Atlanta among top 5 cities for bleisure travel Airbnb rentals

‘Bleisure’ is business travel with vacation days added on.

The newest segment of the travel industry is known as bleisure, the term given to business travel with a few days of vacation tacked on to the trip.

This isn’t anything new for people who travel for work, but it is an increasing trend which means someone had to give it a name for marketing purposes.

Atlanta has become a hot spot for the bleisure trend thanks in part to the amount of business travel to the city as well as the local attractions. The trend if even having an impact on local real estate with Atlanta ranking among the top cities for Airbnb rentals by bleisure travelers.

The 2014 Bleisure Report from Bridgestreet Global Hospitality found that among a survey of international travelers, 83 percent used time on business trips to explore the city they were visiting. Six out of 10 of respondents said they were more likely to take bleisure trips today than they were five years ago.

American are pretty fond of this trend with 72 percent of American business travelers saying they take extended executive trips that have a leisure component. In the same survey from Orbitz, 43 percent of those travelers said they had a significant other accompany them on a business trip.

In a recent survey, Atlanta ranked among the top five urban Airbnb markets primarily due to the rise in bleisure travel, according to rented.com’s 125 Best Places to Buy a Vacation Rental in 2017.

Nashville, Denver, Dallas and Austin were also among the top markets for bleisure Airbnb travelers. A thriving business sector combined with unique tourist attractions make the cities likely destinations for bleisure guests, the report said.

Beyond rentals, the hospitality industry is also getting in on the trend.

The Ellis Hotel, an independent hotel in downtown Atlanta, has begun billing itself as a destination for bleisure travelers.

“As a top destination for business travelers, our priority is to ensure our guests experience the very best of luxury and convenience, with a touch of leisure and fun,” said Kim Kleisner, general manager in a press statement.

The hotel is now promoting its meeting spaces, proximity to attractions, ecofriendly status and unique exclusive floors (women’s only floor, pet friendly floor, fresh air floor and wellness rooms) as the ultimate in bleisure travel.