At the start of 2014, many predictions for travel sent signals for the rise of "bizcation." As we approach the holiday season and study the travel patterns, it is interesting to note how the newly coined term has become a key booster of sales in the industry.

Defined as business and vacation combined together, this emerging trend has seen business travelers extending their stay and combining work with long weekends to explore new areas and relax. In some cases, they are also taking along family or having them join in later to make more of their trips.

Either way, it means more hotel nights, more bookings for local places of interests and more travel revenue. Bizcation is definitely not a new trend, but it is definitely a newly recognized one for aiding the recovering industry.

2013 saw a spate of weekend travel which reflected the popular sentiment at the time — people wanted to travel yet not spend much at a time. This way they could get out of the daily grind more often and still not rock their bank balance.

The recession has left people feeling quite insecure, and while things are improving, many are unwilling to overspend anymore. Cautiousness is in the air and perhaps that has led to more innovative ways to travel, bizcation being one of them. According to the Global Business Travel Association, business travel rose by 3 percent in the first quarter and is expected to generate spending of around $292.3 billion by the end of the year.

With these figures in the offing, taking time to tag extra vacation days and see the local sites during a business trip could work wonders. What's great about this idea is that it's a win-win for all. People get to travel more and at less cost, while local economies and the travel/hospitality industries at large get a steady stream of revenue around the year.

A recent survey by Pullman-IPSOS shows that the boundary between work and play is no longer black and white. Business travelers are increasingly taking families along to make most of their time on the road to see new places and increase their quality time with their near and dear ones.

Pullman (Accor's high-end hotel) and IPSOS (a leading research firm) joined hands to survey 2,200 international business travelers. What we now see is that the trending business traveler is no longer a dull boy, but one who can expertly "blur" business and leisure to increase his/her work-life balance.

According to the survey, 43 percent of travelers take their mobile devices to their vacations in any case, so staying on top of their work, being connected and enjoying vacation at the same time is no longer a hardship.

Travel and hospitality companies should take this opportunity to reinvent their packages and lure in more customers. While we talk about figures in a national perspective, there are intrinsic regional differences that account for revenue shifts as well.

For example, traveling while good weather lasts may mean different times of the year for different places. If the industry can offer something more to business travelers and enable them to extend their trips to a bizcation, then they don't have to depend on the seasonal rush to make money.

Making the right offer at the right moment means gaining new customers more easily. Networking within the industry as well as with ancillary businesses is also the need of the hour, so that the information about the new trend and options can reach the right people on time.

As more market studies are being conducted, one thing is becoming clear: More frequent travelers want to combine business with leisure. It is also imperative that businesses take advantage of their social networks to expand their reach.

As the younger generation joins the workforce, their views on what should entail work-life balance is increasingly reflected in their habits. A decade back, work-from-home was a bizarre concept, but today it is an accepted form of work and quality delivery. Their flexible thoughts have blurred the lines between professional and personal life and given rise to phenomena like bizcation.

Another related survey conducted by Hotwire.com showed that young Americans, between 18 and 34 years old, like to mix business with pleasure more than their elders. They also want to grab every chance to explore more without spending too much.

Instead of bemoaning work pressure and the lack of free time, they know how to take advantage of opportunities and make the most of them. This perhaps is the best definition for the growing phenomenon of bizcation — grab the opportunity to mix business and pleasure and make the most of your time and travel.