The world famous Hong Kong skyline is a major attraction for both business and leisure travellers. Photo: Shutterstock
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https://scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2189482/best-bleisure-destinations-asia-tokyo-top-ahead-singapore Travel & Leisure
Best bleisure destinations in Asia: Tokyo top ahead of Singapore and Hong Kong, according to new report
- Sydney and Melbourne make up the other cities in the top five, while the overall ratings for Shanghai and Beijing continue to rise
- Hong Kong came top in digital connectivity, but was relatively poor in the areas of transport and safety
Tokyo’s Marunouchi business district. Japan’s capital city ranks as the top destination for bleisure travel in Asia. Photo: Alamy
Tokyo has ranked first in Asia as the city offering the ultimate combination of business and leisure, or “bleisure”, appeal for travellers, a new report reveals.
Singapore was ranked second out of 26 cities and Sydney and Hong Kong came joint third, though all have been recognised as top bleisure destinations.
Shanghai and Beijing, meanwhile, are catching up, according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) called “The 2019 bleisure barometer”.
Bleisure refers to the activity of combining business travel with leisure time. The report, released this month, was based on a survey of 1,500 business travellers from around the world, which asked for responses on everything from the ease of transport to the availability of goods and services. A score out of five was given for each criteria.
Tokyo earned top scores in three categories: quality of international links, availability of consumer goods and services and opportunity for cultural experiences.
Hong Kong did well across the board, reaching the status of a “five-star” city for bleisure travel. But it achieved the number one spot in only one indicator: digital connectivity.
“Hong Kong suffers its poorest showing in ease of transport, ranking eighth, and ranks sixth for safety,” says Michael Gold, EIU senior editor and writer of the report. “Hardly dismal showings, but perhaps two areas that officials can focus on in helping facilitate bleisure for future travellers.”
The report reveals major variances in the appeal for different cities. Singapore and Sydney are ranked below average for cultural experiences, while Hanoi, ranked low overall, and New Delhi achieved five-star status for culture alongside Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong. Brisbane ranked last on culture, just below Shenzhen.
“There’s a reputation in Asia that second-tier Australian cities are provincial and lack a feeling of hustle-bustle,” says Brian King of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Not surprisingly, less-affluent cities account for most of the one-star destinations, which comprised Bangkok in 19th position, Adelaide, Shenzhen, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Colombo, Hanoi, and Manila in last place.
Understanding that bleisure is hardly a niche phenomenon could make employees less shy about asking their companies if they can extend their trips into the weekend
Bleisure travel is on the rise. A 2018 survey found that 60 per cent of business trips among US-based executives incorporated a leisure element, up from 43 per cent in 2016.
“Part of this growth is due to the fact that many companies today recognise the importance of allowing for a larger dose of fun amid busy, often stressful business trips,” Gold says. “That is something particularly valued among the younger millennial cohort of corporate travellers.”
Hong Kong-based Noella Ferns, British Airways’ executive vice-president for Greater China and the Philippines, believes there is also a money-saving aspect to consider.
“Some travellers are extending their business trips to decrease the overall cost of taking a holiday, while others are taking advantage of flexible corporate travel policies,” she says.
An extended stay in a destination can have a significant value to a business, Ferns explains. As well as making employees happier and more productive, it makes it easier to schedule business meetings. “It also improves their local knowledge of places they visit, potentially simplifying business negotiations.”
Hong Kong did well across the board in the ratings, reaching the status of a ‘five-star’ city for bleisure travel. Photo: Shutterstock
Some think that the driving force behind the trend of blending leisure and business travel is technology.
“The key reason why Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney and Hong Kong make excellent locations for bleisure travel is connectivity,” says David Armstrong, CEO of travel website HolidayPirates. “The internet infrastructure in these locations is extremely advanced. The trend is also strongly linked to the nature of modern-day professions, many of which allow for digital communication and are not dependent on office-based staff.”
An increase in listings, ratings apps/websites and social media is also helping corporate travellers more readily find opportunities for leisure while on business trips, according to Gold.
The rise of bleisure is also leading to new business models in the travel industry. “You might want to be in Tokyo’s Marunouchi business district for the business portion of your trip, before switching to a leisure hotel in Kagurazaka to explore a completely different side of Tokyo,” says David Ferreira, co-founder of Nightly.travel, a booking website that helps travellers split their stay between two hotels.
“Understanding that bleisure is hardly a niche phenomenon could make employees less shy about asking their companies if they can extend their trips into the weekend,” Gold says. “Or let their business partners take them out for a local dinner or cultural show.”
Asia’s top cities for bleisure travel:
1. Tokyo
2. Singapore
3. Hong Kong
3. Sydney
5. Melbourne
5. Shanghai
7. Beijing
8. Osaka
9. Perth
10. Seoul