Developing a digital nomads destination from the ground up

The society we live in is becoming more mobile. New technologies enable people to work remotely from anywhere. More people abandon their settled lifestyles to become digital nomads. Digital nomads work remotely and travel the world simultaneously. Destinations could benefit from their arrivals. Destinations and market players are trying to attract digital nomads by designing special offers and new visa policies. This thesis is looking into digital nomads tourism and potential ways for its development. The specific focus of the thesis is to find a way to develop digital nomads tourism in a destination where it did not exist on a large scale before. The case study is based on the example of the Madeira islands where in 2021 by initiative of the local government the destination started targeting digital nomads from around the world. With the help of this example and conducting a qualitative research some interesting findings emerged. These findings have helped to build a strategy development model that could be later adopted and implemented by other destinations. More destinations could become digital nomads destinations through careful planning, understanding the target audience, creating communities and hiring community leaders, working alongside with experienced entrepreneurs and digital nomads, building infrastructures and communicating the value of digital nomads tourism to the locals. It is also important to consider sustainability while planning a digital nomads tourism development in a destination with the specifics to each destination individually. The present case study is using the example of a small remote island where sustainability is crucial.À medida que as novas tecnologias permitem mobilidade ao cidadão, aumenta o número de pessoas que abandonam o estilo de vida sedentário para se tornarem nómadas digitais. Estes trabalham de forma remota, enquanto simultaneamente viajam e são turistas. Compreendendo o valor acrescentado com a estadia de nómadas digitais, tem sido crescente o papel de governantes e de empresários no desenhando ofertas especificamente adequadas a este target. Esta tese, na forma de caso de estudo, analisa as potencialidades de desenvolvimento do destino “ilha da Madeira” no âmbito da procura pelo turismo nómada digital. Em 2021, por iniciativa do governo local, a ilha da Madeira iniciou a oferta dirigida ao público-alvo dos nómadas digitais de todo o mundo. A metodologia de investigação baseou-se nas informações secundárias da indústria e da empresa e em entrevistas em profundidade, cuja análise qualitativa permitiu desenhar um modelo de estratégia de desenvolvimento que poderá ser futuramente adaptado em outros destinos. Para outros destinos que pretendam focar-se nos nómadas digitais, o modelo conceptual deste estudo evidencia a importância do planeamento cuidado, de identificação das necessidades do público-alvo, do desenvolvimento de comunidades que trabalhem em cooperação com digitais nómadas, empreendedores na construção de infraestruturas e de criação de valor para ambos os habitantes (os locais e os digitais nómadas). O estudo ainda salienta a importância na sustentabilidade específica de cada destino no planeamento de turismo do nómada digital, sendo esse o exemplo analisado nesta tese: uma zona remota da ilha da Madeira onde a preservação sustentável é crucial

Göçebe

GÖÇEBE is a project that bands together “Digital Nomads” around the world. Digital Nomads are defined as a group of professionals with a burning passion for traveling and exploring the world while demanding the capacity to work remotely from their preferred geography as they choose. Under this light, The Göçebe Project is constructing a platform specifically designed for Digital Nomads where they are invited to live, work together for 6 months in the Göçebe Creative Hubs which will be built around the world with an emphasis in underdeveloped and developing countries. Digital Nomads in these hubs are asked to mentor and pass on their professional skills to the local youth (teenagers 9-17 ages) living around the Göçebe Creative Hubs. The Göçebe Creative Hubs include living, teaching, learning spaces, infrastructure, and tools necessary for the comfortable meeting between the Digital nomads (mentors) and the local youths (mentees). Thus, The Göçebe Project ultimately aims to take advantage of multiple emerging trends in the world including (i) the growing Digital Nomad movement (ii) increase in remote working jobs post COVID-19 (iii), and the need in underdeveloped world youth for learning high add value professional skill sets. Göçebe Project is very excited to create harmony, peace and prosperity globally by building a multicultural and multidisciplinary community through positive impact with the help of the Göçebe Community as defined above. Göçebe; is a living, sharing, and learning platform for the benefit of all

It’s not All Shiny and Glamorous: Loneliness and Fear of Missing Out among Digital Nomads

The term ‘digital nomad’ has gained popularity to describe professionals who work remotely from different locations facilitated by using information and communication technology. This study explores the interaction between digital nomadism and loneliness, digital nomads’ coping mechanisms to fight loneliness (with a special focus on social media use), as well as the phenomenon of fear of missing out (FoMO). Digital nomads who often experience isolation may turn to the use of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram to keep in contact with family and friends and other social media like Facebook groups, Slack, and MeetUp to meet new people. However, intensive use of social media can generate FoMO. By using 15 in-depth interviews, this paper aims to explore loneliness and FoMO as issues that might negatively intersect with digital nomads’ wellbeing, thus spotlighting some of the hidden dark sides of digital nomadism that go too often unnoticed

