Destinations known | ‘Bleisure’: not a millennial-led trend, just a bad name for mixing business and leisure

On May 10, United States President Donald Trump took to Twitter to put an end to weeks of speculation regarding the historic summit due to take place between his country and North Korea. It was, he declared, to be held in Singapore on June 12. The world reacted to the news with a shrug, the city state having been seen as a predictable choice for the unpredictable pair.

Uninspired (as the Lion City itself is often painted) though the pick may be, it presents plenty of opportunities for North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and Trump to indulge in what the marketing industry has christened “bleisure”, a grimace-inducing portmanteau combining “business” with “leisure”, otherwise known as adding a few days’ holiday on to a business trip.

The trumpeted “rise” of bleisure travel has, like many widely proliferated trends, been attributed to experience-hungry millennials, a generation that counts the North Korean leader among its number. And should he wish to capitalise on his recent increase in work-related overseas endeavours, Kim can make like his jet-setting contemporaries and stay for a few extra days in Singapore, tucking into hawker fare and taking selfies at the Marina Bay Sands’ infamous infinity pool. He could even invite his erstwhile nemesis, and perhaps new-found political associate, for a round of golf.

Several recent reports can be cited to back up the emergence and acceleration of business travellers turning their trips into bleisure jaunts. However, approximate research is lacking for older generations, back when they were perhaps more adventurous, making it difficult to compare one with the other. And while millennials might be particularly keen on portraying themselves as working hard and playing harder, it is not an especially revolutionary idea to tack a day or two of relaxation on to a professional trip.