Top 20 destinations around the world for digital nomads

While some digital nomads look for destinations with good Internet connection and flight connectivity, a handful just want to be by the beach. — Handout

Toes in the sand as you check in to your online meeting, a quick dip in the sea before breakfast... working remotely from a desirable tourist destination is the stuff of dreams. But a number of parameters need to be taken into account to prevent the adventure from turning into a nightmare, notably the stability of the Internet network or the availability of Internet connections.

And in this regard, Europe comes in as the best choice.

Start a video conference with the turquoise sea of the Cayman Islands in the background, thanks to a digital nomad visa, or wrap up the last tasks of the week before setting off on a hike in the Costa Rican rain- forest, also thanks to a dedicated visa programme.

Namibia, Thailand, Malaysia and Mauritius... since the Covid-19 pandemic and the introduction of administrative procedures to facilitate remote workers’ setting up office temporarily around the globe, it is often landscapes next to clear, swim-able waters that are desirable for employees who have yet to take the plunge.

However, there’s a world of difference between dreams and the reality of a schedule of tasks to be completed, whether the sea serves as a background or not. First of all, each country has its own rules to accommodate remote workers, and then there are all the practical questions related to working.

Is the Internet connection stable in this little bungalow deep in the Bahamas? And if you’re feeling down and want to reconnect physically with your family, is the flight infrastructure in place to make the project feasible? These are just a few of the many questions that need to be answered when it comes to accommodation and organising one’s daily life.

British real estate services company Savills has selected the key criteria for identifying destinations that can be taken seriously as a base for a digital nomad project. The criteria taken into account include Internet speed, air connectivity, climate, rental prices and quality of life. For each criterion, destinations were awarded points which were then added together. While Dubai came in at the top of the list, thanks to its geographical location and many air connections, a European destination came in second place: Malaga, Spain.

Spain is a favourite destination for digital nomads, who have several options to choose from: Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca (in the Balearic Islands). Spain has made no secret of its intention to roll out the red carpet for digital nomads, going so far as to create a specific legal status last year for non-European remote workers. They can obtain a one-year renewable visa and benefit from the non-resident tax regime for 10 years.

A glance at the top 20 destinations reveals that it’s precisely southern Europe that is attractive to digital nomads. Portugal places well, with Lisbon, already cited in previous studies as an Eldorado for remote workers, as well as the sunny Algarve region, figuring in the top 10 in this ranking.

Dubrovnik in Croatia, Malta, Athens in Greece, Cyprus and Tuscany in Italy follow suit.

It’s not just Internet speed that pushes European destinations to the top, but their quality of life. – AFP Relaxnews

Top 20 destinations for digital nomads

1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2. Malaga, Spain
3. Miami, Florida, United States
4. Abu Dhabi, UAE
5. Lisbon, Portugal
6. Barbados
7. Barcelona, Spain
8. 8. Palma, Spain
9. 9. Algarve, Portugal
10. Saint Lucia
11. 1Cayman Islands
12. Dubrovnik, Croatia
13. Malta
14. Antigua
15. Cote d’Azur
16. Mauritius
17. Athens, Greece
18. Cyprus
19. Bahamas
20. Tuscany, Italy