Are Digital Nomads Here to Stay?

Are Digital Nomads Here to Stay? Over the past couple of years, the digital nomad lifestyle has taken the world by storm. Many people use this opportunity to travel around the globe, seek new experiences and cultures, enrich their lives, and meet new people. But is this trend here to stay, or is it just a fad? Read on and see what we found.

Last year brought a sharp rise in remote work not just because this lifestyle has been steadily on the mound for the last decade but also because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Were it not for the whole world experiencing lockdowns of economies and forced working from home in just about any job that was possible to move from the office, remote workers would not have seen such a considerable rise in popularity. Many people got to experience working from home for the first time, which made some of them think about what it would be like to take their work abroad.

However, while 2021 was the year of remote work, the same cannot be said about digital nomads. As many countries shut their borders entirely, many digital nomads found themselves stranded in countries they planned to leave in a few months. The unpredictability of the lockdowns, both in their duration and when they will happen, added to a feeling of uncertainty regarding the nomad lifestyle. What’s more, almost all airlines and border checks require some form of testing for the virus or vaccination.

And with booster shots already in full swing, being unvaccinated will bring with it additional problems on top of the higher risk of severe symptoms. Overall, the last year brought with it a surprising number of remote workers who would probably never experience working remotely were it not for the pandemic. However, this was a bittersweet victory. There seems to be a new type of work on the rise of late, namely the hybrid work, which does not gel well with the lifestyle of digital nomads. And while the number of hospitalized cases from the pandemic is lowering, most national borders are still a long way away from the pre-pandemic openness.

While the future is difficult to guess, there are a few clear trends. First of all, the digital nomad lifestyle, while more difficult now, has too many adherents to disappear. The recent developments in border security are a minor setback, and as the virus is dealt with more and more, most countries are anxious to open their borders again. Secondly, it seems that some countries agree and are actively preparing for this.

Spain is passing legislation that would simplify the visa process for digital nomads, and Portugal has taken steps to ensure remote work is done without too much of a strain on the employee. Countries like Germany, Costa Rica, The Czech Republic, and Romania already have legislation in place to help digital nomads in one way or another, and more and more countries are looking to do the same. So while there may have been some setbacks, don’t let them distract you. The world is ready for digital nomads, and they are here to stay.