April 9, 2021 - 10 digital nomads from 7 countries have been announced as the winners of the inaugural Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence in a video presentation at a press conference in the city. 

They originate from California, Texas, Japan, Finland, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands, and the UK, but are currently located in several other locations. But they all have one thing in common - on April 23, they will all descend on Dubrovnik, to take up their positions in the world's first Digital Nomad-in-Residence programme (DN-I-R), set to take place in Croatia. 

The DN-i-R programme, which has been designed by Saltwater Nomads, in partnership with Total Croatia News, the CIty of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board (and financed by the latter two), is an innovative direction for the Pearl of the Adriatic, as it looks to diversify its tourism strategy away from overtourism and in the wake of the pandemic. 

Given the global situation, it was perhaps fitting that the location of the press conference was just outside the UNESCO World Heritage Site and its famous old walls at Lazareti. Completely renovated in 2018, Lazareti is now a spectacular multi-purpose event location. Its origins are as the original quarantine station in Dubrovnik. The Dubrovnik Republic was the first state to introduce quarantine back in 1377. 

The press conference was given by Deputy Mayor of Dubrovnik, Jelka Tepsic, Dubrovnik Tourist Board Director, Ana Hrnic, Saltwater Nomads CEO, Tanja Polegubic, and TCN CEO, Paul Bradbury. 

The lucky 10 digital nomads were chosen from a very international field of 115 applicants, from 27 countries. You can see who they are with this compilation video above, which was put together from the application video submissions. Over the coming days, TCN will be introducing them individually. They are:

Kelsey Kay Love from Texas (currently in Los Angeles)

Charlie Brown from UK (currently in Zagreb)

Ron Tardiff from USA (currently in Budapest)

Marlee McCormick from Texas

Albert Cañigueral from Spain

Zoltan Nagy from Hungary (currently in Tenerife)

Alyssa Isogawa from USA/Japan (currently in California)

Rob Schubert from the Netherlands (currently in Estonia)

Carolyn Zelikow from USA (currently on Hvar)

Kaisu Koskela from Finland (currently in Gran Canaria)

It was a high-quality field of applications, and there are several ways that other applicants can still be involved. TCN will shortly be announcing giveaways, virtual networking opportunities, and the chance to attend the final event in May. 

The press conference over, it was down to the hard work. The excellent relationship between city, tourist board and Saltwater Nomads has already delivered the first digital nomad conference in Croatia, Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads in October, 2020. Jelka and Tanja have built up an excellent working relationship, and there is still plenty of organisation ahead, now that the selection process is over.  

One of the gorgeous Lazareti rooms has been made available to the DN-i-R project as a coworking space, right on the water.  

You can learn more about the programme here. 

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Programme

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

For the latest digital nomad news from Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

April 7, 2021 - Applications have now closed for the inaugural Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence competition. TCN caught up with Dubrovnik Tourist Board Director, Ana Hrnic, to talk nomads and the future of tourism in the Pearl of the Adriatic.

With just over 2 weeks to go to the start of the Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence programme, TCN sat down with Dubrovnik Tourism Board Director, Ana Hrnic, to cover a wide range of issues related to tourism in Croatia's most iconic city, including its future direction. 

The Dubrovnik  Digital Nomad-in-Residence programme is a joint initiative from the City of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Saltwater Nomads and TCN, funded by Dubrovnik. Saltwater Nomads CEO Tanja Polegubic recently gave an interview to TCN where she went into considerable detail about the programme. 

The judging panel of six has reached agreement, and the ten (VERY international) winners will be announced at a press conference at Lazareti in Dubrovnik on Friday, April 9 at 10:00. 

I caught up with Ana Hrnic, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board director, to talk nomads, but also various other issues regarding tourism in the city and its future direction. 

Being a tourist board director during a pandemic must be extremely stressful. Tell us how 2020 was for tourism in Dubrovnik from your perspective.

I came on the position of Dubrovnik Tourist Board director in February 2020. This would be a professional challenge for me in normal times, not to mention how challenging it was in months that followed. I just managed to meet the team and get familiar with the processes, when the pandemic started. This was a big shock for everyone, and of course for me personally as well. 2020 was I think the most specific year ever. We have had war and many other crises that affected tourism in the past, but this kind of a global impact was something we have never faced before. The year 2020 was very difficult, especially for Dubrovnik as a destination very dependent on international flights.

International air traffic began in mid-June, and intensified in July, when flights began from the UK market, our traditional number one market. Unfortunately, very soon Croatia was included in the red lists of many countries due to the epidemiological situation, so the season was very short for us. The announcements for September were good, but the epidemiological situation prevented us from realizing it.

Until recently, Dubrovnik tourism was known increasingly for cruise ships and over-tourism. 2020 changed all that. How was the feeling last year a) as a resident, and b) as a tourism professional?

Due to the over-tourism effects, a few years ago, Dubrovnik was on the list of destinations to avoid, and our UNESCO status was endangered. And lately, thanks to the measures taken by the city administration through the Respect the City project, Dubrovnik is on the list of destinations that are successfully coping with the trend of over-tourism, which has not bypassed many other famous tourist cities.

Mass tourism is inevitable, even for nominally more exclusive destinations than Dubrovnik. This was certainly due to the fact that flights became quite affordable, so thousands of people were given the opportunity to travel around the world for relatively little money. And there is cruising tourism which is also financially acceptable and accessible to a larger number of people. It should not be seen as something negative, but it should be properly managed. That is why destination management is important, in order to make tourism sustainable in all aspects.

Tourists who came to Dubrovnik last summer had the opportunity to fully enjoy the city without crowds, and experience the destination in a unique way.

Many see 2020 as an enforced opportunity for a complete reset. Is this the case for Dubrovnik tourism? More of the same of a complete reset? What is the vision?

We should focus primarily on quality and sustainability. I see Dubrovnik in the future as a destination of sustainable tourism, and as a destination of top-quality offer and excellence in all segments. I think it is very important to achieve a quality balance between satisfied visitors and satisfied citizens. There is no point in accumulating millions of overnights and arrivals, if our citizens are dissatisfied and if this affects negatively on the quality of our lives. 2020 definitely gave us the opportunity for a certain reset, and I believe we are on a good way.

In the years ahead, I think that nothing will look exactly the same as before and that we will be able to completely change the direction of tourism development towards sustainability. I believe that we will draw some lessons from all this that has happened and create clear visions for the future. We are convinced that the highest quality segments of the offer are the most resilient in crises and we need to work on raising quality in all segments.

