Forbes Research polled 250 global high-net-worth individuals in late 2025 and found bleisure—business travel extended for leisure—and sustainability filters now drive destination selection and booking velocity at rates that outpaced 2023 baselines by 31% and 27% respectively. The survey, published December 17, marks the first time Forbes has quantified these preferences at the UHNW cohort level with statistical rigor, and the numbers suggest allocators underestimated the speed at which this segment abandoned pure-leisure itineraries.
The Forbes data shows 68% of respondents now book trips that combine business obligations with leisure extensions, up from 52% in 2023. Sustainability credentials—carbon offset programs, locally sourced F&B supply chains, LEED-certified builds—influenced 61% of booking decisions, compared to 48% two years prior. The survey methodology used stratified sampling across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with respondents holding liquid net worth above $5M and median travel budgets of $180,000 annually. The sample size is narrow but the directional momentum is clean: operators without credible sustainability narratives and flexible check-in/check-out protocols are losing share.
This matters because it redefines operator pricing architecture and capital allocation priority. Properties that retrofit for bleisure—coworking lounges, tiered pricing for extended stays, executive transport coordination—can capture 12-18% margin lift on the same room night, according to aligned STR data from Q3 2025. Sustainability investments, meanwhile, no longer function as mere brand polish. They drive occupancy. The Four Seasons Seychelles disclosed in November that its coral restoration program and solar microgrid contributed to 9.4% higher direct bookings year-over-year, with 44% of guests citing environmental programming in post-stay surveys. That is attributable revenue, not CSR theater.
The survey also isolates a secondary signal: 53% of respondents now prioritize "authenticity" and "local immersion" over marquee-brand loyalty, a 19-point swing from 2022. This tracks with rising allocations toward boutique portfolios and single-asset operators who can credibly claim rootedness. It also explains why legacy chains are acquiring or partnering with local studios—Marriott's December joint venture with Riflessi for immersive 3D retail twins, Interluxe Group's acquisition of Quinn to deepen communications reach—rather than building brand extensions in-house. The Forbes numbers suggest the era of undifferentiated five-star inventory is closing faster than development pipelines can adjust.
Operators and allocators should watch Q1 2026 sustainability disclosure velocity from publicly traded hospitality groups, particularly those with exposure to coastal and island assets where climate risk is priced daily. The next Forbes wave, expected mid-2026, will likely include carbon-per-stay metrics, which would formalize what is currently a qualitative filter. Meanwhile, bleisure-optimized properties in gateway cities—London, Singapore, Dubai—are seeing acquisition multiples compress less than leisure-only comparables, a spread worth tracking in CBRE's upcoming Feb-March transaction reports.
The Forbes survey is a trailing indicator, but it confirms what forward allocators already positioned for: UHNW travel is no longer a leisure vertical. It is a productivity vertical with aesthetic standards, and the capital flows accordingly.
The takeaway
**250** Forbes HNWIs redirected bookings toward bleisure and sustainability at **27-31%** growth, creating measurable margin and occupancy lift for compliant operators.
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