The romantic dream of becoming a “digital nomad” is almost as old as the internet itself. Steven K Roberts — a pioneer who rode across the US on a computerised bicycle more than 30 years ago — wrote back in 1994 about creating a “Virtual Technomadic Flotilla . . . of travellers all over the world” on the basis that “physical location becomes irrelevant once you move the essence of your life to the vapours of the net”.
But it wasn’t until Covid-19 that the term really took off. The pandemic created the perfect circumstances: workers wanted change after the boredom of lockdowns; companies had realised they could trust staff to work remotely; and tourist-dependent countries were desperate for visitors. Suddenly it seemed possible for any white-collar worker to work wherever they wanted — not just footloose freelancers, some of whom did already, but ordinary employees too. Scores of countries launched “digital nomad visas” to formalise and capitalise on the trend.
Alas for the romantics, that dream of freedom has collided with the reality of tax, immigration, cyber security and labour laws. Companies haven’t killed off digital nomadism for the masses, but they are wresting it into a less risky and more controlled form. In other words, digital nomadism is being corporatised.