„Bleisure and workations are now common practice in most companies in Germany. However, 72 percent have not yet incorporated them into their travel policies. The German Business Travel Association (VDR) has presented new figures on the topic in its 2026 Business Travel Analysis.“
The trend of combining work and travel is here to stay—albeit with some room for growth. Bleisure travel is currently tolerated by more than half (53 percent) of all surveyed travel managers at companies and institutions based in Germany, but actively encouraged by only 39 percent. Similar trends are evident with workations: 56 percent tolerate working from a different location, but only one-third actively encourage the option. For 9 and 10 percent, respectively, bleisure and workations are not permitted.
Large companies with over 500 employees have led the way in acceptance and implementation so far. Nearly half (45 percent) already actively support bleisure requests, and 40 percent also support workations. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with 10 to 500 employees are still somewhat more cautious, with 29 percent supporting bleisure and 24 percent supporting workations.
Building structures, strengthening the employer brand
Analysts attribute this to the fact that larger organizations are more likely to already have the structures in place to properly separate rules, approvals, and cost logic, and to standardize benefits earlier. In smaller companies, however, blended travel is more often seen as a pragmatically permitted case-by-case solution.
This aligns with the finding that 70 percent of companies have not yet incorporated bleisure and workation into their travel policies, but are at least planning to do so. For 29 percent, blended travel is already an integral part of their travel policies; only 2 percent have no plans to integrate it.
With a view to building a strong employer brand, nearly one in four HR departments in the surveyed companies (24 percent) uses blended travel as an active component of their policy or employer communications. 57 percent use this benefit selectively, e.g., in individual teams or as needed. 18 percent are still discussing whether they should use blended travel to strengthen their employer brand. The VDR emphasizes that bleisure and workation trips offer a clear advantage for both employees and employers. “If private travel components can be seamlessly integrated, a traditional mandatory business trip transforms into a travel format that better aligns with the realities of modern work: more predictable, flexible, and attractive,” the report states. Employees would benefit from significantly greater flexibility, fostering motivation and satisfaction rather than additional stress.
Clear regulations are needed
Bleisure and workations have thus long since arrived and become established in companies, bringing significant added value that is now widely recognized. But one major problem remains at the moment: Companies have so far barely addressed these issues. In the event of serious incidents involving liability, insurance, labor law requirements, and tax law, many companies would be ill-prepared, warns the Business Travel Association. Clear regulations are needed, however. “Because it is often unclear when the employer is still responsible and when they are not, for example in the case of accidents during the private extension of a trip, on excursions, or during a workation abroad,” says the VDR. Ignoring posting rules, 183-day limits, or permanent establishment regulations abroad could even result in back payments and double social security contributions.
To address this, the VDR has, among other things, established a task force with members and is working on developing standards. Additionally, the fledgling initiative Blend_it! aims to enable all stakeholders to exchange ideas regularly. On July 14–15, 2026, an inaugural summit will take place in Frankfurt, featuring, among other things, new study findings on travelers’ needs.
Business travel on the rise again
The 2026 Business Travel Analysis revealed another key finding: last year, the number of business trips by German companies and institutions rose slightly again, from around 107.1 million to 116.1 million—primarily due to increased travel activity among small and medium-sized enterprises. Travel within Europe increased from 24 to 30 percent, at the expense of domestic travel.
The average cost per business trip, however, fell by 4.8 percent to 418 euros, partly because rail has become the most common mode of transport for business travelers and domestic flights now account for only 13 percent of the total. Overall, however, the VDR observes improved cost control, particularly among SMEs, which account for around three-quarters of all business trips by German companies and institutions.
Photo: iStock.com/Yuri_Arcurs
