Mixing business with pleasure is the new way to travel

DESPITE advances in technology and telecoms making remote working easier than ever, business travel within Asia has still grown rapidly over the last few years, and by 2025 the region's spend on corporate travel is expected to tip US$900 billion, accounting for half of the world's total.

Linked to this, a new type of travel known as "b-leisure" - where employees combine their work trips with a weekend mini-break or leisure activities - is also emerging.

This is becoming particularly popular in Asia - a report that the Singapore Tourism Board commissioned with Amadeus found that Asian corporate travellers are twice as likely to book work trips that include weekends than their European counterparts (12 per cent versus 7 per cent).