DIGITAL NOMADS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN TOURISM HUB

Abstract

Purpose – Over the last two decades, people have significantly changed how they work and spend their leisure time. Taking advantage of remote work and lockdowns, many have taken up a digital nomad lifestyle. There are minimal studies on digital nomads in tourism destinations in developed countries, therefore the main objective of this study was to explore digital nomads as a traveller, their needs, and lifestyles in the relatively large city of Split in Croatia. Methodology – The eight online in-depth interviews were conducted in Split in the spring of 2022 on a population of digital nomads residing there during 2021 and/or 2022. Findings – This study identifies significant benefits of being a digital nomad in Split. However, the results also reveal a complex picture of the experiences and challenges of digital nomads affected by the seasonality of tourism, which manifests itself in a sharp increase in the cost of living (especially accommodation costs), disruption of their lives by crowds and noise, or services geared towards mass tourism. Furthermore, although local service providers appreciated the digital nomads in the off-season, they tried to maximise their income by switching to short-term accommodation rentals once tourist demand picked up, forcing them to move out and eventually return after the season. Contribution – This research identifies the digital nomad profile in popular tourist destinations in Europe. It provides recommendations that could help policymakers in any tourism-developed destination to implement policies for attracting more digital nomads to their cities which could positively impact their local economies.