The Canary Islands join Airbnb in remote working campaign

31-07-22

The Canary Islands Tourist Board has confirmed its participation in a partnership with Airbnb, the largest holiday home rental platform, to position the islands as one of the 20 best-prepared tourist destinations in the world for 'remote workers'. The Canary Islands is the only destination in Spain participating in this campaign and one of only six in Europe. Airbnb's international campaign, 'Live and Work Anywhere', includes the creation of hubs with local information to help those seeking to become digital nomads in those locations

The Canary Islands' participation in this campaign reinforces its position as one of the best destinations in the world for working remotely, as it has been doing since November 2020. The attraction of remote workers has become one of the Canary Islands' big bets with a view to diversify and make tourists' activity less dependent on the more traditional model and markets.

In November 2020, the government set a target of 30,000 teleworkers within a decade. However, Nomad List, the world's leading telework portal, declared that the number of remote workers landing on the islands are at least 47,000 by 2021, exceeding this ten-year target in just one year!

While the number of digital nomads is increasing month by month but the profiles are changing. There are now more employees than self-employed, almost one third arrive as a couple or family, and the average age has risen to over 30, in comparison to before the pandemic, when between 80% and 90% of digital nomads were single, "freelancers, under 30 and arriving with a laptop and a surfboard", according to Nacho Rodríguez, CEO and founder of Repeople. 

The best local accommodation for long-term stays will be highlighted in the space that Airbnb will dedicate to the islands as part of the campaign in order to enlighten and inspire travellers. The campaign which will launch at the end of the year will also include all relevant information on entry requirements and tax policies will be made available to remote workers, as well as information on the wide variety of tourist activities to enrich their stay. 

The attraction of remote workers has become one of the Canary Islands' major commitments with a view to diversifying and making tourism less dependent on the more traditional model and markets.

During the presentation announcing the start of the collaboration at El Cabo Offsite Venue in Gran Canaria, where 22 professionals of five nationalities from Wifi Tribe, the world's leading community of travellers for digital nomads, are teleworking, Yaiza Castilla, Councilor at Canarias, highlighted how this will continue to attract teleworkers to the islands, which in turn, will open up new business opportunities for Canary Islands professionals. 

Commenting on the benefit of remote workers relocating in the archipelago, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla said "Remote workers generate a better redistribution of wealth and a better dispersion of the benefits of tourism throughout the territory and the economy so that this expenditure has an impact not only on all the key players that add value to the sector but also on the business of the islands as a whole."

"The arrival of more teleworkers is very positive for any destination, as we are facing a type of tourism that is sustainable, economically, environmentally and socially speaking, which reinforces the guarantee against situations of instability, as was the case of the pandemic or as is now the current economic situation caused by the war in Ukraine," stressed Castilla, who recalled the strong commitment that the Ministry is making when it comes to attracting long-stay tourists.

"With this strategy, we aim to reduce dependence on segments linked exclusively to the sun and beach category and traditional markets, protecting the Canary Islands' main economic sector in an increasingly unpredictable environment," she said.

“In the two years since the pandemic began, a new world of travel has emerged in which many workers are untethered to an office. In collaborating with the Canary Islands, we want to make it easier for workers to enjoy this flexibility and support the return of safe and responsible travel, also generating new economic opportunities for local communities and distributing talent throughout the world", Mónica Casañas, general director at Airbnb Marketing Services SL.

Source:https://travmedia.com/showPRPreview/100090097https://travmedia.com/showPRPreview/100090097https://travmedia.com/showPRPreview/100090097