A conference in Bangkok can become a weekend in Phuket. A client meeting in Tokyo can be followed by a few days of sightseeing. A business trip no longer has to end when the work is done. Increasingly, bleisure (business plus leisure) is becoming an expected corporate perk.
The trend of extending business trips for leisure is one of the fastest-growing segments in global corporate travel, according to corporate travel management platform Navan. Its June 2026 analysis puts the global bleisure market at US$762 billion in 2025, and forecasts that it could exceed US$2.2 trillion by 2034. The growth is fuelled by rising demand for work-life balance, flexible corporate policies, and an expanding pool of employees who travel for work.
Figures from travel technology company Arrivia are further evidence of the trend, with 84% of corporate travellers planning to add leisure time to their next business trip, and 76% having extended international work trips for personal time. As well, the pattern is significant for this region. The latest figures from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) show that business travel across Asia Pacific is forecast to reach US$700.9 billion this year, making the region the largest global market in 2026.
While bleisure has a positive impact for talent attraction and retention, it may present new challenges for HR, management and finance. To minimise dispute, and to avoid running afoul of the law in another jurisdiction, companies would want to put in place clear guidelines when it comes to an extension of a work trip for personal time. Here are some considerations.
1) Cost-neutrality
Who pays if extending a business trip makes the return flight more expensive?
A fundamental principle should be that the business portion of the trip, including airfare, accommodation and other approved expenses, does not cost the company more because the employee has chosen to add a personal portion. Policies should spell out exactly how the extras should be calculated.
2) Companion travel, shared expenses
Can a spouse or partner join the employee during the business portion of the trip? If they share a hotel room, how should the cost be apportioned? What about meals, land travel (example, taxi or hired car), or other shared expenses?
These may look like minor details, but ambiguity over relatively small amounts can still lead to unnecessary reimbursement disputes.
3) Insurance and duty of care
The company’s duty of care does not necessarily extend to an employee’s holiday. Corporate travel insurance and assistance services typically provide cover only for the official portion of the trip.
Companies need to make clear where corporate coverage ends and the employee’s responsibility begins.
4) Tax and compliance
For Singapore companies, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) makes a clear distinction between business and private expenses. Private expenses, including travel or entertainment costs that are not wholly related to the running of a business, are generally not deductible.
When it comes to GST, if an employee’s invoice contains both business and private expenses, the two should be separated because GST incurred on private expenses is not claimable.
There are wider tax considerations when a leisure extension goes past a certain duration or turns into remote working. The longer an employee stays (and works) from a different jurisdiction, the more companies need to think about potential corporate tax presence and income-tax withholding requirements.
A clear bleisure policy is increasingly important, particularly for companies with employees who frequently cross borders.
According to Navan, 73% of companies worldwide now have bleisure policies, up from 31% in 2022. The positive reception to bleisure is to be expected. A 2025 GBTA poll shows that among companies that allow blended travel, 71% cited improved employee satisfaction and well-being as a benefit, while 68% cited better work-life balance.
Asia-Pacific corporates, including those in Singapore, are among the fastest adopters of bleisure policies, with respondents indicating retention as a driver. But benefits come with risks, chief of which are: duty of care and traveller safety (59%), followed by expense tracking and reimbursement boundaries (55%), reveal GBTA findings.
For companies still frowning on bleisure, the message is clear: the practice is becoming part of the modern business trip, whether employers like it or not. A better approach is to put in place clear policies and guidelines – sooner rather than later.
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