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What do Digital Nomads Expect from a Destination?

With more and more workers joining the digital nomad movement and starting to work remotely, we look at some of the characteristics they look for before choosing a destination. As Fuerteventura is becoming the European hub for remote workers and digital nomads, the public entities are looking to understand this market and make a complete offering like BaliBermuda, or Madeira

Although bigger islands like Tenerife and Gran Canaria have an extensive nomad community, Fuerteventura is becoming the new cult favorite for those looking at beating the usual crowded places. Digital nomads choose to stay from two months to eight months on average in Fuerteventura, while some invest in buying local properties to move here. 

Let’s look at Corralejo itself. It all started with Covid 2020. There were social media images, posts, and reels of travelers circulating about how they were enjoying their lockdown in the paradise island. #Fuerteventura, #FuerteventuraExperience, and  #FuerteventuraIsland began trending for the first time in the island’s history. 

The word about the island spread in locked-down countries through social media marking Fuerteventura as a safe destination and flocking travelers who had a job, a laptop, and wanted an escape from their quarantined towns. Tiktok videos, Youtube vlogs, Instagram reels of people hiking, trekking, cycling, skinny dipping, working with exotic volcanoes, and the ocean in the background started attracting other travelers looking for a place to escape in the Covid-struck world. It did not take long for local apartment complexes and vacation homeowners to understand the new travelers and adapt their offering from a tour operator to a remote worker.

It was a glorious phase, strategically and statistically. Not only did we convince vacation rental owners to allow long-term pricing, but we also urged them to increase their wifi speeds, add study desks with chairs and convert unused spaces into workstations for remote workers. It was difficult at first, as we urged property owners to make additional investments in an empty and unstable covid season. However, it was a great decision. Not only did it work exceptionally well and help them achieve multiple occupancies, but it also boosted the local economy. 

This new traveler wants to try everything local, authentic, and sustainable. However, this is not enough in the ever-changing environment of competing destinations around the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. What’s needed is a solid public-private partnership to strengthen the travel offering for remote workers and digital nomads as a destination.

We did a small survey and asked some digital nomads in a community meet-up in Corralejo last week about what they would suggest to a destination like Fuerteventura to be at par with other globally competent destinations. Here are a few suggestions that can help the public entities collaborate in a win-win way to create sustainable growth for the island.

  1. Fast Wifi in Remote Locations:

Not only fast wifis in apartment complexes, coworking, and coliving but also provide accommodations in rural areas where the quiet life of the remote regions appeals to bigger teams to brainstorm collectively.

2. Easy and Affordable Transport

With the recent Link scooters flocking Corralejo, a big problem of commuting between the town has been resolved. However, skyrocketing car rental prices and the lack of digital payments in public transport, along with a shortage of cabs in inner zones, make it difficult to explore these areas and help the local economy in these regions. A significant suggestion has been car-sharing, where rental cars can be picked up and left at similar parking stations demarked in each area. Another suggestion for transport has been the green movement and bike-sharing that can aid in making Fuerteventura achieve its sustainable label faster and solve a big demand-supply problem. 

3. More Prominent Festivals & Conferences:

Although local meet-ups conducted independently by private businesses add to the vibrant energy and culture of the digital nomad community in Fuerteventura, a frequent suggestion has been to have important or innovative festivals and events. From film festivals to music and technology conferences to Ted talks has been on the wish list for them from Fuerteventura. 

4. Digital Access to Local Experiences

With private businesses offering local excursions and daily activities, finding ways to reach the new travel audience, some with marketing knowledge, and many without much-skilled information, has led to an unorganized structure of local island experiences. A constant suggestion has been of having a central source where the new traveler can find everything at a click of a button, book at a click of a button, and do so with plain confidence and trust, not worrying about being conned for a higher price. 

5. Geo-Location-based services

Be it booking a cab, tracking the bus, exploring experiences, completing cycling routes, or taking up hiking challenges, public decision-makers need to emphasize location-based services to be considered an intelligent island and offer smooth travel experiences to travelers. 

These suggestions can only be achieved for the betterment and sustainable growth of the island locally and globally, with the public administration’s critical involvement and collaboration with local businesses and entrepreneurs. 

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