Work & Play: The rise of blended travel

Remote work has allowed employees to work from anywhere – even while traveling – and many travelers are taking full advantage with blended trips. Blended travel refers to trips that include both work and leisure time, whether it’s adding extra vacation days to a business trip or working remotely during a vacation. Squaremouth recently polled more than 2,500 travel insurance customers regarding their upcoming travel plans and their experience with blended trips.

Nearly Half of Travelers Have Taken a Blended Trip

While mixing work with vacation may not be for everyone, almost half of Squaremouth customers confirm that they have experience mixing business with leisure. Over 43% of surveyed travelers revealed that they’ve taken a blended trip in some capacity in the past.

A Quarter of Travelers Are Planning Blended Trips in the Near Future

Squaremouth experts expect the trend of blended travel to continue moving forward. Roughly a quarter (24%) of Squaremouth customers foresee themselves taking a blended trip in some capacity within the next 12 months.

Travelers who voiced interest in blended travel indicated what type of trip appeals to them most:

1. 53% of travelers would prefer adding vacation days to their business trips
2. 39% would opt to work remotely while on a personal vacation
3. 8% would prefer to travel and work simultaneously as a digital nomad

Have you ever taken a blended trip?

1. Yes (42.60%)
2. No (57.40%)

What best describes the trip you are buying this policy for?

1. Purely a vacation (88.71%)
2. Purely a business trip (1.21%)
3. It’s a vacation, but I plan on working remotely at some point during the trip (7.92%)
4. It’s a business trip, but I plan on adding days before/after for vacation time (2.17%)

Do you foresee yourself taking a blended trip within the next 12 months?

1. Yes (24.45%)
2. No (75.55%)

Which of the following blended trip scenarios would you prefer?

1. Adding vacation days to the beginning or end of a work trip (25.25%)
2. Working remotely while on vacation (18.25%)
3. Working remotely as a digital nomad (3.65%)
4. I would not take a blended trip (52.86%)

Methodology: Squaremouth polled more than 2,500 customers between 10/12/2023 and 10/25/2023 to learn more about the popularity of blended travel. (PRNewswire)