Defining the "figure of merit" for places in the age of digital nomadism

The aim of this work is to find analogy between the “figure of merit” of electronic devices and place formulas that could be useful to explain in synthesis what could be the characteristics of a place to be considered by digital nomads to live a work experience. Digital nomads are people with a particular life style: they live in a sustainable, cooperative, and social network-oriented life; for a limited period of time, they choose places in line with their particular work needs and with their life style. Digital nomads could be a particular target for places, because they represent a form of knowledge and culture openness and could become a relevant driver for the evolution of the place. Places must organize themselves to attract this segment with the efforts on a specific interpretation matrix that could start from the “figure of merit” concept. Each digital nomad chooses his or her device using this approach, and that could be the key that provides the place value to them. This work provides a “figure of merit” formula for places toward digital nomads. In the following research project, it will be possible to test the formula and to measure the results in a consumer behaviour approach

Digital nomads : The rising workforce of the digital era

Digital nomadism is a phenomenon growing in popularity, especially among the younger generation of knowledge workers. Digital nomads are digital workers who enjoy freedom and global mobility. Due to the nature of their work, they can live and work from anywhere in the world. This is made possible by technological advances and favourable global economic conditions. Digital nomads are prime examples of people and workers who take advantage of the technological advances and innovative digital possibilities. In the increasingly dynamic and global business world, the demand for other types of workers than traditional employees is rising. Digital nomads are a modern type of workforce that companies can leverage to their advantage. This thesis is conducted by literature review about the current academic knowledge about digital nomadism coupled with empirical research, in which five Finnish digital nomads were interviewed. The aim of this research is to construct a more thorough understanding of the digital nomadism phenomenon. This thesis aims to answer the questions of why people are increasingly working as digital nomads, what motivates them, how do they operate and run their businesses, and what kind of challenges and risks are there in digital nomadism. As a result, it is found in this thesis that digital nomads are motivated by the desire for freedom and new experiences, increased flexibility regarding the time and place of work, utilizing the value of their work by advancing their own businesses, and an independent lifestyle as an alternative to traditional employment. Digital nomads are passionate about what they do, they are able to manage themselves and sell their services to potential clients. They are digitally skilled people, and their business relies heavily on digital solutions. For organizations, hiring a digital nomad can often be a more cost-efficient way than hiring a permanent employee, especially for project-like assignments. As a dynamic type of lifestyle, there are naturally challenges as well in digital nomadism. The work is highly uncertain and insecure, digital nomads are solely responsible for running their businesses and delivering their services, they need to tolerate constant risk and a lonely working environment and maintain a favourable work-life balance.Digital nomads, vapaasti suomennettuna diginomadit, ovat paikkariippumattomasti töitä tekeviä ja digitaalisia ratkaisuja käyttäviä henkilöitä. Tämä tutkielma on rajattu yrittäjinä toimiviin diginomadeihin. Diginomadina työskentely on ilmiö, joka on kasvattanut suosiotaan etenkin nuoremman sukupolven asiantuntijatyötä tekevien ihmisten keskuudessa. Diginomadit nauttivat työssään vapaudesta ja globaalista liikkuvuudesta. Digitaalisen työn luonteen vuoksi, he voivat elää ja työskennellä missä tahansa omista preferensseistään riippuen. Tämä on mahdollista teknologisen kehityksen ja suotuisan globaalin markkinatilanteen myötä. Diginomadit ovat erinomainen esimerkki työtä tekevistä ihmisistä, jotka käyttävät edukseen teknologista kehitystä ja digitaalisten innovaatioiden suomia mahdollisuuksia. Nopeasti muuttuvassa, dynaamisessa ja globaalissa liike-elämässä kysyntä muunlaisellekin työvoimalle, kuin perinteiselle vakituiselle palkkatyölle, on kasvavaa. Diginomadit ovat vaihtoehtoinen työvoima, jota yritykset voivat käyttää edukseen. Tämä tutkielma koostuu kirjallisuuskatsauksesta sekä empiirisestä tutkimuksesta, johon on haastateltu viittä suomalaista diginomadia. Tutkielman tavoite on luoda syvempi ymmärrys diginomadeista. Erityiset kiinnostuksen kohteet tutkielmassa ovat syyt, miksi ihmiset enenevissä määrin työskentelvät diginomadeina, mikä heitä motivoi, kuinka he toimivat ja edistävät liiketoimintaansa ja millaisia haasteita diginomadien elämässä on. Tutkielman tuloksena voidaan todeta, että diginomadeja motivoi erityisesti vapauden ja uusien kokemusten halu, lisääntynyt joustavuus koskien työn aikaa ja paikkaa, mahdollisuudet hyödyntää oman työnsä arvoa edistämällä omaa liiketoimintaa ja itsenäinen elämäntyyli vaihtoehtona perinteiselle palkkatyölle. Diginomadit ovat intohimoisia työtään kohtaan, kykenevät hallitsemaan omaa työtään ja myymään palveluitaan potentiaalisille asiakkaille. He ovat digitaalisesti lahjakkaita ja heidän toimintansa nojaa vahvasti digitaalisiin ratkaisuihin. Yrityksille diginomadilta työn tilaaminen voi olla kustannustehokkaampi ratkaisu kuin vakituisen työntekijän palkkaaminen erityisesti projektiluontoisiin tehtäviin. Diginomadit kohtaavat työelämässään myös haasteita. Heidän työtilanteensa on epävarma ja turvaton, he ovat yksin vastuussa liiketoiminnastaan ja tarvittavien töiden tekemisestä, heidän tulee kyetä sietämään riskejä ja yksinäisyyttä sekä ylläpitämään suotuisaa työn ja vapaa-ajan tasapainoa

