Combining a work trip with sightseeing and tourist attractions
April 01, 2019 12:34pm
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When it comes to travelling abroad or to a previously undiscovered destination for a work trip, there are several ways in which you can make the most of the opportunity.
That’s right, there are ways to enhance your work trip and add sightseeing to your agenda alongside business meetings and work appointments.
Travelling and being given the option to visit new parts of the world is a huge bonus for many employees looking to expand their horizons, but there’s little point in finding the incentive in extensive travel if each work trip is devoid of experiencing any new culture whilst away.
Here is a selection of work trip tips to ensure that your next business travel opportunity gives you more views than the same old inside boardrooms, lobbies and airport terminals.
(1) Be clever when booking flights
If you know you’re likely to be organising an early morning business meeting whilst away on your work trip, try to ensure that you book yourself back on a late afternoon or evening flight the next day, in order to give yourself the chance to explore your destination without the worry or stress of a looming presentation hanging over you.
There is every chance that booking a later flight for the work trip will actually save you or your company money, as daytime flights are typically more sought after on weekdays, and sites like Skyscanner will give you the option of finding the best priced flight time to fit in with your schedule.
Although the check-out time at your accommodation might require you to vacate by 11am, if your stay is just a night or two long then your luggage should be comparatively light and easy for you to carry whilst you take in the sights of a city.
Alternatively, ask for an extended check out (which is often free of charge) or for your accommodation provider to store luggage for you.
(2) Book accommodation in the heart of the city
There are few things more frustrating for a traveller than wrongly believing you’ve booked a room advertised as being “in the heart of the city”, only to realise that you’re actually staying somewhere at least a 20-minute drive from a central location.
Therefore, to ensure that your accommodation doesn’t affect your chances of exploring a new city, be sure to carry out some thorough research of potential hotels and apartments prior to booking your work trip.
Many reviewers on the website Trip Advisor will rate how close somewhere is to main attractions, and advise on how far away bars, restaurants and tourist hotspots are in terms of walking distance or taxi.
At Staycity Aparthotels, we are passionate about giving our guests the opportunity to explore their chosen city from the heart of the destination, thus opened locations that have excellent transport links for both business and leisure travellers alike to navigate around the numerous European cities we operate in. Don’t feel as though these central locations don’t exist if you’ve previously had a bad experience.
(3) Try and organise work trip meetings on a Monday or Friday
If possible, try to organise your meeting for a Monday or Friday, as this way your working week won’t be too heavily interrupted with travel and you can still work a full four days from your office.
There is also the chance that, if travelling on a Monday, you could head to the destination on the Sunday during your weekend and enjoy all it has to offer before your work commitment the next day.
Similarly, if you try and arrange your meeting on a Friday, then you can potentially negotiate with your employer to let you stay for the Saturday and enjoy a weekend break within the city and fly back before work resumes on Monday morning.
(4) Incorporate tourist attractions within your work itinerary
Depending on your line of work and the nature of your working relationship with the associates you are travelling to see, one way to find out about the best places to visit during your stay is to ask for recommendations from those you will be meeting with during your stay.
There is every chance that your potential clients, partners or co-workers within the city you’re travelling to have the opportunity to take you to some local attractions within the area and incorporate this into your business meeting.
For example, a working lunch at a popular restaurant, café or bar or, if weather permits, an al fresco meeting at a popular park or garden.
Written by RealBusiness on behalf of Staycity Aparthotels.