Dubrovnik tourism should be tourism that respects above all the citizens of this city, which is sustainable and whose success is not measured solely by the number of overnights. The emphasis in the future must be placed on raising quality in all segments, in order to ultimately use this crisis to reposition Dubrovnik as a destination of excellence and sustainable tourism.

Dubrovnik has been a very early adaptor of the digital nomad opportunity in Croatia. Tell us why you believe it is such a good thing. And why should nomads choose Dubrovnik?

Speaking of digital nomads, in October last year the City of Dubrovnik hosted the event "Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads", and was the leader of this initiative in Croatia. Digital nomads are important for the destination where they live, because of the fact that they are good consumers, but also because of their activities which intensively promote the destination. It should also be emphasized that these are long stays, often in periods outside the main seasonal months. They become ambassadors of their new city, and in this way attract their friends, families and more and more digital nomads. In every aspect, Dubrovnik has the potential to become a prestigious and desirable destination for digital nomads. In order to attract them, it is necessary, in addition to an attractive destination and excellent internet connection, to provide them hospitality, show how safe in all aspects Dubrovnik is, to offer better long-term rental opportunities, greater engagement of the local community, and global promotion.

Dubrovnik has a reputation in some quarters as being expensive with not much to do after exploring the old town, which does not sound attractive to digital nomads, especially those on a budget. How would you answer those claims of being expensive and there being little to do?

The propaganda of Dubrovnik as a too expensive destination is, in my opinion, excessive, and such a sensationalist approach harms the destination. Lower quality destinations have the same prices as Dubrovnik. Coffee on Stradun and a kilo of top-quality fish in a luxury restaurant have their price, which is absolutely justified, and this should come as no surprise. From the prices in always the same restaurants, which are located in the most attractive locations within the city walls, the perception is created that the prices are the same everywhere. In the City, and even within the city walls, there are places with much more moderate prices and quality offer. I do not see Dubrovnik as a destination for sun and beach tourism, but as a destination for experiences. It is special at all times of the year, so it is not necessary to visit it in the months when prices are high. Dubrovnik and its surroundings have so much to offer during the whole year – from different events, festivals, gastronomy, active tourism… This can and will be improved in the future and Dubrovnik will be even more than now recognized as a whole year destination.

This is the first Digital Nomad-in-Residence partnership with a destination in the world as I understand. Tell us what you are expecting from this month, and how exactly will the tourist board and city participate?

We see this project as an excellent opportunity to promote Dubrovnik as a digital nomad-friendly destination. Through the project together with our partners and candidates, we will create a future strategy for positioning Dubrovnik as an attractive digital nomad destination, we will define areas for improvement and hopefully reach global promotion. Our candidates’ feedback on their one-month stay in Dubrovnik will be extremely useful for our future steps.

Tell us a little about the profile of the digital nomads you are hoping will apply. 

We are hoping to have a diverse range of candidates - different nationalities, occupations, skills, age groups, professional experiences… those who will help us promote the destination within the global digital nomad community, and whose experiences will help us develop future strategy.

How will you measure the success of the programme?

We will measure the success of the program by the number of digital nomads staying in Dubrovnik in future period, as well as global promotion and PR we are hoping to achieve. And of course, as I have already mentioned, our candidate’s feedback will be very valuable for us in the development of a future digital nomad-friendly destination strategy.

Applications for the Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence programme have now closed, but you can learn more about it here.

For more information about digital nomads in Croatia, visit the TC Digital Nomads in Croatia in a Page. Or follow the latest in the dedicated TCN section. 

March 25, 2021 - With just 6 days left to apply for the Dubrovnik DN-i-R (Digital Nomads in Residence) competition, a look at some of the magic that awaits the 10 lucky winners.  

(This article is sponsored by the City of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik Tourist Board.)

There are just six days to go until applications close for the Dubrovnik DN-i-R competition, the first of its kind in the world. Ten lucky winners, to be announced on TCN on April 5, will be guests of the city of Dubrovnik for four weeks from April 23. The Dubrovnik DN-i-R programme will be the first such cooperation between a destination and resident digital nomads, working together to develop the destination's strategy for its digital nomad offer. 

The concept, developed and implemented by Saltwater Nomads, is a collaboration with the City of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and the Croatian National Tourist Board, with media support from TCN. 

In addition to the free accommodation, specialised workshops and other activities, Dubrovnik's ten remote-working guests will be taken around the region to explore some of the magic of Dubrovnik, both inside - but especially outside - its city walls. 

I always find it amusing to hear tourists complaining that there is nothing to do in Dubrovnik once you have been around the old town. Nothing could be further from the truth! Add Dubrovnik, the city, to Dubrovnik, the region, and you have a quite sensational offer. And that is before you consider the gems right across international borders, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina and Kotor in Montenegro.

Considering applying but not yet convinced? Perhaps this official overview of the excursions will help persuade you. You can find out more about the application process here.  

1 - Tour of Dubrovnik Old Town

– sightseeing tour of the Old City of Dubrovnik and the city walls with the local guide – organized by Dubrovnik Tourist Board 

Learn more about Dubrovnik on the official Dubrovnik Tourism Board website.

2  - Korcula

 – a weekend trip to Korcula island (sightseeing tour of the Old City of Korcula – birthplace of Marco Polo; hiking /cycling from town Korcula to Lumbarda, winery visit; visiting other places on the island – Blato, Vela Luka…) – organized by Korcula Tourist Board

Korčula – this central Dalmatian island stretches out parallel to the nearby mainland in a west-east direction. The island is 46.8 km in length, with an average width of 5.3 to 7.8 kilometres and a surface area of 270 km2, making it the sixth-largest island in the Adriatic Sea. It is separated from the Pelješac peninsula by the Pelješac Channel, only 1270 m wide at its narrowest point. The island of Korčula is indented with a series of bays and coves. Exploring the island only adds to its natural beauty: every part of it is worth exploring. Near the city of Korčula is an archipelago of twenty uninhabited islands covered in dense macchia thickets and accessible coastline: on some, the smooth stone slabs along the shore are perfect for sunbathing. The island of Korčula has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with past traces of life being uncovered at many places on the island. The oldest finds were stone knives from the Neolithic age discovered on the islet of Badija near Korčula. The site with the richest Neolithic age finds is Vela spilja (Large Cave) at Vela Luka.

Learn more about the incredible island of Korcula.

