A consultant flies to a regional hub for a late-week meeting. Their partner joins for the weekend; they use loyalty points to upgrade the room, book a set‑menu Valentine’s dinner on the Saturday evening, and add a day of local exploring before flying home. This is business travel done right.
It’s an open secret that multi-day business travel is less “exciting time away in a new city” and more “lonely and exhausted”. It’s a recipe for decreased productivity and, critically for your business, a negative impact on mental and physical health, says Herman Heunes, GM of Corporate Traveller South Africa.
We all know the drill: waiting at airports, transfers, delays, traffic jams, jetlag, long days in meetings, hotel food eaten alone. It’s a drag. Companies have woken up to this, and many are supporting employees who tack a few leisure days on to their business trip, says Herman. Think: Monday is the new Sunday and Thursday is the new Friday.
Human connection
It’s not just about leisure time, though, but how you spend it. And crucially, with whom. Loneliness is now widely described as an epidemic, with younger men especially affected. There is strong evidence that close, in‑person connection is protective for mental and physical health.
The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing published in the UK’s BMJ Journals, for example, found that people with the highest loneliness have about a 30% higher risk of new cardiovascular disease and a 48% higher risk of related hospital admission than the least lonely.
Additionally, a meta‑analysis of 16 longitudinal studies published by the US’s National Library of Medicine, found that loneliness and social isolation are associated with a 32% higher risk of stroke, which is on par with established risk factors like job stress.
In mental health terms, social support consistently predicts lower depression and anxiety.
Of course, business travel can offer its own social rewards – colleagues bonding over delayed flights, discovering hole-in-the wall restaurants together and navigating foreign cities as a team. But an adventure with a loved one? Priceless.
Love is in the air
In a 2024 Deloitte corporate travel study, 41% of travellers said time away from loved ones was a top drawback of business travel. Simultaneously, research into work‑life balance and satisfaction in romantic relationships suggests that spending quality time with a supportive partner significantly lowers the damage of high work stress.
“This supports the idea that using business trips as opportunities for couple time, such as a Valentine’s long weekend around meetings, can strengthen relationships, provided there is deliberate planning and partner inclusion,” says Heunes.
Bringing a partner along on a work trip is both rational choice and preventive care. It replaces evenings alone with shared experiences, turns anonymous hotel time into couple time, and gives the travelling partner a built‑in source of emotional support and stress‑buffering presence.
Instead of date night, plan a Valentine’s Day bleisure date-cation. Convert a solitary three‑night trip into a shared experience, especially around Valentine’s Day.
How to do it
Be transparent. A “stealth trip” or “hush trip” might be tempting – especially if you work remotely – but it can have huge duty of care ramifications. Instead, openly discuss your plans with your boss, team and travel management company (TMC). Your TMC will be able to use their buying power to secure the best rates and upgrades – and ensure details like travel insurance and visas don’t trip you up. Your employer is unlikely to pay for your partner’s flights and excursions – but loyalty points, special rates and negotiated fares can go a long, long way.
Plan the “relationship time” properly. Your partner does not want to spend all their time on their own. Block out one or two non‑negotiable windows for couple time, such as a Valentine’s dinner plus a morning walk, and keep those off‑limits for calls.
Manage expectations; transparency extends to your partner too – be honest about your workload, when you will be working, and when you will be fully present.
Keep logistics as smooth as possible and choose accommodations and locations that serve both purposes. Corporate Traveller’s analysis of longer average stays and their own client communications show a shift towards central, amenity‑rich hotels that are walkable to both meetings and restaurants or cultural sites, which is ideal for squeezing in a Valentine’s lunch or evening out.
Look for hotels with strong WiFi, quiet workspaces, and late checkout, but also easy access to romantic experiences (views, spa, wine bars, or safe evening strolls), so you don’t waste limited shared time.
If you can’t book chunks of couple time, use micro‑moments. Build small rituals into your day, even on days of back-to-back meetings: early morning coffee together, a sunset walk between sessions, or room‑service dessert after you’ve logged off.
Once you’ve made your plans, protect your time. Don’t over‑schedule sightseeing on top of work and add your leisure days at the end of the trip, so your break is not overshadowed by next‑day presentations.
“For more guidance on structuring bleisure travel that works for both your business and your people, speak to your TMC or travel expert about travel policy considerations, duty of care, travel insurance and the accommodation options, rates and excursions that it make it worthwhile,” says Heunes.
