Conference delegates are used to extending their stay in the
host destination to do a little sightseeing, sometimes host cities arrange exclusive trips for that purpose.
And according to recent surveys, the trend for 'blended travel' is gaining in popularity,
creating more opportunities for meeting destinations to maximise ‘delegate
spend’ and boost tourism receipts.
Figures from NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, part of NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI), show that so far this year, those visiting the city as part of a conference or business event are staying in the city 27.78 per cent longer than during the same period in 2023.
This follows an upwards trend which, according to the latest STEAM data published by Destination North East England in June, has seen the number of overnight visitors to the region (including both business and leisure travellers) grow to beyond pre-pandemic levels.
This year has seen the likes of the British Society of Gerontology (BSG) Conference and the 2024 annual conference of the International Society for the Study of Narrative take place in the city.
Caroline Reed, senior manager - Business Events, NGI, said: "Conferences bring hundreds of overnight visitors to Newcastle and Gateshead who spend around four times more than domestic leisure visitors, and this has a big economic impact on the city. These figures reflect what we increasingly are hearing from conference organisers, that once delegates come here, they want to stay for longer, or return as a leisure visitor.”
Meanwhile a seperate survey found that a third of UK employees (34 per cent) have taken a
trip that combined business and leisure in the last year, compared to 17 per cent previously.
The research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of spend management platform Pleo, canvassed the views of more than 1,000 UK workers in July this year.
Almost two-thirds of workers (62 per cent) say being able to
extend work trips for leisure is important to them, and just under half (48 per
cent) have become reliant on business trips to enjoy leisure travel since the
onset of the cost-of-living crisis.
Almost half of respondents said saving money was a key benefit of blended
travel, while 40 per cent appreciate the chance to explore new destinations and
35 per cent point to using less annual leave as an advantage of such trips.
More than a quarter of workers (23 per cent) claim to have saved over £1,000 on
a trip by adding leisure time to a business trip, with an average saving of
£788 per trip.
“Workers are enjoying the perks of blended travel this summer, but businesses
can enhance this experience by offering leisure extensions and providing
company cards for work trips,” said Benjamin Swails, general manager of UK and
Northern Europe at Pleo. “This not only benefits employees but also helps
businesses better control spending and ensures no one is left out of pocket.”
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
