from Spain, are just as happy. If you find that you can’t charge your cell phone, tablet or laptop, you’re going to be overwhelmed. And also take into account the volts of the electric current. Take batteries with you to recharge your devices. Many hotels will not have adapters to provide you with them. Get information and take them yourself.

It is advisable to have your cell phone’s roaming service activated if you go abroad. If you are your own boss, talk to your company and, if you work for a company, let the human resources department know. Remember that in the European Union you can make reasonable use of data at no additional cost, as if you were still in Spain, but in non-EU countries, you will incur costs that can skyrocket if you do not take some precautions, for example, talk to your operator to set a consumption cap to avoid surprises.

The time zone of the place you are traveling to

Beware of jet lag, if the change is important schedule your meetings after a few hours. It is better to feel fresh and have time to prepare your meetings and presentations, than to arrive suddenly when your body has not yet adjusted to the change.

Currency exchange

You can change money at airports, both on arrival and departure. You must keep the receipt with the exchange rate to be able to make cash payments (multiply and divide to know if you are being ripped off, come on). It is also useful to report your expenses and check the charges of the trip upon your return.

How to pack for a bleisure business trip

Choose a lightweight suitcase with wheels and the dimensions required by the airline. This will save you a lot of time at the check-in counter. You will also save yourself the trouble of losing your suitcase. But don’t forget that some airlines only allow one piece of hand luggage, so you should be able to fit all the basics in that bag: clothes, cell phone, laptop, chargers! Depending on the number of days you are going to be away and the diversity of your plans, you should save space.

Clothes should be made of quality fabrics that do not wrinkle. You must make a good impression in order to succeed and be elegant but simple; your clothes must be clean, untorn and ironed. And, of course, in your leisure time you are not going to wear an office suit for a horseback riding excursion. Think carefully about your travel itinerary and take advantage of this planning to pack a good suitcase. Keep in mind that some things that may seem indispensable to you can actually be obtained at your destination: some toiletries, for example.

If it is necessary to dress up or you are going to an organized event, it is important to manage some alternatives: casual, formal business, black/white attire… Remember that it is totally legal, when in doubt, to ask the organizers of the event for the dress code they expect.