June 19, 2019 - Tourism is a major component of the Croatian economy, but a changing digital world offers an even more lucrative sector - lifestyle for the digital nomad.
The world is changing, and some of those changes are global and change the way we do things forever.
It is just over 20 years since a small company called Google was founded, for example. Does anyone even remember how we used to source information before the Great Google God?
(Screenshot from Digital Takeover conference in Zagreb)
Uber, Facebook, Netflix, YouTube, AirBnB - among many of the companies that dominate our lives but which did not exist 20 years ago.
And there is one more revolution which has already started but which is accelerating - the mobile workplace.
The term digital nomad is perhaps still not so well understood by many, and even less see just what an impact it is going to have on the status quo in the coming years. Or how countries which embrace this imminent - and inevitable - change can benefit enormously. Or how Croatia is in prime position to take full advantage and attract wealth creating visitors to boost its economy throughout the year.
Without really trying too hard.
Let me give you an example from a meeting I had yesterday with a very nice Ukranian and Russian couple in their early 40s here on Hvar. They live in Munich and he works for an IT company, where the boss has decided that his staff would be happier and more productive if he let them work remotely 10 months a year, with only 1-2 months required in the office. The boss himself only spends 6 months in the office and has arranged things whereby he can spend the other half in the warmth of Asia.
The couple I met last night decided that they wanted to use the opportunity to travel and to experience life in different countries and integrate into communities. The wife came with her family to Jelsa 19 years ago on holiday, and the memories were warm enough for them to decide to put Jelsa into their plan, and so they have been here for 3 months, from April to June, with plans to do exactly the same next year. From Jelsa, they will move to Sicily for 2-3 months and then onto Portugal or Spain. And after the required stop in Munich, it will be back to Jelsa next April.
The working day is just like any other for someone working online. Deadlines, phone calls, emails, contact with bosses and colleagues. But all this is done remotely. What is different is that each morning starts with a swim before work and a swim after work. They shop in the market, drink coffee in the cafes, and eat in the restaurants. They are even learning Croatian, as they want to get the most out of the community experience. Friends and family come to visit, and they too visit the market, cafes and restaurants. The couple also has many friends with a similar lifestyle, who will be following the places they stay in and consider them for their own digital nomad experience.
There will be a projected one billion digital nomads in the world by 2035. A shift in the global economy and work pattern on a par with what Google did for information and Uber for catching a cab.
And Croatia has SO many advantages to get a sizable part of that business. If Croatia could attract 2% of that projected number, that would be 20 million digital nomads a year, which is more than the current tourism numbers. And they would stay longer, spend more, many of them out of season. The boost to the economy would be much more than tourism currently. And if Croatia managed to attract 3%, or more...
The digital nomad way is about much more than simply a good WiFi connection. It is a lifestyle choice, where people want to experience great living conditions to complement their online working day. Destinations which are safe, beautiful, have great food and wine, lots of activities, the chance to meet people and build a temporary social life, where English is widely spoken, the weather is great, and getting to other places is relatively easy.
Are there many better places in Europe for ticking all the boxes above? Check out the Total Croatia Digital Nomad in Croatia guide.
All the key factors are in place to position Croatia as an important player in this lucrative sector. All that is required is to get a better understand of the exact needs of this new breed of visitor, ensuring that those needs are catered to, and then a concerted campaign to tell the world why Croatia.
It really should not be too much more complicated than that.
Considering spending some time living in Croatia and wondering what it is like for foreigners? The Total Croatia Living in Croatia guide has more.
