Why Britain has become the top destination for US ‘bleisure’ invasion
It’s the travel trend that never quite took off. Ever since American trader Ben Hockett made millions during the 2008 global financial crisis by trading online from an Exmouth pub, travel marketers have tried to sell the concept of mixing holidays with work.
But now blended travel – or “bleisure”, as it was known in the 00s heyday of portmanteau neologisms – seems to be having a moment.
UK travel firms that arrange business travel say US companies are now allowing and even encouraging staff to extend work trips into the weekend and book excursions between meetings.
It’s one of several factors drawing many more North American tourists to the UK and Europe than before the pandemic. Flight bookings from the US to the UK for April to June are 30% higher than in 2019, according to ForwardKeys data supplied to the World Travel and Tourism Council, (WTTC), and are at similar levels for the rest of the year.
“American tourists have always been important to the UK economy, especially London,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive. “Last year, one in seven visitors came from America. It is great to see they are back in force, boosting the UK economy and jobs.”
From September to November 2022, visitor numbers from north America were 20% up on the same period in 2019, according to Visit Britain. London was the top European destination for north American travellers making bookings at the end of last year, according to Expedia’s traveller insights report, behind only Cancún in Mexico as an international destination. Travel search engine Kayak said searches for European travel were up 77%, while US officials said that passport applications had increased by at least 30% compared with last year.
A strong dollar helped fuel
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