There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many of us work, and the way we spend our time away from work. With many companies choosing to continue the remote work policies they adopted during the pandemic, demand for business travel has gone down, but demand for bleisure travel has increased significantly, along with the need for bleisure travel insurance.

What is Bleisure Travel?

The word “bleisure” is a portmanteau of the words “business” and “leisure.” Bleisure travel is simply the act of taking a trip that combines business and pleasure. For instance, you may decide to spend a few weeks in a sunny locale with your family where you can work during the day, and enjoy the sights and experiences of a new city with them in the evenings.

With the newfound freedom to work from where they choose, but the need to still get work done, many are choosing to take more frequent vacations, albeit those where they’re never totally “out of the office.” Hence, the rise of the bleisure trip. 

In 2022, demand for bleisure travel has skyrocketed. Popular hotel and resort chains report a 25% average increase in bleisure bookings. The change has been so noticeable that American Airlines reported just this week that it is discontinuing first-class seating on its international flights. The reason? First class on these flights has traditionally been booked mostly by business travelers, whose numbers are dwindling. Bleisure travelers, being more likely to treat themselves on long-haul flights, prefer more luxurious amenities such as private cabins and beds. The airline industry is changing to meet those preferences. 

Travel Insurance for Bleisure Travel

While the ability to ditch your office walls in favor of an ocean view for a week or two certainly sounds appealing, there are some inherent risks involved in bleisure travel, so it’s important to have the right insurance.

Travel Medical Insurance

Travel medical insurance is short-term international health insurance that’s primarily focused on covering medical expenses while you are outside your home country. It is designed to cover new illnesses or injuries that occur after the effective date of the policy, and some plans can also cover acute onset of pre-existing conditions.

Travel medical insurance for bleisure travel can typically be purchased for durations ranging from five days up to one year, with some plans allowing renewal for up to two or three years. Travel medical insurance is only available for international trips. 

For non-US residents traveling to the United States, travel medical insurance is also called visitors insurance. 

If you’re traveling internationally, want insurance that primarily focuses on medical coverage outside your home country, and you’re interested in coverage for more than 30 days, travel medical insurance could be ideal coverage for your bleisure trip.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance, often referred to as travel insurance, is mainly focused on covering the prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs that you could stand to lose if you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason. However, coverage for emergency medical care is typically available as well. Most trip cancellation insurance plans are only available to US residents, and they are suitable for both domestic or international travel.

Trip cancellation insurance plans are best-suited to trips up to 30 days in length, though some may allow coverage up to 90 or 180 days.

If you are a US resident who is taking a trip that’s 30 days or less in length, either domestically or internationally, and you’re primarily concerned with coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, and the option to cancel for any reason with certain plans, trip cancellation insurance could be the best choice for your bleisure trip.