Should You Join the Coming Digital Nomad Boom?

Five reasons to consider long-term travel in a post-COVID world

Photo by Mike Swigunski on Unsplash

I decided to travel the world as a digital nomad back in December of 2016. For about six months before, I’d been considering the prospect with a mixture of anxiety and excitement.

Then, one evening, I thought, “Screw it. I’m gonna do it.” My fledgling career as a writer would just about support me. And I could always hop on a flight home if things didn’t work out.

A few hours later, I booked a one-way ticket to Thailand.

What followed were three of the best years of my life. I spent most of my time exploring Asia — Thailand, Bali, the Philippines, India, and a few other places— all while growing my freelance business and blog.

Will There Be a Post-COVID Digital Nomad Boom?

Speed forward to 2021, and it looks like the COVID pandemic has precipitated a digital nomad boom. Companies are creating remote positions en masse, the global freelance workforce is growing, and new visa opportunities abound.

All of these factors have led to a significant increase in the number of people identifying as digital nomads. One (perhaps slightly extravagant) estimate predicts that there’ll be one…