The Rise of the Asian Female Digital Nomad

This feminist thesis contributes to our understanding of tourist experiences by exploring the constraints and empowerment of Asian women digital nomads. It investigates the complexity and the diversity of Asian women digital nomads and elucidates the issues of gender and race in the women’s quests for a nomadic lifestyle. The empirical data were drawn from mixed method techniques of semi-structured interview and photo-elicitation, which gave the seven women opportunities to share, reflect, and discuss their thoughts and experiences while being digital nomads. The findings are presented as three overarching stories of reasons, constraints, and empowerment. Most of the women experienced constraints in various forms in their search for professional, personal, and spatial freedoms which evidently shaped their digital nomadic experiences. In the midst of their constraints, the women were resilient and robust in their negotiations of westernized digital nomad discourses and were able to transform their selves. The diversity and complexity of the Asian women digital nomad experiences revealed that their experiences were also shaped by the intersection of gender and race

Breaking the contract: digital nomads and the state

This article explores ethnographically how digital nomads reconcile their commitment to ‘freedom’ with their relationships to state institutions. It analyses the ways these ‘global citizens’ attempt to weaken ties with nation-states and challenge state–citizen relations in areas of work, citizenship, and mobility. On the surface, digital nomads appear to break the ‘social contract’ via borderless subjectivities, or via the creation of transnational businesses. Yet in practice they remain entangled in multiple state institutions, both directly and via corporate entities, to get closer to their hotly desired ‘freedom’. This article explores digital nomads’ attempts to ‘opt-out’ or ‘re-draw’ the social contract, and illustrates the tension between the imagined social contract and how actual state–citizen relations develop over time and are experienced through the filters of global corporations, free markets, and entrepreneurial thinking

Connecting and Disconnecting: How Digital Nomads Manage Work in Absence of a Workplace

This paper examines how connectivity is accomplished in absence of a workplace. Connectivity is a theoretical framework to analyze how people connect and disconnect with each other through technologies. Digital nomads travel while they work, an example of workers who do not belong to a workplace or an organization. This absence of a workplace will affect how they connect and disconnect both within their work and outside work. An interview study with a grounded theory-based analysis found six themes that describe how the digital nomads interviewed connect and disconnect: first to and from a place, second to and from a place, and third two themes on how these patterns are reinforced. This is mobilized by a sociomaterial assemblage encompassed of more than just individuals communicating through technology. Previous research has focused on this, instead of focusing on the situatedness of connectivity. This contributes to research on connecting and disconnecting in connectivity and to research on digital nomads as part of a socio technical system

Technology Affordances Identification―A Netnography Study of Digital Nomads（Part 1）

Digital nomads are portrayed as location-independent professionals working solely in an online environment while leading a new form of flexibility in combining work with a new vision of personal life. The commoditization of digital technology accelerates the growth of the digital nomad community. In this research, the author draws on the theoretical perspective of technology affordance to look into the years of digital nomads\u27 lives for exploring the interplay among individuals, technology, and society. Findings uncover nine technology affordances on the individual level and show the features of technology adopted by digital nomads and the characteristics of digital nomads