Is your tropical vacation spot not so hot anymore? Blame digital nomads
Digital nomads existed long before remote work went mainstream due to the pandemic. As the name suggests, digital nomads are professionals who live a nomadic life, hopping from one place to another — never setting their roots at one place — while working in companies or jobs that don’t require them to be present during specific work hours.
Not only is their work done remotely, but it’s also done asynchronously. This means that most of the communication within the team takes place without the team members being actually present. There’s an argument for how asynchronous communication can boost wellbeing because no one expects an immediate response, but that’s another story.
Digital nomads have been living like this long before the pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work. Freelancers, solopreneurs, independent contractors comprise a big chunk of this population. Now, many conventional businesses and organizations have gone remote as well. Therefore, the number of people working remotely has significantly shot up.
Why does the number of digital nomads matter?
As per reports, the number of digital nomads increased by nearly 50% in the past year. In America alone, that means 11 million digital nomads. It’s very recent too: around half of these 11 million are people in traditional jobs, but whose mode of work has only changed now.
As vaccinations increase & travel restrictions ease up, all of these people will want to take full advantage of the newfound flexibility in their work schedules. So naturally, they want to head out to tropical spots like Mexico, Spain, and other countries that are normally vacation spots. As of 2021, however, you’ll notice an increasing number of professionals with laptops in the cafes & co-working spaces in these countries.
Digital nomads are an economic target
The trend of the digital nomad lifestyle has caught the attention of many stakeholders. Countries have started stepping up their game in presenting themselves as a lucrative & conducive destination for digital nomads. Reason? Digital nomads usually earn well & they’re good for tourism.
In the post-pandemic era, efforts are being made left, right, and center to boost tourist numbers & positioning a country as welcoming of digital nomads can help massively with this. Countries like Estonia, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, among others have come up with schemes that ease the movement of digital nomads.
Most of these efforts involve the introduction of international freelance visas for digital nomads & remote workers. For instance, in Croatia, as of January 2021, you can get a digital nomad visa for a period of up to 12 months.
While it’s suggested to read the fine print — many countries require you to be in the country while applying for such a visa — the bottom line is that there are far more opportunities as well as incentives for remote workers to go mobile. At the same time, adjacent businesses are finding merit in upscaling their offerings.
Special amenities for digital nomads
Hotels are creating work lounges that enable remote workers to “work from hotel.” Those in the travel industry are scouting for spaces that can be turned into a digital nomad’s den — working by day, trekking by night — with all the amenities they’d need to work productively, including but not limited to a stable Wi-Fi connection, a workstation, steady power supply & backup.
Communities have even sprung up that connect digital nomads & remote workers. Once upon a time, nomads were considered backpackers. Now, luxury accommodation, trendy co-working spaces, networking & group full-day activities are being offered to this population.
Of course, actual tourists can find these wandering professionals plugged into a fancy beach cafe where everyone else is unwinding for a holiday, but don’t let that dampen your holiday spirit.
