ROMA – Il testo [App di Blitzquotidiano, gratis, clicca qui,- Ladyblitz clicca qui –Cronaca Oggi, App on Google Play] oggetto della traccia della seconda prova di inglese dell’Istituto tecnico indirizzo Turismo è “The rise of ‘bleisure trips'”, un articolo del Telegraph di Rose Mary Murray-West. Gli studenti devono fare un’analisi del testo e una produzione scritta.
CLICCA QUI per la traccia integrale in PDF.
Questo il testo dell’articolo di Rose Mary Murray-West:
The rise of ‘bleisure trips’
The rise of “bleisure” – where travellers mix their business trips with leisure time – is allowing
workers to save money and transform what can be an inconvenient trip away into a pleasurable stay.
A recent report for Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) showed that younger travellers are most likely
to blur their business and leisure trips, with 15 per cent of those aged 20 to 25 adding a Saturday night
5 stay at one end or the other of a business trip.
Las Vegas, Nice and Barcelona were some of the most popular places for such trips.
“These travellers tend to take one or two bleisure trips each year, regardless of demographic segment
or travel frequency,” said Catalin Ciobanu, of CWT. “The longer the flight, the higher the likelihood
for bleisure.”
10 So how can business travellers enjoy their downtime while getting the most from the business
opportunities on their trip? Carolyn Pearson, founder of Maiden Voyage, recommends picking the
right part of the city when you are booking, particularly if your trip runs over a weekend. “It’s
important to research the area you are going to,” she says. “Business districts in some cities can be
really quiet over weekends, and everything can be shut.”
15 David Chapple, event director at the Business Travel Show, suggests serviced apartments as a good
way to enjoy a bleisure trip. “They are often in residential areas, so you can experience a new city
like a local and, possibly, more cost-effectively,” he says.
This is true of Staybridge Suites, which offer a home-from-home for guests with on-site laundry and
exercise facilities, as well as a kitchen in each apartment. Additionally, unlike some apartment rentals,
20 Staybridge business travellers can enjoy hotel-style comforts such as housekeeping and use of a
business centre.
The Carlson study showed that people are most likely to tack their bleisure trips on the end of their
holidays, to enjoy their leisure time after business has been concluded, but Ms Pearson says she often
likes to add the weekend before her business trips to her travels, so that she can be over the jetlag by
25 the time she is in business meetings. “I book spa treatments in advance as well,” she says. “I also like
to schedule in a shopping trip at my destination – it’s great to find unusual things that I can’t buy
anywhere else, and shopping is an activity best enjoyed on my own.”
Giovanni Valentini, general manager of Staybridge Suites in Vauxhall, London, agrees: “It’s a good
idea to plan ahead so that you can use your time wisely or book tickets to a show or event in advance
30 to avoid disappointment. Get in touch with your hotel or host and find out what is happening while
you are in town.
He says that Staybridge guests also like to take advantage of the complimentary social evenings with
free nibbles and drinks which are held three nights a week. “When you travel on business it’s a good
idea to network with people along the way,” says Mr Valentini.
35 “Our social evenings help our long-stay guests to mingle with their neighbours over a game of ping
pong or a drink. They can also get to know our staff, many of whom are local and can recommend a
good restaurant or fun venue.” If you’re bleisuring alone, says Ms Pearson, you need to pick
restaurants carefully for their ambience, to avoid awkwardness. “When I’m dining alone I want to
enjoy the experience and the flavours,” she says. “However, I once went to a restaurant in Paris that
40 was very romantic. I ordered a crème brûlée and there was a whole ceremony with music and
switching the lights off. It was meant to be romantic, but I was on my own and everyone was looking
at me.”
Not everyone chooses to spend their bleisure trips alone. Mr Chapple suggests checking your loyalty
points to see if you can bring someone else. “Use your air miles to bring your family and friends to
45 join you and make the most of it,” he says. Staybridge Suites also offer hotel loyalty points through
IHG Rewards Club which can also be used towards your additional days. By booking directly through
IHG Rewards Club you’re also guaranteed the lowest rate.
Deborah Zanke, the spouse of a frequent business traveller, runs a blog called Tagalong Traveller,
which includes tips to make the most of bleisure time. She says that bleisure trips, where she’s
50 accompanied her husband, have made their marriage stronger.
“My husband travels about two week travels out of the month and before I started tagging along
regularly, I sometimes felt resentful,” she says. “I envisioned that his business travel was like a
vacation full of swish dinners and opulent living. In reality, it’s long days, hard work, and evenings
in a hotel room responding to emails and catching up on work from the home office. Tagging along
55 has eased his work stress and improved our relationship. Good places for bleisure travel will depend
upon your interests.”