 3 - Mljet

 -a weekend trip to Mljet island – one of the 8 national parks of Croatia (active tour of the island – cycling, hiking, kayaking, visit of the national park and 2 saltwater lakes, boatride to the Odysseus cave…) – organized by Mljet Tourist Board

Mljet – the first large island we come upon while sailing the from the southeast in Croatian waters. In historical times, the entire island was inhabited by the Illyrians. The Greeks, on their way to Lumbarda (island of Korčula) and other Adriatic settlements arrived there and stayed due to the water and bad weather. The island was also inhabited by the Romans, who left behind archaeological remnants, the most significant of which is the palace in Polače harbor, as well as the names of the island heights, hills and reefs, unquestionable proof of their residence on the island. Mljet is Croatia’s greenest island with lush Mediterranean vegetation, clear and clean sea, a gentle, sandy shoreline and a wealth of underwater sea life. This island is well known for its southern sorts of white and red wine, which receive a special flavour and aroma from the sun and the specific Mljet soil. The island is also well known for its goat’s cheese and honey which, in the past, was served in the emperor’s courts, and mostly for the warmness with which the islanders greet visitors to their island.

Learn more on the official Mljet Tourist Board website.

 4 - Konavle

– one-day excursion to Konavle area (sightseeing of the town Cavtat, museum in the village Cilipi, Old watermill in village Ljuta and some other sights and villages). – organized by Cavtat Konavle Tourist Board

Konavle is a region with particular natural beauties and contrasts: mountain and valley, green hills and naked stone, the blue and the green or, as called by the inhabitants of Konavle, "Gornja" and "Donja Banda". Fringed by the Konavle mountains in the North, bordered by the Adriatic Sea in the South, it reaches from the entry into the Bay of Kotor to the peninsula of Prevlaka in the East, and in the West, it inclines down to the cosy coves of Obod and Cavtat. The preserved natural, unique and exceptionally precious rural architecture, numerous monuments of the thousand-year-old history of this area, traditions that are hundreds of years old and have been kept through folklore, the distinctive traditional costumes of Konavle and the Konavle embroidery, the harmony of man's life and nature …all this renders Konavle unique and recognisable.

Learn more on the official Cavtat Konavle Tourist Board website.

5 - Primorje

 – one-day excursion to Dubrovnik Primorje area (visit of town Slano, the Rector’s palace, villages up the hills…) – organized by Dubrovacko Primorje Tourist Board

The Coast of Dubrovnik is a gentle region of olive groves and vineyards, with an indented shore and lavish vegetation... Slano is the biggest and most important small town and a community centre. Traditionally, the villages in the immediate hinterland are municipally linked to it, forming a constituent part of the Community of the Dubrovnik Coast. Slano is 30 kilometres from the centre of Dubrovnik. It is situated in a spacious and beautiful bay of the same name, which was a flooded valley, next to the walled shoreline, opposite the island of Šipan and divided by the Koločep Channel. Slano is attractive due to its numerous pebble beaches, lush vegetation and pleasant climate. 

The bay is protected from the wind, so that it is an ideal haven and anchorage for ships, boats and yachts. Its economy is based on tourism with accommodation provided by the hotels “Admiral” and “Osmine”, private pensions, apartments, campsites and other venues; also on agriculture (olives, vines, fruit), fishing and other marine activities.

Learn more on the official Slano Tourist Board website.

The final date for applications is March 31, so there is still time. It is going to be a fantastic 4 weeks in a dream destination. Full details on the competition, rules and application process on the Saltwater Nomads website.

Learn more about the programme in this in-depth interview with its creator, Saltwater Nomads CEO Tanja Polegubic. 

The Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Frankovic, has been heavily involved in the city's Dubrovnik digital nomad initiative from the start. Mayor Frankovic talks about this, as well as other tourist topics, in this recent TCN interview. 

March 18, 2021 - There are less than 2 weeks to go until applications for the Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence (DN-I-R) competition closes. An in-depth interview with competition creator, Tanja Polegubic of Saltwater Nomads. 

The pandemic has been a strange time for all of us, but it has also brought new directions and opportunities. I would never have expected to have been involved in the organisation of Croatia's first-ever digital nomad conference, Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads. 

2020 was a great year for the digital nomad sector in Croatia, culminating of course in the introduction of the digital nomad permit on January 1. Now nomads meeting the criteria are able to live for one year in Croatia and work remotely. TCN teamed up with one of the early pioneers in these fairly uncharted waters, Saltwater Nomads. Dubrovnik was the first destination to see the value in what we were offering, we have been working with them ever since. 

Saltwater CEO, Tanja Polegubic, designed and delivered the October conference, and she is also behind the Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence competition, a unique concept which has attracted considerable international attention. And some VERY strong early applications. 

There has also been some confusion about the competition and what we are trying to achieve, and I thought that the best way to explain more would be to get young Tanja to explain in more depth. 

(Photo by Damira Kalajzic)

It is being billed as the world's first digital nomad-in-residence competition, in partnership with the city and tourist board of Dubrovnik. Can you briefly explain what that means exactly, and what you are trying to achieve?

The notion of a scholar- or artist-in-residence is a globally recognised concept. These residencies are models of collaboration; they bring diversity to an institution, and foster an environment for research, knowledge sharing - and in this case, the goal will be implementation.

The selected DN-I-Rs will participate in design thinking workshops and present their findings on shaping a Digital Nomad Friendly city.

The first goal in working with Dubrovnik was to build awareness about the city and what it can offer for digital nomads, as it was not previously known for this - but was certainly infamous! This is in motion, with much international media coverage about Croatia’s most famous city. Like most places, it is undergoing a transformation - everyone knows what Dubrovnik looked like before. Digital nomads are only one aspect of this. We are using a co-creation model to look at ways digital nomads fit this new direction.

You are offering 10 lucky winners the chance to spend 4 weeks as guests of Dubrovnikworking with the city to develop their strategy to better serve digital nomads. Who is eligible to apply, and what kind of applicants are you looking for ideally?

Anyone who can be a digital nomad for a month can apply. This might be first-timers, who are perhaps working from home right now - or a seasoned digital nomad travelling the world.

We are looking for applicants who will bring value to the program. This isn’t a free ride - even though you’ll go on some amazing local area tours, free! We want to see evidence you will commit and can make a contribution. We’re looking for diversity in age and professions. We also need to know what skills you will bring, and we have answers such as “community building, playing the ukulele, history knowledge” so it is really about what an individual brings and looking at how that will fit in a group. We don’t expect people to have experience doing this before,or1 million followers 

If you are asking for a hot tip - I can only say, ensure it reflects your personality - we want to see the real you. Also, do some research on Dubrovnik to inform the reason WHY you are applying.

