Did you know that extra than 1/2 of South African Public Holidays in 2020 will fall on a Friday or a Monday? This twist of fate creates an appropriate possibility for corporates to take a few leisure holidays within the year to come. 
A famous buzzword, leisure is the conscious selection using commercial enterprise guests to add days of leisure journey onto a commercial enterprise trip. The idea has established to be more than only a fad, because the large majority of all commercial enterprise trips consist of some enjoyment additives, in step with the modern-day studies.
The 2nd annual ‘State of Business Travel Survey’ with the aid of National Car Rental shows that ninety% of millennials have engaged in leisure tours inside the past yr in comparison with eighty-one % of Generation Xers and 80% of infant boomers.
According to SAP Concur journey and rate data, leisure journeys improved by 20% from 2016 to 2017. During this time, more than 2.2 million leisure trips were taken by using commercial enterprise visitors around the world, making up 10% of total enterprise trips.
“For the modern corporate who has visible the boundaries of labor and personal existence an increasing number of eroding over time, leisure journey gives the opportunity to construct a bit private time into their business journey,” says Andrew Grunewald, Brand Leader Flight Centre Business Travel.
Grunewald provides that still for groups, leisure journey has its blessings. If the tourist decides to reach some days early to discover the vacation spot ahead in their assembly, they will be higher rested and be capable of making a better influence on the client. Meanwhile, if the commercial enterprise traveler chooses to extend their life, they may be incentivized to work greater productively and efficiently.
According to the present-day research, leisure travelers document significantly better ranges of delight with their nice of lifestyles compared to non-leisure guests (93 percentage vs. Seventy-five percentage) in addition to their paintings/lifestyles stability (87 percent vs. 64 percentage).
FCBT has compiled some first-class practices for South African leisure guests, with a purpose to make the maximum in their enterprise travels within the 12 months to come:
Safety First!
Despite the great majority of businesses allowing a leisure aspect to employee tour, almost a third (31%) do not amplify the safety of their corporate tour danger coverage to more days or enjoyment time, consistent with the present-day studies.
A recent survey performed with the aid of International SOS and CAPA (Centre for Aviation) revealed that nine out of ten human beings accept as true with the obligation for the leisure portion of commercial enterprise travel falls to the traveler. What’s greater is that one in four companies have now not even taken into consideration bleisure in their tour coverage.
“Speak for your Travel Management Company (TMC) for help on the way to include leisure journey into the tour policy and make certain your obligation of care program is part of that,” says Grunewald. “It is vital to be clean approximately whether the traveler is included under the employer policy in advance in their travels.”
Leverage Public Holidays and Weekends
Try agenda conferences on a Monday or Friday so that you don’t want to take up too many go away days. Better still is if you can get time table for your assembly ahead or after a public vacation. 2020 is the high-quality 12 months for this, as an exquisite range of South African Public Holidays will fall on Monday or Friday.
If you may squeeze your business ride in ahead of a public excursion and weekend, you may without difficulty get three days of traveling in another country without dropping an unmarried paid excursion. Keep in mind that public holidays are generally associated with inflated flight and lodge prices, so make certain to ebook early and get a fair price that complies together with your organization’s tour coverage.
Here’s a brief evaluation of next year’s calendar:
New Year’s Day (01 January) is on a Wednesday. You could schedule your business journey on 02 or 03 January. However, it’s in all likelihood now not the maximum efficient time of the yr for commercial enterprise offers.
Schedule your enterprise trip ahead or after the Easter weekend, and you may experience a lovely four-day excursion at your vacation spot.
Friday 10 April – Good Friday
Monday thirteen April – Family Day
Friday 01 May – Worker’s Day
An assembly on 30 April or 02 May ought to see you spending a three-day weekend with your circle of relatives or pals exploring a new destination ahead or after your enterprise obligations.
Tuesday 16 June – Youth Day
If you’re fortunate sufficient that allows you to agenda your meetings on 15 June, you could revel in three days in a thrilling vacation spot without having to take any holiday days. If you simply take one time without work and agenda conferences on Friday, 12 June or Wednesday 17 June, you’ll revel in 4 days’ at amusement to explore the destination.
