Bleisure travel booming among multiple age groups: study

Bleisure travel—combining business with leisure—is no longer just a Gen Z thing. It’s gaining traction across all age groups, including Gen X Canadians.

According to new national survey data from Corporate Traveller Canada and YouGov, 24 per cent of Canadian business travellers aged 45 to 60 now regularly blend work and leisure on their trips, just slightly behind the 28 per cent of Gen Z travellers doing the same.

This trend isn’t limited to business travellers either. A related survey by Flight Centre, also conducted with YouGov, found that 63 per cent of Canadian workers planning to travel in 2025 are open to mixing business with leisure, and nearly one-third (32 per cent) have already done so.

“Bleisure travel—the blend of business and leisure—has gone mainstream, and it’s resonating with Canadian travellers across the age spectrum as a tool for work-life balance,” stated Amra Durakovic, spokesperson for Flight Centre Travel Group, including global brands Corporate Traveller and Flight Centre. “Nearly all Canadians—96 per cent—say travel plays a vital role in their mental health.”

Figures from Flight Centre’s global survey included 6,141 adults (1,109 from Canada).

Key Canadian insights

Some key insights from Canada include:

Nearly three in ten SME employees (29 per cent) say travel demand at their company is already higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Work-Life Balance Is Better Than Before

91 per cent of SME employees say their work-life balance on business trips is the same or better than in 2019. Young Canadians lead the way:

• Gen Z: 50 per cent say it's better
• Millennials: 43 per cent agree
• Gen X: Only 21 per cent agree, but 68 per cent say it’s about the same

Bleisure Is Cross-Generational

Nearly seven in ten (68 per cent) SME employees add leisure to business travel at least sometimes.

• Gen Z: 28 per cent do it “all or most of the time”
• Millennials: 33 per cent do the same
• Gen X: 24 per cent do, too

Older Travellers Get More Flexibility

While 30 per cent of SMEs offer little or no flexibility for personal extensions, the older the employee, the more wiggle room they get:

• 18 to 24: 38 per cent report minimal flexibility
• 25 to 34: 31 per cent report the same
• 35 to 49: 30 per cent
• 50 to 64: 28 per cent
• 65+: 14 per cent

“Business leaders need to understand that bleisure is a strategic retention tool, not a perk,” stated Durakovic. “Happy, balanced employees are more engaged and more loyal. It’s not about escaping work—it’s about expanding life.”

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