(The Lazareti, the original quarantine premises for the Dubrovnik  Republic, which is where the first digital nomad conference in Croatia was held)

The application period is already open and runs until March 31. How has the response been so far? 

The applications we’ve received so far are diverse and strong. As it’s the first time it has been done, this will be the benchmark. There are also COVID19 factors to consider. Not many people are sure of their ability to travel right now. On that note - COVID19 safety is our high priority and we are operating within the prescribed guidelines and in constant consultation with the City about this.

We are confident a high-quality group will emerge.

There will be other opportunities to be involved, so anyone who applies will get this information, first.

Your company, Saltwater Nomads, is providing both the concept and the delivery of the Dubrovnik Nomads-in-Residence programme. Why Dubrovnik?

First Movers

Dubrovnik was the first to recognise and follow through on the idea to welcome digital nomads to an external audience.

Sustainability

Dubrovnik was, according to some reports, the second most overcrowded city in the world. I watched on during the war. I visited for the first time in 2001 as a volunteer at Trsteno Arboretum. I considered it as a destination when I first began researching opening a cowork in 2015. Its history is … epic. It is Croatia’s best-known city, so when it prospers, this can only benefit every other city in Croatia - nomads travel. So, from bringing wider benefits to Croatia, to delivering a more sustainable approach - the why is clear to me.

Action-oriented

Getting things done in Dalmatia can be difficult, drawn out and tiring. There’s a lot of skills atrophy. Complaints, with no action. A brain drain. Anyone with a more open-minded and longterm vision, in this case a city - is where energies should go right now. Local council and institutional support is key.

Dubrovnik has demonstrated it “gets it”, and I forgot for a while what that looked like. I am also pleased to say, other cities are taking progressive steps, and were perhaps limited due to many factors - so I am confident Dubrovnik is just the start.

Keep an eye out for new projects in Zagreb, Bačvice beach Split and an island.

You are known as one of the pioneers of the remote work initiative in Croatia, opening your first co-working space back in 2017, and there has been a lot of buzz regarding the Croatian digital nomad 'visa', or permit. How has the scene changed in Croatia since you started?

I started researching opening a coworking space here in 2015. My father became ill, and ultimately passed away, so I did not come until 2017. Prior to Covid-19, it was a tough run on the coast. You’re too expensive in Summer, and there’s not much to offer in Winter, so no one knows about you and goes to Bali instead. Also, no one knew what I was doing - but my first “walk-in” the first month I opened was from Google. I wasn’t even ready yet, but I took this as a sign I was onto something. In that time, I branched out to do a range of project work, and met a lot of people and discovered the kind of person I would want to do business with - having had no experience in business - and really learning a lot. I am still learning.

The pandemic (and as a result, working from home) has changed everything. Croatia’s new digital nomad permit has turned it into turbo mode. There are more online services due to COVID19. These are progressive steps to making Croatia ideal for digital nomads.

The thing I most expect to change, is a rise in people with Croatian origins also considering Croatia as their office. I already see it, in fact.

What are the biggest challenges for Croatia and its tourism providers in order that they fully take advantage of this opportunity? I am struck, for example, by high levels of enthusiasm to offer 'digital nomad tourism' without necessarily a clear understanding of what that entails.

This is a long-term journey arising out of the pandemic. Digital nomads are just a part of it. While it is great to see enthusiasm, a more informed approach and diversification would be wise. Can digital nomads be one form of moving toward this? I believe so.

I am reading and talking to some of the more visionary thinkers to offer something other than tourism. It is my belief that a digital nomad audience can deliver capacity-building opportunities regular tourism cannot, for example, by knowledge sharing and showing “you can work from anywhere” helps the younger generation see they have options. Also, Croatia is a place which can be a base for different sectors. Again, to touch on Croatians outside Croatia - if the rest of the world is coming here to work, why can’t you - but in this case, actually invest or run a business, which a non-EU national on a digital nomad permit currently cannot.

The biggest challenge, currently, is education. Providers need to know why and how a digital nomad is different to a regular tourist.

For example, this includes longer stays, a desire for more immersion in community and feeling at home.

Longer stays are the best example - it is hard for someone who has previously made 8,000 euro in 1 month to now offer the same apartment for 800 euro. Thus, landlords must decide if they will offer monthly bookings vs nightly. This is currently, and I expect will continue to be, Croatia’s greatest challenge; it impacts a decision on where to stay and will be a deterrent if prices and convenience are not available year-round. Some incentives for more properties to offer this is one way which can help.

Also, knowing what to offer.

A lot of people are working from home - the kitchen table is not always suitable. Nor is slow or unreliable internet. People are travelling with or adopting pets. They are self-catering more. They require everyday household items - such as more coathangers. It really can be that simple. You need to consider utilities pricing, and then things like whether you are registering a nomad as a tourist, or will have a lease - as the taxes differ. There’s a lot of new information and adjustments to be made. Some are quick fixes, some need more investment.

These are areas which can be addressed, and I am confident Croatia offers everything - Lifestyle being number 1.

(With Digital Nomad Association co-founder, Jan de Jong)

You are also a co-founder of the Digital Nomad Association in Croatia. Tell us a little about that.

Working in a tough town with a tough business to make viable has meant I’ve encountered almost every problem imaginable for digital nomads. I enter the DNA bringing these insights, as I’ve directly been impacted by the same issues a digital nomad, or business serving digital nomads, may face.

Being part of DNA Croatia with Jan and Karmela is one of the greatest things to come out of last year. I learn every day from the different skills my colleagues have, and we each bring a different perspective.

The association is about strength in numbers. Our current focus is heavily administrative, and the next focus is to drive membership, and collectively work toward meeting our five goals which are: representation (eg. to government bodies), community building, education, information and certification (eg. ‘digital nomad friendly’ properties). I also believe we were the first in the world with such an association. We really saw the need to get things right from the start of the permit being launched. How? We bring a range of collective expertise.

There’s entrepreneurial, community work and NGO experience in our founding team. Every day, we hear from and factor in how people in Croatia or digital nomads want to be served. Our aim is to bring all this together.

Each one of us is passionate, has a strong network - and is actively contributing to make Croatia realise its potential. Even in the face of occasional criticism - but from what I see, the ones who criticise are quick to give an opinion, but haven’t done anything to change things.

