With the arrival of the first peak travel season since the beginning of the pandemic, a new survey commissioned by Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts – part of IHG Hotels & Resorts and one of the world’s largest premium hotel brands – which polled 2,067 UK consumers, reveals Millennials (25 to 44 years old) (51%) and Gen Z (18 to 24 years old) (66%) consumers are more inclined to work for a company that offers frequent travel or flexible (work + leisure) blended travel possibilities as a perk.

As many UK-based employers struggle to find and retain workers, employees are in a stronger bargaining position. Employers looking to retain or attract talent must act to harness this increased desire for blended travel as, despite the cost-of-living crisis, YouGov research reveals that today’s consumer believes work flexibility in working hours to be of key importance when choosing where to work (55%), over a high salary (52%).

Of those surveyed by YouGov, 30% believe that combining work travel and leisure would allow them to progress further in their career and also 33% said that it would increase their happiness levels. Meanwhile, the brand’s ‘Blended Travel’ white paper says four in five* business executives worry that, unless they increase business travel, their professional (80%) and personal lives (80%) will suffer.

The survey reveals that 51% of UK consumers believe that it would be beneficial to them, and allow them greater flexibility, to combine work with a leisure trip abroad. Nearly two-fifths (42%) would add on average two to three more leisure days on to future business trips, whilst a third (31%) would feel more confident in travelling this summer if their holiday was blended into a work trip.

Top reasons for wanting to travel for work amongst consumers include to discover new places, countries, and cultures (43%). Crowne Plaza has reported an uplift in business travel stays at its hotels, with leading hotels for combined travel and work being at Crowne Plaza Budapest, Crowne Plaza Utrecht – Central Station, Crowne Plaza Warsaw – THE HUB, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam – South, Crowne Plaza London – Kings Cross, and Crowne Plaza Marlow.

‘As British employers struggle to fill vacancies, there is pressure on them to attract and retain the best talent. We’ve been playing in this space for many years, and we closely monitored evolving work and leisure trends. The shift since the pandemic has accelerated dramatically. Across our hotels and resorts, we’ve seen an uplift in those who blend work travel with leisure, and with 107 new hotels in the pipeline during the next three years, Crowne Plaza has already laid the groundwork by creating spaces and a service style that are specifically catering to these desires. People want in-person connections, and they also want the space to satisfy demands outside of the traditional 9-5 to enhance their well-being,’ said Ginger Taggart, Vice President, Brand Management, Global Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

To explore the changing needs of its guests in relation to the uplift in demand for combined work and leisure travel, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts and one of the world’s largest premium hotel brands, has launched the first ‘Blended Travel’ white paper by a hospitality brand: The Future of Blended Travel.

The ‘Blended Travel’ white paper, developed in partnership with global trends and insights business, Stylus, identifies four emerging sub-trends that speak to guest’s evolving needs: