The development of digital technology has allowed people to extend their vacation time by taking along their computers and getting down to work far away from the daily grind. Does it work for everyone?
Worldwide, 20 to 35 million digital nomads have embraced a way of working that allows them to travel. Packing a suitcase and a computer, and jetting off to a vacation destination is sometimes known as a workation. Many who try it value its effects on their wellbeing, and this seemingly contradictory concept can be adapted to suit various individual set-ups and profiles. But the experience and its benefits can differ considerably between salaried employees and freelancers.
There's been much talk of the workation in recent months. A contraction of the words "work" and "vacation," this neologism defines the act of teleworking in a flexible context, from somewhere traditionally associated with leisure. Indeed, the workation originated in a country where vacations are few and far between—the US, where workers have an average of 10 days of paid vacation per year.
The development of digital technology has allowed freelancers, tech employees and other workers to extend their vacation time by taking along their computer and getting down to work far away from the daily grind. In the evening, at lunchtime or between meetings, they can enjoy their surroundings, kick back and relax.
According to a 2020 survey of 20,000 travelers in 28 countries around the world by the Booking.com platform, 37% of those polled have considered booking a vacation spot where they could stay and work. "Working remotely has irreversibly entered the mainstream during the pandemic with the knock-on effect that people will look to take longer trips in the future that more effectively combine work and pleasure than ever before," said Booking.com at the time.