The boundary between professional and personal lives has never been more porous. The traditional business trip, all sterile hotel rooms, fluorescent-lit conference halls and a frantic dash back to the airport, is becoming outdated.

Welcome to the era of bleisure. A rather inelegant portmanteau, admittedly, but the idea behind it is straightforward. Blending business and leisure within a single trip has shifted from something a few people did quietly to something far more common. Increasingly, the question is less “should I?” and more “why not?”

The numbers back that up. Six in ten UK business travellers now extend work trips for personal time, and 78% say it improves the overall experience. As remote and hybrid working continue to loosen the need to be tied to a desk, it makes sense. If you can meet a deadline from a terrace in Barcelona or a riverside café in Amsterdam just as easily as from your kitchen in Guildford, there is less reason to rush straight home.

There are practical benefits too. Combining business and pleasure can reduce the need for separate trips, saving time and often money. Flights are usually covered for work, so extending your stay usually just means paying for extra nights and your own expenses. For busy professionals, it is a relatively simple way to get more out of travel without adding another trip to the diary.

Hotels have been quick to respond. Places that once focused almost entirely on being close to conference centres are now paying more attention to the overall experience. Location still matters, but so does the feel of the neighbourhood, the quality of the restaurant and how easy it is to switch from work mode to downtime. Many hotels now offer coworking spaces, wellness facilities and local recommendations, making it easier to settle in and stay a little longer.

Some cities are better suited to bleisure than others. Amsterdam, Vienna, Singapore and Copenhagen tend to come up again and again, largely because they are easy to get around in and have plenty to do beyond work. Closer to home, London consistently ranks among the top bleisure destinations, which is rather pleasing, even if most of us rarely experience it as travellers.

The tax question

This is the part people often overlook, but it matters.

HMRC is clear that travel expenses must be wholly and exclusively for business to qualify for full tax relief. If your trip includes both business and personal time, you need to split the costs. In many cases, flights can still be claimed if the main purpose of the trip is work. But extra hotel nights, meals and anything you do during your extended stay are personal expenses.

A common mistake is trying to claim the entire trip. HMRC is strict on this, so it is important to keep clear records and separate business from personal spending as you go, not after the fact.

It is also worth checking what your employer will cover. Some companies are open to contributing towards certain costs, but it varies. A quick conversation before booking can save a lot of confusion later.

Getting the balance right

Bleisure works best when it is planned properly. Your work commitments come first, and the leisure part should fit around them. Extending your trip by a day or two at the end is usually the easiest option, as it allows you to finish work before switching off.

One thing that is often underestimated is the transition between work and downtime. Going straight from a full day of meetings into a packed sightseeing schedule can feel more tiring than enjoyable. Slowing it down works better. A walk, a good meal and a proper night’s sleep can reset things far more effectively.

It is also worth remembering that this is not a full holiday. Trying to fit one in rarely works. A couple of things you actually want to do, with space around them, tend to be a better approach.

Finally, check your travel insurance. Cover often ends when your business commitments do, which can be an issue if you are planning activities afterwards.

Bleisure will not suit every trip. A one-night stay in Birmingham for a breakfast briefing does not lend itself to the same thinking as a week in Tokyo. But for those longer hauls to genuinely compelling destinations, the question is not whether to extend, but by how many days.