In our multicultural society, with international travel having a huge impact, many are given opportunities to see the world that wouldn’t previously have been available. Instead of spending your long, dull business trip in your hotel room or at the hotel bar spend some time seeing the local attractions, experiencing the nightlife, or exploring the culture that surrounds your destination.

Planning Your Trip
This may sound obvious to some, but plan your trip well. From what flight you choose to where you are staying, if you have a say in the matter more likely than not you will want to have your voice heard. Do research before leaving, see what local attractions are near by, is there a bar or nightclub within walking distance, maybe a local food establishment for you to enjoy the native quinine, is the destination safe to travel by yourself, these are all questions you want to be asking when planning any type of trip. Researching the area can only help you make a decision on how you may spend your time, so take a while before leaving to thoroughly check out the area you will be spending your time in.

Time Management
This goes along with planning. You are on a business trip for a set amount of time, you will most likely be in meeting and sleeping for a good portion of that time, however that does not mean your downtime needs to be wasted sitting in your hotel room waiting to go home. For starters, if you can, try to get an early flight or take the Red-eye home this will give you a few extra hours to squeeze in that show you wanted to see or a quick tour of the city you wanted to take. You may even wanted to take a few vacation days while your there if you’ve been meaning to visit the area beforehand.

You Are Still There for Business
Planning your trip and managing your time around your professional plans are important, but the main thing to remember is that you are here for a reason. While it may sound tempting to skip a meeting, show up late, or try to rush to finish it earlier you are there as a representative of your company, failing to give your attention to a client looks bad on you, your boss, and the company as a whole. These are your first priorities so don’t make the mistake of trying to do everything you wanted to do at the expense of your professional career.

Mix The Two Halves of Your Trip
You’re there for business but you also want to have fun. A client is probably thinking the same thing, so try to suggest maybe having the meeting at a restaurant you wanted to stop by. Research your client, do they go out drinking every weekend or are they a big outdoors person, not only will you be able to find common ground and suggest doing something you wanted to, this can help the business side of things as being someone that is memorable and someone that they can keep doing business with. Plus you get the added bonus of having a local show you the spots that will not come up on a tourist attraction.