Remote Working

International offices are allowing employees to work from anywhere resulting in countries promoting remote working schemes.

The digital nomad lifestyle creates a unique proposition that can help boost international tourism. The Caribbean, Northern Europe and Central Europe are the current destinations of choice.

Imagine waking up to this everyday in St Michael, Barbados. Photo: Niya Sinckler.

Barbados is welcoming the world with a 12 Month Welcome Stamp Visa that allows you to relocate to a beautiful island following a set of definition terms, supporting documents and a $2,000 individual fee. This announcement excited, Alex Hannant, 24, writer/actor based in London, England who said, “ The remote working programme is a fantastic idea. People are fed up of the 9-5 grind where they’re spending hours commuting on a busy hot stuffy train. Anything that gives people the chance to have a good life balance and life experience while they’re working is a fantastic idea. I’d love to start in October. I’ve always been a very independent person. I’ve spent time travelling alone and have lived in foreign countries by myself before. I’m always open to meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and trying a different lifestyle. I think I would handle the transition well. London is a very fast paced city, to slow down and enjoy the day to day, Barbados appeals to me. It looks absolutely stunning. I’ve never been before and I love visiting new places. The beautiful landscape and lifestyle residents of Barbados have are appealing. ”

On 26 August, it was reported that 1,079 people globally applied to relocate to Barbados and 12 people are already there, proving that the remote working scheme is becoming more popular than ever.

Time to take a lunch time stroll at Elbow Beach, Bermuda. Photo: Niya Sinckler.

Then Bermuda is encouraging many to explore the blissful destination for one year with a Work From Bermuda Certificate depending on your employment/education status and a $263 individual fee. Delighted by this opportunity, Ivana Hecimovic, 33, chief of staff for strategy and development startups based in Zagreb, Croatia said, “Why not? I would consider relocating to Bermuda because of wanderlust and attraction of the unknown. If the world was in a different shape, I would have gone yesterday. I’m excited that I can discover a new place, people and culture. Remote working allows you to be anywhere you want to be, living life versus surviving. I think everyone should consider it, not just to discover places but to allow yourself to be what you want, where you want and how you want it.”

Regarding the exhilaration, there have been a variety of high calibre applicants who could become Bermuda advocates.

Meanwhile, Estonia is eager to lure travellers with a Digital Nomad Visa subject to terms that only costs €80-100. Interested in this venture, Rabih Chaya, 30, working in Beverly Hills, California said, “I am always attracted to Europe because of the lifestyle, the multitude of nearby countries to visit during weekends, learning a new culture and language. The process of traveling changes most people's ways of looking at things. It reduces their stress and makes them happier. Working in a foreign country, would feel like a vacation and improve employees' morale. Everybody who is looking to get out of their comfort zone should try to leave their home country for a year and return as a changed person.”

Also Georgia, home to the Caucasus Mountains is inviting foreigners to enjoy a new environment which could be a positive impact in the long term.

International tourism has been affected by the pandemic and changed the way that we travel and why we travel. It’s been noted that global tourism lost $320bn in the first five months of 2020. The UN’s World Tourism Organization stated that international tourist arrivals were down by 56% globally. Perhaps with the rise of remote working schemes, international tourism will increase and improve economic and sociocultural relations around the world.

Whether for personal or professional reasons, this is a moment in time where we can reassess what’s most important in life and make decisions that are beneficial to our future endeavors based on the current circumstances.

Although companies are often hesitant towards remote working, employees now have a chance to explore a new way of work. Who knows what digital nomad may mean in the future? Until then, check out each country’s specific requirements and get going!