Gen X represents a growing market for bleisure travel, survey says

Bleisure travel is no longer just a Gen Z trend; it’s booming across age groups, including among Canadians in the Gen X age bracket.

New data from Corporate Traveller Canada, based on a national survey conducted by YouGov reveals that 24 per cent of Canadian business travellers ages 45 to 60 are mixing work with pleasure all or most of the time—just slightly less than their Gen Z counterparts (28 per cent).

And it’s not limited to business travellers. A companion survey by Flight Centre, also conducted by YouGov, shows that 63 per cent of Canadian workers who intend to travel in 2025 would consider combining business and leisure on a future trip—with 32 per cent already having done so.

“Bleisure travel—the blend of business and leisure—has gone mainstream, and it’s resonating with Canadian travellers across the age spectrum as a tool for work-life balance,” says Amra Durakovic, spokesperson for Flight Centre Travel Group, including global brands Corporate Traveller and Flight Centre. “Nearly all Canadians**—96 per cent—say travel plays a vital role in their mental health.”

Key Canadian insights

• Nearly three in ten SME employees (29%) say travel demand at their company is already higher than pre-pandemic levels.91% of
• SME employees say their work-life balance on business trips is the same or better than in 2019.
• Gen Z: 50% say it’s better
• Millennials: 43% agree
• Gen X: Only 21% agree, but 68% say it’s about the same

Bleisure is cross-generational

Nearly seven in ten (68%) SME employees add leisure to business travel at least sometimes.

• Gen Z: 28% do it “all or most of the time”
• Millennials: 33% do the same
• Gen X: 24% do, too

Older travellers get more flexibility

While 30% of SMEs offer little or no flexibility for personal extensions, the older the employee, the more wiggle room they get:

• 18 to 24: 38% report minimal flexibility
• 25 to 34: 31% report the same
• 35 to 49: 30%
• 50 to 64: 28%
• 65+: 14%

“Business leaders need to understand that bleisure is a strategic retention tool, not a perk,” says Durakovic. “Happy, balanced employees are more engaged and more loyal. It’s not about escaping work—it’s about expanding life.”

Further insight and access to survey findings available upon request. For more information, visit corptraveller.com.