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Dubrovnik invites influencers to help design its digital nomad offering

10 March 2021

by Sarah Wray

The Croatian city of Dubrovnik has launched its first digital nomad-in-residence (DN-I-R) programme to help make the city attractive as a long-term base for people who have the freedom to work from anywhere.

Appealing to digital nomads is a growing trend as COVID-19 shutdowns have seen many businesses realise the viability of remote working and cities seek ways to recoup losses from decimated tourism during the pandemic.

Through a joint programme between the City of Dubrovnik and its Tourist Board, operated by remote workspace and events company Saltwater Nomads, ten digital nomads with a wide social media influence will be selected via an application process to stay in Dubrovnik free for a month. During that time, alongside their usual work they will attend design thinking workshops to provide input on the city’s strategic direction.

Mayor of Dubrovnik Mato Frankovic told Cities Today: “The feedback we aim to extract are what the global trends are for digital nomads now that remote work is ‘mainstream’ and opens up a new market for us. We will identify short and long-term solutions to incorporate into a roadmap.

“These include ‘quick wins’ – viable solutions which can be executed immediately and with little or no resources, through to recommendations for the long-term direction of the city.”

Diversification

Dubrovnik was already working on diversifying its tourist industry and this is even more pressing in light of the COVID pandemic which has hit the city’s economy hard.

Online feedback on forums such as Nomad List suggested that many roaming workers view Dubrovnik as a great place to visit, but only for a few days.

“This is now a priority, as we aim to change this with a long-term offer,” said Frankovic.

In October, Dubrovnik hosted Croatia’s first digital nomad conference.

Frankovic cited Dubrovnik’s strengths for these workers as its pleasant climate, scenery and nature, historical richness, food, safety, healthcare, and accommodation facilities, as well as a high level of English proficiency.

He also highlighted good internet infrastructure, which is a growing selling point for cities who want to attract remote workers.

“There is significant investment from Croatia’s national telecom at the moment and our office, for example, has 1 TB internet speed,” Frankovic said.

In addition, the Croatian Government has introduced digital nomad residence permits to simplify the process.

To be eligible for Dubrovnik’s digital nomad-in-residence programme, applicants must be active on at least three major social networks and be either employed, a freelancer or an entrepreneur with a minimum five-year work/study history.

The residency is scheduled to take place from 23 April to 23 May 2021. On COVID-19, the contest site states: “All efforts will be made to ensure the safety of winners and participants, and the programme will adhere to local laws and measures as determined by the Croatian government.”

Growing trend

Even before the pandemic, cities had started to pick up on the potential of remote workers, with some offering financial incentives to lure them.

In November 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma, launched Tulsa Remote, an incentive scheme that awards grants of US$10,000 to digital nomads who move to the city for at least a year, along with membership at a co-working space, support in finding housing, a US$500 travel reimbursement and a US$150 Airbnb coupon for initial costs. Within two years, approximately 500 people had moved to Tulsa under the programme, and 90 percent of the first intake of applicants stayed past the first year.

Now, a number of cities are marketing to digital nomads specifically as part of their post-COVID recovery strategy.

Fernando Straface, Secretary General and Secretary for International Relations, City of Buenos Aires, told Cities Today last year that attracting these workers is an “excellent opportunity” for the city.

The city’s  ‘BA Digital Nomads’ programme includes the creation of a dedicated visa, simplifying access to housing and health services, and providing a ‘single window’ point of contact.

Image:  Spencer Davis on Unsplash

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