August 24, 2021 - The story is starting to spread. Zagreb as a fantastic remote work destination. Some thoughts from the second Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador, Rudi Witkowsky.
Word of mouth tourism promotion is arguably the most precious of all. Zero cost, full of passion, and endorsements from friends and family - no fake reviews here.
It is just over two years since TCN started writing about the potential of Croatia as a digital nomad destination. The story has been growing steadily, and all the global coverage surrounding the introduction of the digital nomad permit helped to make it a global story. Suddenly, digital nomads were looking at Croatia as their next remote work destination. Maybe not for the 12-month permit, but for a month, two, three - nomads are by definition nomadic.
And the general feedback that I have observed is that these new arrivals very much like what they see. Excellent English and Internet, stunning nature and a beautiful coast, great food and wine, culture, history, affordability, accessibility, friendly locals, safety, and lifestyle - the list goes on. Zagreb Digital Nomad Week speaker Dean Kuchel of Digital Nomad World summed it up very nicely when he was asked what Zagreb was missing regarding its digital nomad offer:
"The only thing Zagreb is missing is more digital nomads."
A number of nomads have been very pleasantly surprised at what they have found in Croatia, and particularly Zagreb, and they have been busy relaying their experiences and enthusiasm to their friends and nomad communities. The buzz about Croatia, with its great lifestyle, is getting louder. Only this week, TCN contributor Steve Tsentserensky's explanation of his life in Croatia on $47 a day went viral as the top trending story on CNBC News - the video above has had almost 100,000 views at time of writing. The latest example of free global promotion of Croatia's digital nomad opportunity. It is a story which is being dripfed organically, and the message is starting to resonate.
After the success of Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, a collaboration between Saltwater Nomads, Zagreb Tourist Board and TCN, the second component of the project, Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Project, in partnership with Doma Zagreb Aparthotel, began on July 1 and runs until December 31.
This month's ambassador is Rudi Witkowsky from South Africa, who swapped a couple of months remote working on the Adriatic coast to take up residence at Doma Zagreb Aparthotel with his partner Victoria. Rudi has been enjoying the Croatian capital and indulging in his fitness passion in the city's gyms and parks, while working his financial day job from the coworking spaces around town.
A first-time visitor to the city, certain themes in the impressions of Rudi so far seem to be consistent with many other nomads I have spoken to about the Zagreb experience. The level of English is outstanding, the Internet is excellent, the choice of coworking spaces superb. And the food... You can listen to Rudi's full interview in the video below. All messages that need to be amplified moree loudly, but which are already being shared among friends, family and communities.
And that word of mouth recommendation seems to be working. Rudi explains that he has had a phenomenal response from back home to all his social media posts about his remote life in Croatia, a life he plans to continue if his application for the digital nomad permit is successful. But he is also working on another project with partners, which could also see some nice benefits for Croatia - to bring groups of up to 50 financial consultants to remote work in Croatia for 4 months a year, as they are actively looking for a European base.
Tell the story and they will come. And the more stories which are being told, the more they are coming.
For more news and features on digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.
Want to be a Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador? Here's how.