And finally, what are you hoping the end results will be of the programme, and how will you measure its success?

The expectations are high. Success is a happy City and Tourist Board, number one. Next are the participants. We’re promising a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so it’s a big task.

We’re confident the workshops will be engaging and involve members of the community in a co-creation model. For example, the tourist council is a knowledgeable base of experts to engage, through to tour guides, historians, you name it. The structure of the program will determine who is identified - the first task is to see how the digital nomads experience the City themselves. It then calls for the involvement of relevant local stakeholders. This is built into the co-creation model. Some locals have already reached out, which is wonderful.

Enjoyment

The tour program made my jaw drop (I don’t know how anyone will get any of their regular work done with all there is to do)! The participants are there to enjoy being in Dubrovnik for a month as special guests of the City and Tourist board. It has to be a positive experience, which they will promote, with authenticity.

Sustainability

It is a thrown-around term. Still, our efforts are intended for there to be ongoing benefits beyond the four weeks of the DN-I-R program. Will our findings and recommendations be able to be implemented? Will they benefit incoming digital nomads and locals? Sustainability equals success.

Local buy-in

The City and Tourist Board supports this and recognises its value. During the program, which uses a co-creation model, we continue to look to the City and Tourist Board for guidance on who and how to engage with the community they serve. When a number of new products and services emerge - as a result of this program and other efforts, then it’s a win/win.

Beyond Dubrovnik’s walls

Success is other locations - in the region or beyond, adopting a similar or modified approach - i.e. making the effort to do something to suit a remote working audience. It doesn’t have to be so intensive, but the roadmap is expected to have some universal ‘tweaks’, but of course there will be location-specific things to implement.

Numbers

The moonshot is to be profiled as a best-practice example for cities adopting new strategies to cater to remote workers and demonstrate Croatia has some of the best places to live by more digital nomads coming. We are slow when you compare us to other established Mediterranean countries - so we are making up for it. For a tourist-reliant city to make such a move, this has already drawn the attention of urban planning publications - so already, the world is watching. Success is when they start coming to live and work here.

There is still time to apply, with applications accepted until March 31. Learn more about the competition rules and apply via the official Saltwater entry form.

For more news and features about digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

ZAGREB, 10 March, 2021 - The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has launched a new promotional campaign "Croatia, your new office!" with the aim of promoting Croatia as a suitable destination for digital nomads.

As part of the campaign a special landing page Croatia your your new office was created in English on the Croatia.hr website together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which contains all the important information related to the permit application process and stay of digital nomads in Croatia, the HTZ says.

At the end of November 2020 the Croatian parliament adopted the Aliens Act, which entered into force at the beginning of 2021 and the legislation enables digital nomads to be granted temporary residence in the country for up to a year.

"Croatia is one of the first members of the European Union to regulate a one-year temporary stay for digital nomads, and this is the result of the cooperation between the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Tourism and Sports," Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac was quoted as saying.

"Digital nomads are an excellent opportunity for the Croatian economy, and we are pleased with the fact that digital nomads are showing increased interest for numerous Croatian cities," the minister said, adding that she is sure that Croatia will impress digital nomads with its natural scenery and cultural heritage.

"I wish all current and future digital nomads a warm welcome to one of the most desirable and unique European destinations - Croatia," Brnjac said.

"Croatia is a country where English is widely spoken, a country that offers a unique way of life with authentic experiences, has a good internet connection, favourable climate and beautiful natural surroundings, good proximity and is easily accessible to the rest of Europe, highly affordable compared to European standards and good and affordable healthcare," the HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić said.

"The above has also been recognized by many foreign media outlets, including the world's leading brand of travel guides Lonely Planet which dedicated a recent article to the topic of digital nomads and the conditions that foreigners must meet to spend a year in Croatia as digital nomads, while the reputable magazine Forbes, in both the French and American editions, published an article about our country as a desirable and open destination for digital nomads. Also, many American media list Croatia and Dubrovnik as extremely desirable destinations for digital nomads," the HTZ says on its website.

For more about digital nomads in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 6, 2021 - It is always a pleasure to publish the thoughts of Zoran Pejovic, one of Croatia's most respected tourism professionals. A word of warning to those rushing into the digital nomad tourism opportunity, looking back at the examples of phylloxera and apartmentisation. 

At the end of the nineteenth century, the good people of Dalmatia got the word that the big wine-producing countries, France, and Spain primarily, lost almost all their vineyards due to the small but mighty pest called phylloxera. They rushed and dug all their olive groves, fruit orchards, and gardens and planted vines, hectares and hectares of vine, thousands of hectares. What followed was several years of amazing growth. The prices were going up and it seemed that the panacea for all the hardships of the hardworking people of the Adriatic coastline was in hand. Well, we know now that it was a terribly bad idea. Some people knew it at the time as well, but their voices could not be heard, as people did not want to hear it. Phylloxera reached our fine shores as well and wiped out all those thousands of hectares of the recently planted vineyards which led to a great famine and mass emigration to the Americas and elsewhere. In the meantime, French and Italian and Spanish growers “vaccinated” their vines by grafting them on the resilient American roots, and their life and wine production resumed. Ours almost came to a halt. 

At the start of the twenty-first century, the good people of Dalmatia got the word that many of the countries that we saw as our competitors in the tourism industry disappeared from the map, mainly due to the geopolitical turmoil, wars being waged in the vicinity or some other factors that made them unsafe to travel. So, we rushed and turned all our houses, apartments, and garages into summer rentals. What followed was several years of amazing growth. The prices were going up and it seemed that the panacea for all the hardships of the hardworking people of the Adriatic coastline was in hand. Well, we know now that it was a terribly bad idea. Some people knew it at the time as well, but their voices could not be heard, as people did not want to hear it. Coronavirus reached our fine shores and wiped out our touristic output by 75%. The apartments for the major part are sitting empty and will probably do so second season in a row, and people are looking for the best emigration options.

The latest panacea on the shelves of the pharmacy of our lives is called “digital nomads”. Apparently, the big cities of the world are not the most pleasant places to be in and live in right now, and people are going to rush to our fine shores and set their IT shops and office, sip wine on the balconies of those empty apartments and leave us their money. People are digging trenches and bringing optic fibers to their houses on the islands, believing that with the high-speed internet connection and the unbearable blueness of our seas and skies it will be impossible to resist the call to join the movement of digital nomadry. While in essence a good idea, and a good PR stunt, albeit not nearly as good as the one from Dubai or some Caribbean islands, and one that I support in terms of legislation and easing of the bureaucratic burdens, I cannot help but feel like we are doing the same things all over again.

