Most companies understand the value of business travel for closing deals, meeting clients, or the more recent trend of gathering remote employees together for team-building.
But many companies overlook the employee benefits that come with adding a personal trip to the beginning or end of a business trip. After all, employee burnout is real, and the cost of replacing a team member can be high. Offering employee travel benefits can be a powerful way to attract and retain talent.
Read more about how to improve employee benefits with personal travel in our guide: Why Personal Travel Benefits are the Perk Companies Should Offer Now
How Personal Travel Works as an Employee Benefits
The pandemic disrupted a lot of things, including the traditional patterns around business travel. It also created a greater recognition of the power of work-life balance.
One way to do that is to add some PTO to business trips. It makes sense: Employees are already in a different destination — perhaps in a new city or near a beach — so why not take advantage of being there?
And that’s exactly what’s happening. According to Navan data, 2023 saw a 76% year-over-year increase in bleisure, or blended, travel. That’s not super-surprising, considering that 2023 was the first full post-pandemic year.
But what is surprising is that, according to the 2024 Skift survey, 58% of managers actively encourage their employees to take some time for themselves. It’s a growing trend: In last year’s Skift survey, that number was just 51%
Travelers want more: The 2024 Skift survey also found that 67% of managers said their companies offer financial rewards for personal travel, but a full 81% would like them to.
Read more about how to improve employee benefits with personal travel in our guide: Why Personal Travel Benefits are the Perk Companies Should Offer Now
How Companies Are Offering Employee Travel Benefits
It’s never been easier for employers to offer great benefits to their employees — at least, with the right tools.
With Navan, business travelers can book personal flights and hotels on the same platform, all while keeping their personal travel plans separate from their employers. There are good reasons to do just that: Travelers can take advantage of corporate negotiated rates and other discounts they won’t find on consumer sites. They’ll also have access to the same great customer service as business travelers, which lets them avoid busy consumer channels.
Even better, travelers can now earn rewards on personal travel with Navan. This means that on a blended trip, employees can potentially triple-dip on rewards. They can earn Navan Rewards through business travel and personal travel and collect loyalty points from hotel brands they love.
The bottom line: It’s easier than ever to offer employees travel benefits — a helpful tool for attracting and retaining top-notch talent.
Read more about how to improve employee benefits with personal travel in our guide: Why Personal Travel Benefits are the Perk Companies Should Offer Now