Fewer travellers separate business and pleasure

According to Travel Wellbeing Report by Expedia the work life balance is being affected as people increasingly merge leisure time with trips related to work. People under the age of 35 are the worst group for mixing the two, as they are twice as likely to do so as the older generation. However, while it’s perhaps not the ideal scenario, these so-called ‘bonus breaks’ do have both positive and negative consequences.

With the trend of blending business and leisure trips, an annual business travel insurance policy might offer travellers better value for money. Andy Washington, managing director of travel site, Expedia.co.uk said: “Bonus breaks are a great way to add a short break and briefly unplug from work without using up too much of your holiday allowance. “Adding a short break to your holiday is a great way to get around the challenges of finding time with the pressures of conflicting schedules.”

Workers in the UK receive less annual holiday than most people in the rest of Europe and so are 10% more likely to grasp the chance for a bonus break. Mr Washington continued to say: “Even short breaks can make us feel more rested and ready to tackle our 'to-do' lists when we return to work. The key is to use technology and flexible working to enhance - rather than interfere with - our holidays and much-needed time off.”

It seems that despite having huge annual leave allowances, the majority of French, Italians and Germans feel holiday deprived. This could be because fewer (28%) are willing to create bonus breaks. However, while bonus breaks might seem like a creative way to squeeze out some leisure time, it can negatively affect the work life balance.

When people do manage to get a few days’ holiday, many travellers struggle to switch off. On average 16% of Brits check work emails and voicemails when on holiday, but this rises to a quarter for under-35s.

Date Created: 04/02/2014