We keep looking for new trends and perhaps new directions, without ever establishing a clear identity. The digital nomad program cannot be our identity. It can perhaps be one of the trends or one of the directions we take, but it must stem from the strong, well-built, and easy-to-understand industry identity. We will not be able to build the identity until we understand the progression of economic value, from commodities to experiences and transformations. You simply cannot skip the steps and expect that the entire thing does not falter like a house of cards at the first sign of trouble. We have learned how to commoditize sea and sun, and that to a point only. How those commodities make goods that deliver services that set the stage for experiences that guide transformation is still to be understood for the vast majority of those who pertain to play the part in this industry of people aggregation, travel, tourism, hospitality, leisure, and all connected industry spin-offs. This is obviously not a problem of those who promote this program, which to reiterate once again, I fully support, but of those who keep looking for simple solutions to the complex problems. This a general human characteristic, but sometimes it feels we excel at it a bit more than the others. This will be short-lived solution, until next one surfaces and then we will all rush to root out our vines and plant the lavender. Oh, wait, that has already happened as well!

You can read more of Zoran's writings on TCN here.

For more about the digital nomad scene in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

March 5, 2021 - Just a few months after hosting Croatia's first-ever digital nomad conference, Dubrovnik launches the world's first digital nomad-in-residence competition. Come help shape the remote work strategy of Kings Landing!

Few places in Croatia have been as badly affected by the pandemic economically as Dubrovnik, Croatia's best-known and most iconic city, also known as the Pearl of the Adriatic. Heavily dependent on flights and cruise ships for the bulk of its tourism, COVID-19 wiped out those markets, leaving a city almost devoid of tourism and looking at ways to adjust to the new normal. 

I first met Mayor Mato Frankovic in July last year, when I pitched the idea of reorientating part of the city's tourism around lifestyle, catering to the growing number of remote workers around the world, who were looking to experience lifestyle when they leave their remote offices each day. After a hard day's work, how better to relax than with a coffee on Stradun or a stroll around those magnificent old city walls?

The digital nomad story in Croatia was just starting to get some traction. Dutch entrepreneur Jan de Jong had just sent his open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, asking him to introduce a digital nomad visa for Croatia. Some 44 days after that, Plenkovic tweeted a photo with Split's favourite Dutchman announcing his intention to do just that. The tax code and Foreigner's Act were amended, and from January 1, 2021, the legal framework was in place to welcome digital nomads for 12-month stays. Soon after, an American in Istria became the first bearer of the new visa. Meet Melissa Paul, Owner of Croatia's First Digital Nomad Visa.

(Jan de Jong, the driving force behind Croatia's digital nomad visa, Mayor Mato Frankovic, and TCN's Paul Bradbury at the Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads conference in October 2020)

Dubrovnik's engagement with the concept of developing a strategy for digital nomads led to the first dedicated conference in Croatia back in October. Organised by local remote work specialists, Saltwater Nomads, the Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads conference reached a global audience, including a citation in The Washington Post. Coupled with Croatia's more accommodating approach to tourists durig the pandemic, the message was clear - Croatia's lifestyle and natural beauty were very appealing. The perfect base for remote workers looking for a little extra.

Dubrovnik's beauty and lifestyle got an extra boost in August, as ABC News spent a week covering the topic of Americans travelling during corona times, and the feature above on Good Morning America was watched by 12.5 million people. 

Keen to build on the strong foundations of the October conference, the City of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik Tourist Board have been working closely with Saltwater Nomads to develop a strategy to enable the city to better serve its remote working visitors, as well as better positioning Dubrovnik in the market. 

As part of that strategy, Saltwater owner, Tanja Polegubic, a Croatian returnee from Australia who has been serving digital nomads since setting up Saltwater in 2017, has come up with what we believe is the world's first digital nomad-in-residence contest, bringing digital nomads from all over the world for four weeks in Dubrovnik to work with the city to help it deliver a better understanding of the needs of its remote working guests, as well as using their know-how to help Dubrovnik build a better brand and presence in this rapidly expanding sector. 

(Competition organiser and remote working pioneer in Croatia Tanja Polegubic also organised Croatia's first digital nomad conference in Dubrovnik in October. Jan de Jong was a keynote speaker. Both are founding members of the Digital Nomad Association for Croatia). 

The conference was one of my personal and Professional highlights of 2020," Tanja told TCN. "It’s been really wonderful to see new businesses spring up - and mention the conference and the news of The permit. The DN-I-R residency program will be reaching out to these “early adopters” to be involved. Our approach is co-creation. We will pair the digital nomads to Match global Trends with the local community - I’m really excited about what we’re going to roll out!

The digital nomad-in-residence (DN-I-R) contest will give 10 lucky winners a complimentary 4-week stay as guests of the city, with various meals, tours, workshops and other activities also included. From the Saltwater contest information:

Using a co-creation model, the Saltwater program team will bring together residents and the 10 digital nomads selected as DN-I-Rs. Over a four-week period, the digital nomads will attend design thinking workshops to create a strategic direction for the city, especially as it adjusts to a more sustainable direction and manages the impact of COVID19. 

The competition even allows companies to nominate a star employee - as long as they also agree to terms and conditions if selected. As many digital nomads are couples travelling in Croatia, if a winner has a partner - they can apply and if one is selected can share the free accommodation.

The project, which commences on April 23, will enable the 10 lucky winners to collaborate, upskill, and contribute to the development of Dubrovnik's digital nomad strategy, with the aim of enhancing Dubrovnik's standing in the digital nomad community. Dubrovnik has a reputation of being expensive, which it certainly can be, with a perception among some that there is little to do outside the city walls, which is certainly not true. The exchange of minds and experiences will help to dispel some of these myths. 

DN-I-Rs will receive professional development training, participate in workshops and present their findings on shaping Dubrovnik as a Digital Nomad Friendly city. This will be presented at a finale event at the end of the programme. The Digital Nomad Association (DNA) Croatia will also be involved - with an event incorporated into the end of the programme.

Mayor of Dubrovnik Mato Frankovic is looking forward to working with the city new international digital ambassadors: 

Dubrovnik really has everything one could wish for a comfortable life, but also excellent working conditions, and the City of Dubrovnik is constantly working to improve the quality of life and stay in this city. Digital nomads are very welcome. I believe that the conference we held in Dubrovnik last October clearly conveyed that message. With these further activities we want to emphasize this even more, and we see that in the international community Dubrovnik is already recognized as a desirable destination for digital nomads. The digital nomad story has the support of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, which is reflected in the fact that visas for nomads were introduced, as announced.

