This year has seen businesses balancing economic conditions and the hustle and bustle of the year, while making a big return to corporate travel. The traditionally (in many countries) ‘quieter’ period of December and January for corporate travellers is upon us, presenting the opportunity to take the last of the year’s business travel as a last-minute end-of-year holiday. Tom Walley (pictured), Australia-based global managing director at Corporate Traveller, Flight Centre Travel Group’s flagship SME division, offers tips to help tack a holiday onto the end of a December business trip while minimising costs and hassle. “There’s been an ever-increasing drive towards extended ‘bleisure’ stays, whereby travellers weave short breaks into a work trip, with an increase in trips of four days or more, and the desire for in-person Christmas functions are also roaring back,” Walley said. “Executives are eager to travel again by lengthening their stays to spend time with family, sightsee, or relax and reset. In fact, our own booking data shows more business travellers have been taking extended trips this year: longer domestic trips, of between four to six days, have increased by 4.6%. This would suggest many travellers are opting for a ‘long weekend’ or ‘week away’ approach to their trips. “Aside from extra accommodation, extending a corporate trip has no impact on the cost of flights as they are already booked. In fact, there can be perks to extending a trip, such as discounted rates or cheaper return flight dates. “Some organisations are realising that enabling staff to combine business with leisure has a positive impact on staff morale which, in return, positively impacts business success.” He adds: “Business travel is fast-paced, and an individual’s final trip of the year is often filled with meetings and events – their last opportunities to network and generate sales. To make the most of their time travelling or capitalise on the wind-down after their corporate trip is completed, travellers may find it advantageous to add a holiday to the trip. “However, there are several things that executives should consider before transforming their final business trip into a holiday, particularly if they’re organising it at the last-minute and are working with a tight budget, due to the rising costs of living.” Here are Tom’s seven tips to seamlessly turn your last business trip of 2023 into an end-of-year holiday:
- Take your holiday in the same location or region of your work trip. If your business trip is in a desirable city, consider holidaying there to avoid the hassle of arranging flights to a new destination. With holiday-goers usually leaving the city over December and January, you won’t be navigating city congestion and crowds on your holiday. Alternatively, that city could serve as a ‘homebase’ from which to take day trips out of the city during your break.
- Leverage discounts for long-term hotel stays. If your work trip is with other colleagues, and you are spending your Christmas holiday at the same destination, consider sharing a two-to-three-bedroom apartment, rather than booking individual hotel rooms. As accommodation rates tend to drop the longer you stay, you might be able to extend your stay for another week at a lower rate, during which time your family can join you. This saves the hassle and cost of sourcing accommodation during Christmas. Extending other bookings, such as car hire, can also lead to discounts.
- Choose accommodation with leisure facilities. Choose accommodation with a pool, spa and gym – or at least a room with a view. Facilities such as these will benefit the leisure portion of your trip, particularly if you will be transitioning into a family holiday with children.
- Turn your trip into a working holiday to save on some holiday expenses, and annual leave. If you want to save on your annual leave and some holiday expenses, consider working during the leisure portion of your trip. It may not be too late to volunteer to be a team member who remains ‘online’ during the Christmas break, or there may be projects such as reports, research, strategies, or policies that you can work on in that time. The benefit is that some of your holiday expenses could be tax deductible or expensed back to your employer, and you will save some annual leave days.
- Consider taking your holiday during an off-peak period. Avoid traditionally high travel days, such as the start of school holidays or the week before and after Christmas to reduce the risk of disruptions.
- Find last-minute deals. If you have left your booking to the 11th hour, don’t write-off your holiday just yet. There are several platforms that offer great deals on last-minute domestic and international flights and accommodation.
