As the global economy continues to prompt more professionals to be on the road more of the time, an increasing number of hoteliers are focusing in on one goal: to attract business travelers. Today, this cross-section of travelers has become one of the most valuable, most sought-after in the industry.
And there are many reasons why.
Their corporate travel budgets often give them more spending power. Their business itineraries bring them to locations that may not enjoy a steady flow of tourists. They’re more likely to prioritize convenience, which means they spend more on the property instead of adventuring out. And they’re very likely to extend their trips to incorporate at least a little bit of personal time.
The Two Types of Business-Pleasure Travelers
As you start to develop a strategy to attract business travelers (or to attract more of them), it’s important to recognize that there are two categories of travelers who blend business and pleasure. Understanding this difference allows you to tailor your hotel’s offerings and messaging, so your property becomes the most attractive option.
Bleisure Travelers – A term that’s been growing in popularity over the last several years, “bleisure travelers” are those who plan to extend their business trip to include some leisure time. Whereas this once meant an extra day or two, it’s now becoming more common to see bleisure travelers staying the same number of days (or more) than the original business trip.
Bleisure travelers tend to be interested in activities such as spa treatments, local dining, cultural and art experiences, sightseeing, and renting beach or pool cabana. It’s an increasingly common choice for professionals in the Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations.
Workventure Travelers – A newer terms that’s finding its way into the standard industry lingo, “workventure travelers” are those who are attracted to the option of adding a little bit of adventure into their travels. While professionals of all ages are represented in this group, it’s Millennials who are most drawn to this style of travel (which may be why so many properties have found great success specifically tailoring their hotel marketing to speak to Millennials).
While bleisure travelers are more likely to plan in advance and remain at the same hotel for their downtime, workventurers are savvy travelers who tend to fall more on the spontaneous side of the spectrum. They make last minute decisions to stay several days after a conference, to have a partner or friend join them, to forego a networking event to dine at a “local’s favorite” type of restaurant.
How to Leverage the Difference to Attract Business Travelers
Next month, we’ll be taking a deep dive into strategies you should employ to make the most of this incredibly valuable cross-section of travelers. However, to keep your creative juices flowing, so-to-speak, here are some hotel marketing tips to consider:
- Bleisure travelers are more likely to remain at the same property – so when you send their hotel confirmation, consider suggesting an extension and make it easy to pay for the extension with a different credit card.
- Workventure travelers are more likely to travel to a nearby location for their trip extension – which is ideal for properties that aren’t centrally located in a business hub. Digital advertising has countless options for targeting nearby event attendees.
- Business travelers prioritize convenience and comfort. Bleisure travelers want to add leisure and relaxation. Workventure travelers want to add adventure and experiences. Tailor your messaging accordingly.
From packages that upsell guests to creating extraordinary onsite experiences, we’ve spent decades helping our hotel and resort clients differentiate their properties and attract highly sought-after categories of guests.
Let’s Talk More About How Top-Quality Cabanas Can Help You Attract Business Travelers
At Resort Cabanas (a division of Eide Industries, Inc.), we specialize in designing, manufacturing, and engineering custom commercial cabanas and pre-engineered options. With almost 80 years of extensive design, construction, metal fabrication, industrial sewing, and installation experience, we are proud to offer the highest quality products possible, made right here in the U.S.