Remote Visa's - Will they change the way we travel?
As I sit at my laptop pouring over all the information about COVID 19 and how it is affecting each area of travel in every country, the new remote work
visa’s caught my eye. Pre-covid 19, many travellers took pride in how many cities or countries they had conquered. Travel was about squeezing in as many
destinations as possible into a trip. Will this change post-covid 19?
I have been reading articles that are predicting that after the pandemic, people will begin to travel slower and make more informed decisions about every
aspect of their trip, from where they stay to what activities they participate in. A number of countries including Barbados, Aruba, Estonia, Georgia and
most recently Dubai, have announced a remote work visa program that, while they all have different requirements, will allow people with remote jobs to
stay in destination for longer then they would have been able to before.
With so many companies having to adapt to the ever changing circumstances of the pandemic and many of them making the decision to switch their staff
to remote positions, will more people work from different countries around the world?
I have booked travel for clients that had them zigzagging all over Europe in a matter of a few weeks. I have also booked myself travel where I tried to take
advantage of as many opportunities as I could to see a new destination, however, I do enjoy myself more when I am able to stay put for a while and really
indulge in another culture.
I think that we are being presented with an amazing opportunity to be able to travel to a country and take our time exploring it. There are many other
benefits to traveling slower such as reducing our carbon footprint and learning about the day to day life of locals. Instead of investing our money into
accommodation, tours and restaurants that are owned by third parties that do not reside in the country we are visiting, we can learn some of the
language, find local hidden gems and contribute more money to the people who run smaller establishments. I believe that large, chain hotels and tourist
restaurants will begin to fade into the background and travellers will begin supporting small business owners who use their profits to provide for their
families. There will be less money supporting CEO’s that make millions of dollars a year and more money will go into the pockets of people who provide
real, authentic experiences for travellers.
Before COVID 19, I was about to take a leap of faith and move abroad, however, with visa’s having such a short expiry, I was going to have to travel at a
faster pace then I wanted to. Now that countries are creating visa’s specifically for remote workers, so many travellers will get to really dive deep into a
culture and experience their way of life.
This is an excellent way for countries to attract travellers and to get tourism money flowing through their countries again.
When we take time to slow down and immerse ourselves in a country we can contribute financially but we can also take time to volunteer and make a
difference. There are countless volunteer programs around the world that are doing their part to try to slow global warming, rescue animals, replenish
habitats and so much more.
When we begin to travel again, I urge you to incorporate more sustainable types of travel into your itineraries. Research the types of volunteer programs
available in your destination and allocate some time to give back.
Some incredible programs available around the world are:
Rehabilitating reefs in Tahiti / Australia
Ocean/beach cleanups around the world
Volunteering at animal rescues (be careful with these programs and make sure they are real rescues/sanctuaries)
Assisting with research projects - Earth Watch is an amazing program
These are just some of the programs that I am very interested in, however there are many programs to choose from that could be a great fit. When looking
into volunteering, we all need to make sure that we are helping reliable and trustworthy projects. I would recommend going through reviews or asking
fellow travellers about their experiences.
The world is going to be a different place when we emerge from COVID 19 and it will be amazing to see the good that will come out of this for travellers
and countries around the world.
**With any of the programs or visa’s being offered, make sure to read everything carefully and understand any tax implications, restrictions or
requirements to participate.**
Below is the best article I have found with the most up to date information.
https://expertvagabond.com/digital-nomad-work-visas/