BLEISURE AND INFORMAL BUSINESS TOURISM IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE

Extant research on the concept of bleisure is mainly in the context of the Global North or relates to travellers from the Global North. This investigation is the first in the environment of the Global South to examine the bleisure activities among informal business tourists. Using a survey of 700 informal business tourists in Harare, Zimbabwe, the results show that the accommodation choices and the bleisure activities undertaken by these informal business tourists in Zimbabwe’s capital city are markedly different to those reported in studies of business travellers from the Global North. Bleisure activities identified as significant are visits to friends/relatives, participation in religious activities, personal shopping and the enjoyment of sports, musical events and Harare’s night-time economy.