In an age where the line between boardroom and beach towel grows thinner by the month, Australia’s white-collar warriors have seized a golden travel opportunity—and they’ve done it with the canny instinct of someone who knows a good pub lunch when they see one.

This April, thanks to a rare twist of the calendar, Easter and ANZAC Day have fallen just close enough to offer a traveller’s dream: 10 uninterrupted days of holiday for the price of just three annual leave slips. And let’s say Australia’s business set hasn’t let it go to waste.

New data released by Corporate Traveller, the small-to-medium business arm of Flight Centre Travel Group, shows one in three corporate travellers have extended their Easter–ANZAC sojourns to at least seven nights—a 20 per cent lift on last year. More tellingly, the average business trip over these two weeks has jumped from six days to eight, a 33 percent rise that speaks volumes about where priorities now lie.

“The chance to turn just three days of leave into 10 off is a no-brainer,” said Tom Walley, Global Managing Director of Corporate Traveller. “But with flights booking out fast and demand soaring, the trick is being flexible—and quick on the draw.”

When Strategy Meets Serenity

Here’s how it plays out: Good Friday lands on 18 April, Easter Monday on the 21st, and ANZAC Day on Friday the 25th. By booking annual leave from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24, clever Australians have stitched together a glorious stretch from 18 to 27 April—and they’re packing accordingly.

It’s no surprise that long-haul bookings have surged, with Sydney to London topping the international chart. Closer to home, Melbourne–Perth and Melbourne–Sydney remain the heavyweight domestic routes, while Perth and Brisbane are proving popular for those seeking some business with their beach time.

But this isn’t just about opportunism—it’s a cultural shift. Gone are the days when a corporate trip meant running from terminal to taxi, living on airport sandwiches and scrawling meeting notes. Today’s road warrior is carving out time for wellness, wine bars, and a bit of the world beyond Wi-Fi.

“The average length of a corporate trip in Q1 this year was five days,” Walley noted. “To see that jump to eight over Easter–ANZAC tells us Australians are no longer treating business travel as a chore. They’re embracing a reset—putting wellbeing, flexibility, and personal value at the heart of their travel.”

From Buzzword to Business Norm

Once scoffed at as a Silicon Valley novelty, bleisure travel has quietly become the new standard. The modern professional no longer needs to choose between career and lifestyle—they blend both into itineraries that balance back-to-back meetings with late check-outs and long lunches.

A walk along the Yarra post-presentation? A gallery visit in Auckland after finalising a deal? These aren’t indulgences—they’re the evolving reality of business travel. And judging by the numbers, Australians are leading the charge.

Making the Most of the Easter–ANZAC Windfall

Corporate Traveller, which has seen this evolution firsthand, has offered a few tried-and-tested tips for maximising this rare stretch of downtime:

• Book ahead or be strategic late: Book early if you’re planning a popular route like Sydney–London or Melbourne–Perth. But if you’ve left it to the eleventh hour, mid-week and mid-day flights could still deliver decent fares.

• Dust off those loyalty cards: Whether it’s frequent flyer points, lounge perks, or preferred hotel rates, now’s the time to use them. Bleisure doesn’t need to cost the earth.

• Build in balance: Don’t overschedule. A productive business trip leaves room for local colour, a good meal, and a proper night’s sleep.

• Sort out your paperwork: Confirm leave with the boss early and review your company’s policy on bleisure add-ons. Many are more flexible than you might expect.

The New Rhythm of the Road

There’s a quiet revolution happening here—not in headlines, but in hotel lobbies and departure lounges. It’s in the unhurried espresso after a morning pitch, the museum detour before the redeye, and the understanding that being your best at work sometimes means stepping away from it.

And isn’t that the Australian way? Work hard, travel far, and always leave room for a schooner and a sunset.

What this Easter–ANZAC period has revealed is more than a booking trend—it’s a new rhythm in the way Australians travel for business. A rhythm that says, loud and clear, we value time—not just the time we give to our careers—but the time we take back for ourselves.

By: Alison Jenkins

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