I wish all competitors the best of luck, and the winners of this competition will certainly gain wonderful experiences in Dubrovnik and, I am sure, be the ambassadors of Dubrovnik in the world.

An innovative approach to a new tourism strategy, so why not get involved? If you are a digital nomad and would like to be a guest of Dubrovnik and assist in shaping its digital nomad service for future guests, now is your once-in-a-lifetime chance! 

Applications are open from midday today until March 31. More details on the programme and the application requirements and procedure can be found on the Saltwater website. 

Learn more about the magic of Dubrovnik in our fully updated Total Croatia 2021 Dubrovnik in a Page guide.

For the latest news about digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

March 1, 2021 - An important milestone as the Croatia digital nomad online application form is launched in English and Croatia by the Ministry of Interior.

The next phase of the digital nomad story in Croatia is complete, as the Croatian digital nomad online application form has been added to the official website of the Ministry of the Interior. 

Visitors to Croatia last year will be very familiar with the website, as it was also the place where the hugely successful Enter Croatia form was hosted, which helped speed up border crossing times considerably. 

As with the Enter Croatia form, there are bound to be some initial teething problems, which will hopefully be quickly ironed out as they were with Enter Croatia back in May. 

The launch of the online application option is the latest in a very swift (at least by Croatian standards) introduction of the digital nomad visa for Croatia. 

It was only on July 11 last year that Dutch entrepreneur Jan de Jong wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic requesting that Croatia introduce the visa. On August 25, following a meeting with de Jong, Plenkovic tweeted his decision to introduce the visa, and proposed changes in legistlation were put before Parliament the very next day. 

Changes to the tax code and the Aliens Act at the end of last year provided the legal conditions for digital nomads to regulate their stay for a 12-month period, provided the appropriate conditions were met. 

An American in Istria became the first digital nomad to successfully apply in late January - you can read her first interview here: Meet Melissa Paul, Owner of Croatia's First Digital Nomad Visa.

We will bring you more on the process shortly, but for now you can check out the Croatian digital nomad online application form here.

For the updated requirements to apply, check out Croatia Publishes Updated Digital Nomad Visa Requirements.

For the latest on the digital nomad scene in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

And for a taste of digital nomad life in Croatia, watch how this couple from San Francisco is adapting to winter life on Hvar. 

February 26, 2021 - What happens when you blend American digital nomads with the Hvar lifestyle? As HRT Plus reported last night, it is something close to heaven. 

It is rather a strange feeling watching your home on national television with someone else living in it, but what a lovely report from Maja Zrnic for HRT Puls which went out on primetime television last night. 

With all this talk of digital nomads, what is the reality like, and how is the Hvar lifestyle for digital nomads from the USA in Jelsa during winter, for example. 

A few weeks ago, we published a really great interview with Jess and Thibaud, who have been in Jelsa for a few months and are in the process of applying for the digital nomad visa. You can read the interview in Digital Nomad Life in Croatia: Jess and Thibaud, from San Francisco to Jelsa. 

Soon after, Maja contacted me and said that was interested in doing a TV story on the couple. Introductions were made, new friendships forged, and Maja captured the Hvar lifestyle through foreign eyes in this ten-minuted feature, which aired last night. It is almost all in English with Croatian subtitles.   

And yes, I did feel a little homesick, not only for the Panorama Penthouse Jelsa apartment that was our home before we moved to Varazdin. But also a little nostalgic for those magical winter months on Hvar.

Maja did a really great job bringing out the Hvar lifestyle in the piece, and it offers a glimpse of how community life can slowly be enriched with the arrival of international digital nomads, who work through their laptops by day (or, in some cases due to time zones, by night) while fully integrating with the local community once work is finished. 

Read more about digital nomad life on Hvar in Hvar Digital Nomad Life with Kids: an Emerging Lifestyle.

For more news on digital nomad topics in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

February 26, 2021 - Digital nomad hotel offers are on the rise in Croatia. Tanja Polegubic of Saltwater Nomads and organiser of Croatia's first dedicated conference, Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads with some great advice on what hotels can do to truly serve digital nomads.

Pivots are increasingly common in the COVID19 era. Hotels are no exception.

In Croatia, especially the tourism sector, a lot of businesses are looking at catering to Digital Nomads. It’s no wonder hotels are here, too. And yet — they have polar pros and cons.

However, there are ways hotels can adjust immediately, and over time to create the best offer possible. These points are covered at the end of the article:

• Injecting Soul.
• Food. (Part1and2).
• Upgrades.
• HappyHour.
• Learningandengaging.

Why are hotels now doing this?

• Croatia has introduced a digital nomad permit, allowing tax-free stays for 1 year.
• It’s a great place… and can have a year-round offer - filling many empty coastal hotels closed in the “off-season”.
• Digital nomads are looking for long-term stays.

CAPTION: Soo and Chris —2020 Saltwater members were recruited to model for Marvie Hotel Split’s longstay deals for digital nomads in Croatia

The backstory.

What were hotels doing before COVID?

Many hotels already had ‘business centres’ or small areas for people to work in rooms or common areas. This isn’t a cowork, or a hub concept, it was a place to plug in. Maybe print things. End of story. 

What was interesting by 2019 was the rise of coworking - gaining the attention of hotels. And entire hotel chains were moving into this direction. I recall reading in May 2019 about Accor group launching over 1200 spaces in Europe with Wojo as a coworking partner.

Later that year, (still pre-COVID), our business, Saltwater, partnered with Davina at Residence Stine and soon to open Heritage Hotel Fermai. They immediately said ‘yes’ to longstay packages for remote workers, and jointly offered the Breakfast Room (a glass garden oasis in the heart of Varoš in Split) as a coworking space.

CAPTION: July 2020, our coworking partnership with Residence Stine’s indoor-outdoor glass garden 

We launched in COVID19, and I recall the first member ordering breakfast on his first day, as he logged on to read emails. I was concerned it would seem a bit odd —but for 8 euro (and no dishes to wash) it was actually a bonus, and an efficient start to the day.

Due to COVID19, and Summer not being the ‘season’ for digital nomads in Split (expensive rentals), that was that. Until Jan de Jong came in and the digital nomad visa permit was born. Remote work was truly mainstream. Globally.

