Why business travel is back – incentives, in-person meetings, and blended ‘bleisure’ breaks

Ciara MacConnell of Travel Counsellors looks at how business travel is changing since Covid - Source: Irish Independent, 10 March 2025

Remember when company-paid trips were a coveted workplace perk? Incentivised travel is making a comeback since the disruption of the pandemic. These are trips where a company will bring their top business partners or customers away, whether that’s to a key conference or as a reward.

Big employers, along with those competing for top talent, are investing in incentive trips designed to reward performance, boost morale, and create lasting connections among colleagues.

With the expanded Small Benefit Exemption Scheme of €1,500, many companies can incentivise staff with the gift of travel. In a highly competitive job market, they are realising that motivating employees takes more than salary bumps and benefits — it requires experiences that foster collaboration and loyalty.

We’re seeing more in-person meetings, particularly since late 2023, and it was only last year that we saw this return to pre-pandemic levels.

We’re also seeing a stronger emphasis on work-life balance and the growing popularity of blended or ‘bleisure’ travel — where business trips seamlessly blend into leisure experiences.

As Corporate Travel Manager at Travel Counsellors for Business Ireland, I work closely with companies to tailor travel solutions that reflect these changing priorities and have seen these shifts first-hand over the last two decades – and this pace of change shows no sign of slowing.

In-person meetings are also making a strong return as businesses move beyond the virtual calls that dominated the pandemic years. While platforms like Teams and Zoom were essential, many clients now prefer face-to-face interactions for building stronger relationships.

The value of meeting in person - whether for closing deals, negotiating contracts, or simply strengthening professional relationships - is becoming more apparent after years of technical glitches, frozen screens, and awkward time zone mismatches.

This shift is especially evident in growing Asian markets, such as China, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and India, where personal connections and cultural nuances play a vital role in business. In these regions, in-person engagement is critical for establishing trust and commitment.

‘Bleisure’ travel — a blend of ‘business’ and ‘leisure’ — is set to grow even further, as professionals seek to balance work commitments with personal downtime.

Though figures fluctuate, we are seeing that around one in ten of business trips now include a leisure component. More and more companies are recognising this shift, allowing employees to use annual leave before or after business trips to explore new countries.

It’s a win-win: the business objectives are met, and the employee gets to make the most of their time abroad, rather than experiencing the all-too-familiar airport-office-hotel-airport routine.

This trend also speaks to the evolving nature of corporate travel, which is often fast-paced, exhausting, and tightly scheduled. Increasingly, business travellers are integrating leisure time into their work trips, either by extending their stay before or after business commitments or by incorporating a stopover enroute.

For example, someone attending a conference in San Francisco might extend their trip with a stop in New York to visit family before returning home — often at no additional cost to the business with savvy booking expertise.

In other cases, a traveller’s partner may join them, especially if they work remotely.

Or they might be in Sydney for business, and instead of their family travelling to Australia, they could come home via somewhere in Asia and meet their family there.

Travel management companies that facilitate corporate travel assist with these arrangements, including flights, accommodation, and sightseeing, allowing employees to return refreshed rather than burnt out.

This trend also speaks to the evolving nature of corporate travel, which is often fast-paced, exhausting, and tightly scheduled. Companies that embrace this approach will likely see higher engagement, productivity, and job satisfaction among their travelling workforce.

Sustainability is another key factor shaping the future of business travel, particularly with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) now in effect, requiring large and listed companies to disclose detailed ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) information, including travel-related carbon emissions.

While this may seem challenging, there are practical steps businesses can take to reduce their carbon footprint, such as flying direct or choosing the most direct route, grouping trips to condense shorter journeys, flying on more efficient aircraft or swapping to a lower cabin class (e.g. Business to Premium Economy); or opting for rail travel where possible.

Technology is also simplifying compliance, helping businesses track and manage their sustainability efforts more efficiently.

Last year, Travel Counsellors launched ‘myTC Insights’, a platform that provides clients with data and reports on carbon emissions for each trip. This integrates with their other digital services including ‘myTC Locate’, their duty of care solution for SMEs that locates travellers in the event of an emergency.

As corporate travel continues to evolve, businesses must strike a balance between efficiency, employee well-being, and sustainability.

Incentive trips, in-person meetings, and the rise of ‘bleisure’ travel all point to a future where travel is more intentional and rewarding. With new technologies making compliance and carbon tracking easier, companies can make smarter, more sustainable choices.

The landscape of business travel is changing, and those who adapt will be the ones who thrive.

Ciara MacConnell is Corporate Business Manager at Travel Counsellors Ireland. Contact Ciara here