Digital Nomad Villages - the Future of Nomadic Lifestyle

Is there a place where like-minded digital nomads come together and stay in harmony in a particular destination and if there is something like that, what do you call it? Yes, indeed there are places like those. They are known as digital nomad villages and there are many of them across the world! This is quite a new concept that’s getting more interesting day by day. Wouldn’t it be fun to find a perfect destination where you can slow travel and work with a group of people who have the same goal as you regarding lifestyle and work routines? Digital nomads and remote workers come together and live in a particular location for a long time and this is usually by collaborating with government bodies or other initiatives.

It’s never an easy task to find a place to live for a digital nomad. It requires a lot of research on the place, accessibility to good internet connections, affordable stay and also like-minded people who you can share ideas with. There are a lot of factors to be considered while moving to a foreign place. As the number of digital nomads is increasing day by day, there is a need to have a place that is solely dedicated to digital nomads. This is how the concept of digital nomad villages came into existence.

What Exactly is a Digital Nomad Village?

Digital nomadism emerged in the late 2000s and has been becoming a trend that’s being embraced by a lot of people now. COVID-19 paved a way for many to work remotely with just their laptop. More countries are welcoming digital nomads through various visa pathways. This has also been a great way to boost a country’s tourism. Many countries have faced harsh times in their tourism space due to covid restrictions. And many cities and scenic islands are heavily dependent on tourism for their economy. So setting up a digital nomad village is a great way to boost the economy of a country.

In February 2021, the first digital nomad village was set up in Madeira, Portugal. The project was a partnership between the local government and Startup Madeira which is a platform that supports entrepreneurs. This was an initiative by Gonçalo Hall who is a digital nomad himself. This was a decision made after the surge of the pandemic.

Madeira is not probably the first name that pops up when you are thinking of travelling as a digital nomad. Maybe you have heard of the place because it’s the birthplace of CR7. But there’s more to this paradise. This digital nomad village is a utopian space for any digital nomad. A part of Portugal, the little island of Madeira is a haven for all those who plan to settle here for a short or long duration. Great weather, delicious food and a great landscape blessed with oceans and mountains. The space offers a free workspace with WiFi, great networking opportunities and a great community to interact with for people who choose to stay for over a month.

If you want to actively explore new locations and work at the same time, digital nomad villages are apt. The digital nomad lifestyle can sometimes get lonely in a foreign place. It’s so important to meet up with like-minded people who appreciate and understand where you belong. Today, there are many platforms out there for you to meet and connect with new people. But what makes digital nomad villages unique is how they nurture and flourish these communities within a specific demographic area.

One great thing about digital nomad villages is that if it’s a small area to be covered, the coordinators can host various events and activities where you can get involved in hiking, yoga, dance, fitness, speed dating and much more. Even hosting parties can be much easier around here. There’s a better chance of attracting more digital nomads when there are facilities that aid in the work environment and leisure and if it saves a lot of money, who wouldn’t want to give it a try right?

In Tursi, Italy, the first digital nomad village was set up not long ago. There were many hiccups in the initial days of doing this as the organisers had to revive a sleepy town with no reliable internet facilities into something that attracts the digital nomads. In the first project, 19 nomads from 13 different countries participated in the hosting. These nomads worked from a monastery here! Now talk about authenticity! This was the initiative of the KINO community that creates these groups in small villages in Italy. It was initiated by Andrea and Serena. And from there, it just grew. Sometimes many of these places have lots of boxes to tick but lack the amenities that digital nomads want. When the local community along with other digital nomads work towards these challenges and overcome them, new digital nomad villages are born. In this experiment, KINO concentrated on connecting with the local community to enhance the experience for the digital nomads living in these villages.

Support from a local community or body can go a long way. If there is also a private sector organisation that is ready to nurture this idea, the better! So if there is a good local tourism board that’s enthusiastic about welcoming digital nomads in that particular town, then these organisations can collaborate and work together to make this happen. It’s important to develop coworking and coliving spaces here that makes it a crucial component for nomads to pick a place. The most important element is of course the internet connection. And this means a fast and reliable internet connection, not an average setup connection because that would be a deal breaker.

Now you might be wondering where the rest of all the digital nomad villages lie. The most well-known ones are found in Croatia and Portugal. But there are obviously more of them. With time, there are going to be more and more digital nomad villages sprouting from different parts of the world and are going to grow in popularity. Tune into our blog to know more about these digital nomad villages.