The covid-induced pandemic forced us to explore virtual work possibilities and we kept our businesses and lives afloat, thanks to the high-speed work-from-home adoption. A stable internet connectivity and reliant wi-fi is all that one needs and almost all work could be accomplished without any hindrance
whatsoever.
It didn’t take long for companies and employees to mull on the idea that if work from home worked pretty well, work from “anywhere” should work just as well. All these changes were laying the ground for a burgeoning segment of workforce that would redefine their work completely by working from exotic
locations without jeopardizing on the productivity or the quality of work delivered. These group of employees that prefer to work on the go are called digital nomads. When work from home was introduced, companies were skeptical. They feared that the work force wouldn’t perform well and that productivity levels will drop significantly. But on the contrary, reports showed that more than 50% of management level agreed that their team performed much better when working from home.
Work from Anywhere...
Digital Nomads are not geographically limited to any one country. It is a global phenomenon. For the generation born after the turn of the millennia, the world was always inter-connected, with easy and free access to Wi-Fi in public spaces. It is almost second nature to them to leverage latest cutting-edge technology to make their lives more convenient.
It is hardly surprising then that the digital natives thought with the world always so easily connected with just a stable internet connection and a smart phone, why be restricted to one place just to work when you can easily be anywhere.
Instead of working continuously and the taking long vacation breaks, people are now combining business with leisure, even given it a fancy name- Bleisure. Bleisure is one of the fastest growing travel trends in 2023. With work from home, employees saved a lot of commutation time, and employers too benefited as they could give away unused office spaces.
It must be said that several big companies came forward and encouraged their employees to explore the untapped potential of work from anywhere believing that it could be just as fruitful as WFH.
The US alone witnessed a whopping 87% rise in remote workers in a post pandemic world, as compared to pre-pandemic levels. It is estimated that by 2035, there will be as many as 1 billion digital nomads and around 17 million aspiring digital nomads.
Digital Nomads jobs...
Usually, IT jobs and creative sector jobs are open to work from home and work from anywhere options. Copywriters, content creators, editors, graphic designers, customer support engineers, were the first to go nomadic without compromising work schedules and deadlines.
Slowly, other professionals including teaching, engineering, insurance, accountancy, why even medical applications and consultations are going virtual. The best thing about work from anywhere model is that none of these employees need to be located where their clients are.
How Digital Nomads are transforming the hospitality sector...
So, there is an increasing trend of digital nomads who prefer to work from anywhere. What role does the hospitality sector have to play in this ever-evolving change of scene? How can hospitality sector monetize on this expanding bleisure trend?
In the given scenario, hotels can be great enablers of digital nomad work culture. The mandatory requirement for any digital nomad is a good internet connection and stable Wi-Fi. Hotels and restaurants, resorts and apartments must ensure that they offer these basic amenities.
To attract digital nomads, hotels can also offer communal spaces wherein multiple people can share a common workspace based on hourly packages. In such cases, digital nomads can intermingle and
communicate with fellow professionals, giving them ample rest to keep them motivated to deliver the
best.
Regularly plying the guests with refreshments is a great idea too to make the stay special and as cozy as possible.
Offer them all facilities that can be facilitated via online apps like booking another location, completing online hotel payments, etc.
Hotels that are connected to Online Travel Agents will give people ease of operations and are more likely to get maximum bookings. Linking to OTAs and having an active online presence can benefit hotels significantly.
So does smooth billing and payment experiences. Giving them the option of accessing all activities that can be accessed during the stay via a user-friendly mobile app will attract digital nomads in hordes and hotels can gain revenue in largesse.
The Digital Nomad trend is gaining momentum by the day and the hospitality sector can play a very crucial role in enabling this transition. By giving digital nomads exactly what they want, hotels can make big business.
Offering spaces on rentals can give them an additional source of income. Digital Nomads tend to repeat their stay if they are well satisfied with the services offered. So, it's about time that the hospitality sector gear up to usher in an era of digital nomads!
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