Chapter 22: Enhancing Bleisure Tourism: The Role of Social Customer Engagement and Big Data in Shaping Travel Trends

Bleisure travel, a combination of business and leisure travel, is fast becoming a reality as professionals increasingly look to reconcile work obligations with personal experiences. The growth of remote work, digital connectivity, and shifting traveler expectations has driven this trend, leading the travel and hospitality sector to re-examine conventional business travel models. This research examines the influence of social customer interaction and large data analytics on the future of bleisure tourism, shaping traveler behavior, industry approaches, and service tailoring. The chapter discusses the impact of personalized experience and data-informed decision-making in fulfilling the new tastes of bleisure tourists. In a conceptual approach, this study integrates current literature and theories to evaluate how these elements form the bleisure tourism experience. According to research, social customer engagement enhances tourist satisfaction and loyalty, while big data analytics increase efficiency and personalization of services. The research provides actionable insights for travel and hospitality companies, highlighting the importance of creating innovative bleisure packages, increasing customer interaction, and synchronizing services with changing traveler expectations. Wellness and sustainability are recognized as core aspects that attract contemporary travelers, further supporting the importance of companies embracing holistic and future-oriented strategies. In spite of the increasing focus on bleisure tourism, much less research has been conducted that examines its combination with social customer engagement and big data analytics. This chapter attempts to fill in this gap through valuable insights about how companies can use these technologies to maximize travelers’ satisfaction, optimize business operations, and sustain tourism practices.