Can travel professionals work from anywhere? Yes, with these tools!
As borders open across the globe, we’re getting a taste of what the “new normal” of the travel industry could look like. One of the most exciting trends? Digital nomads. This might come as a surprise to some that see travel as either exclusively tied to business or leisure, but with the state of remote work as it is, the “bleisure” hybridization is a natural next step:
According to the Buffer 2021 State of Remote Work survey, 97.6% of respondents answered they’d like to continue working remotely indefinitely.
Additionally, 46% of companies are permanently allowing their employees to work remotely (surveyed across the US, the UK, Spain, Canada, and India).
According to an Upwork survey, by 2028, 73% of all departments are expected to have remote workers.
For the convenience, the reduced commute time, and ability to relocate, professionals have made their demand for remote work heard. So it’s no surprise that travel-lovers are looking for ways to optimize their home office setup: by taking it on the road with them, digital nomad style.
What can remote work and travel look like?
For many, the idea of indefinitely working remotely is appealing for a variety of reasons (goodbye hour-long commutes, hello sleeping in until your first call), but might also be burdened by the difficulty of work-life balance. As most of us have experienced over the last couple of years, it can be difficult to feel “out of office” when your home is literally your office. According to the Buffer’s 2021 State of Remote Work report, around 27% of respondents answered that their biggest struggle with remote work was not being able to “unplug”, and another 15% answered “distractions from home”.
In contrast, one of the biggest benefits to working remotely (answered by a whopping 25% of respondents) was the ability to work from anywhere: coffee shops, coworking spaces, and more. Remote work coupled with travel opens the door to a variety of experiences that just plainly weren’t available to most office workers prior to March 2020.
Here at Umapped, we now have colleagues working from all around the continent. Many of my colleagues elected to move recently, with the reassurance that they’d be able to continue working from their new home indefinitely. Personally, I was able to move back home to Montreal, even though our office is based out of Toronto. Another one of my colleagues recently travelled to both New York and San Francisco while working from her hotel.
Support for Remote Workers
To support the growing desire to work and travel, a medley of companies were launched to directly address this deep-set need in many workers to broaden their horizons, both pre- and post-Covid. Remote Year, for example, offers a community-based travel program with retreats as long as anywhere between 1 to 12 months. Their Work & Travel program allows remote workers to take their remote jobs across the world, providing unique travel experiences.
Additionally, companies like Remote Year and Wifi Tribe help digital nomads with the legalities of working and living abroad, which has historically been a challenge for remote workers. They also, of course, include accommodations and coworking spaces, as well as a full-fledged community, ensuring that their digital nomads won’t experience feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Travel agents are also beginning to pivot into this new space. Not only are travel agents assisting their clients with working while travelling abroad, but travel agents themselves are becoming more and more nomadic, with more travel agents going independent.
For travel agents working remotely, using an itinerary management system has never been more convenient or essential. Our travel agent platform, the Trip Publisher, can be accessed from anywhere, on any device, and itineraries can be created and updated on the fly. Creating itineraries using a cloud-based platform like Umapped allows companies and groups to collaborate on itineraries without having to be in the same place at the same time. Additionally, with features like Messaging, travel agents can stay connected with their travellers throughout their journey.
Curious about how Umapped can help you meet all of your clients’ needs?
Want to learn more about how to serve your clients as you optimize your business? Schedule a 1-on-1 with a member of our Customer Success team where you can ask questions, voice your feedback, and get some useful tips for the Trip Publisher!