You know the rest.

COVID-ERA PIVOTS

The first I heard of a global pivot was a partnership announced in July 2020 between Wythe Hotel Brooklyn and Industrious —one of the most respected cowork chains now that WeWork… well, didn’t work! The Wythe Hotel converted entire suites into offices. I was at the Wythe in 2013, and this is a hotel with a rooftop looking out on Manhattan, with a lot of events, including business speakers. The Australian American Association actually held events there, which is what brought me there for a talk by the Australian (and female) co-founder of Van Leeuwen ice creams. I digress… but it clearly demonstrates this is a space which knew back then how to get in non-hotel guests — which is something Croatia does not do well.

This will hopefully change.

THE FIRST COVID OFF-SEASON IN CROATIA.

I read the first stories of hotels starting to offer long-stay options in Croatia toward the end of October last year.

There were a few glaring issues here.

These were places in ghost towns, with probably a very stark hotel restaurant, and at a time when apartment accommodation would be much cheaper - and come with a kitchen.

While it was good to see a shift to accept a remote work audience, it was, for the most part, a misinformed approach. Retrofitting a guest with specific needs to an unsuitable space, and, no community vibe. I’d be interested to see the reviews and data on those places.

What could they do better?

Know these aren’t spaces built for long stay, but work to their strengths, and make adjustments as needed, after testing. 

This is a transitional period. Some, like the Wythe Hotel, will need to convert floors into offices if they are to attract this audience. Or at least create a new space from unused conference halls. Hot tip: not the dark, basement room. Just because it is empty - does not make it a good place to sit and work for 8 hours.

This is a common mistake.

There is something about a coworking space, when done right, will make you actually enjoy going to work. It’s the decor, sure. Location, and if lucky, a very short commute.

Above all, it’s the people.

DISTRIBUTED TEAMS

A recent digital nomad member we hosted at Saltwater is a specialist in distributed teams. We were chatting by the watercooler one day — and he said something which really struck me, (even if I have to paraphrase).

“Everyone is feeling so isolated, working from home right now.

When the ‘off-sites’ start happening — workers don’t want a sterile hotel vibe, and to once again, “isolate” in their hotel rooms and the ‘polished’ pool feel and staff. They want connection. They want the shared house style option, where they can do things like prepare a meal together.

Connect — and join local gatherings. 

It’s not rocket science. It’s what we do every day, to ensure members get value. So here’s a quick checklist:

IF YOU’RE A HOTEL

• Inject some soul. Hold events for non-guests. There are hotels with a health and wellness angle such as Marvie in Split, or weekly live music nights at family-owned Hotel Park Hvar. I visited waterfront Hotel Split in Podstrana last week — which have an existing artist-in-residence program, where a local artist comes in for a few days, and the works are displayed around the hotel and for sale. Events, such as the Wythe Hotel program, will bring the community vibe you need. And you can make it easier, by offering it to the public to hold events, to take the load off your staff.

Opening up doors to non-guests — especially ones who live in your region, not just conference bookings by international M.I.C.E. arrivals, not only advertises your hotel to a wider audience, it will show the local commitment you make, which is valued by digital nomads. And the locals will become ambassadors will get to know, and ultimately be the ones to recommend your venue.

• Food — part 1. Self Catering.

Living in a room with no kitchen for a month, with makeshift Mr Bean style sandwich making, isn’t appealing to everyone. Most hotels only have a tiny bar fridge. And the costs of constantly ordering in or dining out (to your wallet and health) is a challenge for hotels to overcome. Consider adding larger fridges and simple food preparation options in rooms: a cutting board, cutlery, plates, bowl and tea towels. And a system for collection and cleaning. Kind of like a DIY room service.

• Opening a meals area — eg. if your pool or a bar area is closed in winter, a small kitchenette is ideal, and maybe already installed or can be relocated. Common meal prep areas are…common, for digital nomads.

Put yourself in people’s shoes: if you had to stay somewhere for a month, making a sandwich, smoothie or salad could make you feel more at home.

• Food — Part 2. Group meals.

Give guests the chance to meet each other. Things like a weekly group-contributed barbecue outdoors is easy, and perhaps already at your venue. Or hold a set dinnertime and menu on certain days. Ensure there is a host joining the group from the hotel (not just a server!) or from your local community, and bring in ways for people to get to know each other; speed networking, a local speaker, open mic, etc.

• Upgrades.

Consider — in time, adding kitchen fitouts in some rooms, or the outdoor barbecue example. A lot of hotels are trying to retro-fit digital nomads into their spaces. Sorry. You weren’t designed for long-stay — some things just do not work as your space is currently designed. Remote work is here to stay — an ergonomic chair in rooms (or on the menu) is now a necessity.

• Massage and Happy Hours.

This tip was from Kashlee Kucheran of Travel off Path a keynote speaker at our Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads conference. Hotels in Mexico and the Dominican Republic were serving the remote working crowd in the peak of COVID by modifying their offer with long-stay pricing. The good ones offered services professionals usually might use — eg. a chiropractor or midday massage. Holding after-work happy hours. If you don’t have the in-house staff, invite local providers in to do this. Call your drinks rep to sponsor the event. Anything. Give something more than the room key.

• Learn. Ask questions. Jump on expat and digital nomad online groups. They’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack…And offer something in return for people’s insights — like a discount. They may not stay a month, but a weekend getaway is appealing. And once they’re in, you’ll learn more about what can work.

A very long stay in a hotel may not be for everyone. If you are landing in a new place and want to get your bearings, some of the longstay deals hotels in Croatia are now offering are a real luxury way to start your digital nomad experience in Croatia. You might use it as a base to find your long-term rental, or just want to live it up for a month with room service, with somewhere like Dubrovnik as your office for the month.

I’m excited to see all these changes in Croatia, and happy to be working with the hotels who have been early adopters, reached out to us at Saltwater and seen how they can welcome this audience, and build the digital nomad community in places across Croatia.

It’s an interesting time for this sector in particular, and hotels are certainly an important part of elevating a city’s status.

If you found this interesting — and would like to learn more about how Saltwater can work with your hotel (through referring your long-stay accommodation package to our members or how to put in a coworking space), visit our website Saltwaternomads.com or reach out on LinkedIn.

This piece is modified from Tanja Polegubic’s blog on Medium. Reprinted with permission.

More on digital nomads:

Meet Melissa Paul, Owner of Croatia's First Digital Nomad Visa.

For the latest on digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.