Digital Nomads and Hospitality Trends

Digital nomads are people who use technology to work online while travelling constantly and living therefore a quite nomadic lifestyle. The concept is slightly different from workation, which includes quick trips and would be less of a commitment than full-time nomadism. The community of digital nomads has boomed lately, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since some countries, such as Germany, are promising a regulatory framework for mobile working even after the pandemic, this sector is expected to grow.  

According to research, in the USA the number of working travellers grew from 6.3 million in 2020 to 10.2 million in 2021. As far as accommodation is concerned, the majority (51%) of digital nomads prefer to stay at a hotel, while other options include staying at a friend or family place (41%), at an Airbnb (36%), in a car, van or RV (21%) or at a hostel (16%). In addition, Statista affirmed that 47% of digital nomads around the world are composed of 30-years-old people.

Some hospitality providers are now adopting and implementing strategies to gain profit from this trend. It is the case of Pierre & Vacances, which is offering digital workers discounts on longer stays and on Wi-fi use in its resorts for the next winter.

In addition, in an interview by CNBC, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky stated that he plans to capture this segment by generating experiences that make customers feel like they are living in a community rather than travelling to a temporary destination. This is reflected by the growing trend of co-living and co-working within the hospitality sector. Brands like Outside and Roam are offering multiple co-living spaces to digital nomads across the globe, giving them the opportunity to create networks and share experiences. 

At Twissen we observe that the segment of digital nomads is gaining more and more ground within the market and has potential to bring about some relevant changes in the hospitality industry even after the pandemic. The possibility for many people to smart-work from any destination can be exploited by players of the sector also to tackle seasonality.

Twissen