Expert Bleisure Travel Tips for the Rugby World Cup 2023

Expert travel tips to craft the perfect Rugby World Cup bleisure experience

The Rugby World Cup is keeping all of Mzansi glued to their screens currently, and for professionals mixing business travel and leisure, it’s a prime opportunity to experience this spectacular event first-hand. Blending work and play may sound tricky, but with some strategic planning and local insider tips – you can nail the perfect bleisure try.

Once every four years, rugby fanatics across the globe turn their eyes to the World Cup. This year, France has the honours of hosting rugby’s biggest festival with matches held in 10 venues across the country from 8th September to 28th October 2023.

With over 200,000 international visitors expected, the 2023 Rugby World Cup is set to be a massive boon for tourism and business travel to France. For professionals who have work commitments coinciding with the event (lucky you!), it’s a golden chance to experience world-class rugby and French culture amidst business engagements.

While bleisure travel takes a bit more preparation, the rewards are ample. You get the perks of experiencing a globally acclaimed sporting event, discovering a new destination, and building unforgettable memories – without compromising work responsibilities. By planning well, integrating technology, and exploring thoughtfully, you can make your World Cup bleisure experience in France truly magnifique.

How Corporate Traveller can help you craft the perfect Rugby World Cup bleisure experience

1. Tap into our global buying

Rugby World Cup tickets get snapped up fast. That’s where we come in. Although we can’t work miracles, we do have access to a broad network of connections for air tickets, accommodation and ground transport options. Let us use our global buying power to negotiate some great deals.

2. Perks on us: enjoy complimentary extras, stress-free!

Free breakfast? Late check-out? We’ve got you covered. We can leverage our relationships with suppliers to get unique benefits such as avoiding having to pay up-front deposits when renting a car, early check-ins and late check-outs and free breakfast. After all, every euro counts when you’re travelling to France on the rand.

3. We’ll teach you the tricks of the trade

That cheap deal? We’ll demystify it for you. For example, instead of booking a cheap hotel on the outskirts of town and paying stacks of money for transport to the match, you could book a conveniently located, yet budget-friendly guesthouse that also offers value-added extras included in the room rate, such as free parking and Wi-Fi.

4. Enjoy flexible payment options

How does an interest-free credit account sound? Instead of a company receiving receipts, invoices and expenses from all angles, the finance department will be issued with one, consolidated invoice that indicates the total travel spend.

5. Avoid rookie travel errors

This is not the time to make any rookie travel errors. We’ll help you figure out transport between stadiums and meetings and build in extra travel time for possible delays. Pre-book parking or research public transit schedules.

6. A handy travel assistant in your pocket

With Corporate Traveller’s SAM as your personal mobile app, you can focus on creating priceless Rugby World Cup memories. This handy assistant has your work schedule and bleisure recommendations in one spot, ensuring you never miss a scrum. SAM’s unified calendar really shines at this time, consolidating your match and meeting schedule into one calendar, as well as factoring in transport times.

7. The best deals and perks? We've got that! Your professionalism? That's on you.

Stay savvy and responsible during your bleisure adventure. While we ensure top-notch deals and perks, maintaining professionalism is in your court.

Mind your conduct - Avoid any unruly behaviour that could poorly represent your company, like excessive drinking even when ‘off-duty.’
Discuss expenses upfront - Clarify if your firm covers leisure costs like meals, transport and attractions.
Separate work and leisure spending - Carefully track expenses and only submit business costs for reimbursement.
Don't drop the ball on work – Sure the excitement will sweep anyone up! But ensure leisure activities don't distract you from delivering on those work objectives.

With the right strategies, partners and tools, you can thrive on a Rugby World Cup bleisure trip. Just don't fumble on your professional duties - because nobody wants to see that red card!

To craft an exceptional bleisure experience, talk to us today. With our insider tips, you'll tackle your work obligations without dropping the ball on unforgettable French adventures.

About Flight Centre Travel Group
The Flight Centre Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel retailers and corporate travel managers. The company, which is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, has company-owned leisure and corporate travel business in dozens of countries, spanning Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. ASX listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) also operates the global FCM corporate travel management network, which extends to more than 100 countries through company-owned businesses and independent licensees, along with Corporate Traveller, the flagship business specific to the small-to-medium-sized enterprise sector. For more information, visit fctgl.com.