Digital Nomadism
= "A digital nomad is a “globally travelling” digital worker".
Description
Angtyasti Jiwasiddi et al. :
"Digital nomadism is an emerging lifestyle, a way of working and living that combines digital work with nomadic globetrotting. It has seen substantial growth in recent years, with a significant rise in individuals, especially in favoured locations such as Chiang Mai,1 as well as in businesses and facilities catering specifically to this mobile lifestyle (Descalsota, 2022; Schlagwein, 2018a). From the perspective of local communities visited, digital nomads present a novel type of visitor and, thus, part of their visitor economies—the focus of this special issue and our study.
A digital nomad is a “globally travelling” digital worker. Hence, prior studies in the information systems (IS) literature research on digital nomadism are within the wider context of “digital work” and “future of work” (Ahuja et al., 2023; Schlagwein, 2018b; Wang et al., 2020). Prior IS literature on digital work discusses how various forms of information technology (IT) enable the work of teleworkers, remote workers and mobile workers (O'Leary et al., 2014; Tarafdar & Saunders, 2022; Waizenegger et al., 2020). The central themes of prior research on digital work are organisational implications (Carillo et al., 2021; van der Meulen et al., 2019) and worker productivity (Chen, 2018; Tams et al., 2020). The nomadic travel lifestyle aspect, however, sets digital nomadism apart from other types of digital work. Further (readers and reviewers found this a striking point), digital nomadism as studied here provides an opportunity the reflect on the current, exclusive focus of this literature on digital workers and organisations only (Atasoy et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2020): we show that digital work also impacts third-parties, such as the local communities worldwide now hosting digital nomads (i.e., this is to suggest the current focus might be too narrow).
A digital nomad is also a “digitally-working” global traveller. As with other travellers, their impact is felt within local communities worldwide, including regions such as Asia and Latin America, with digital nomads integrating into their chosen destinations' visitor economies (Schlagwein, 2018a; 2018b). Given the existing classifications in the tourism and visitor economy literature, digital nomads can be seen as a subtype of “non-institutionalised” (independent) traveller (Cohen, 1972; Cohen, 1973; Plog, 1974). However, digital nomads' unique behaviours and interactions set them apart from other visitor types. Digital nomads uniquely leverage the digitalisation of work to enable their travels (Hong, 2021) and use unique facilities such as coliving spaces and coworking spaces (Jiwasiddi et al., 2022). Therefore, digital nomads may be best understood and regulated as a digitally-enabled novel part of the visitor economy of digital nomad destinations, as reflected in the growing trend of countries introducing “digital nomad visas” in 2022/23."
(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/isj.12496?af=R)
Case Study
See: Digital Nomadism and the Visitor Economy in Chiang Mai, Thailand
* Article: Digital nomadism as a new part of the visitor economy: The case of the “digital nomad capital” Chiang Mai, Thailand Angtyasti Jiwasiddi, Daniel Schlagwein, et al. Information Systems Journal, Volume 34, Issue 5, Pages 1493-1535, September 2024
"Digital nomadism allows individuals to travel worldwide while using various forms of information technology (IT) to work digitally. Places like Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Canggu, Bali/Indonesia, have gained popularity among digital nomads in the past decade. In contributing to the economies of local communities, these nomads, with their unique characteristics, are an interesting, new visitor type. Governments worldwide are starting to recognise the potential of digital nomadism to improve local visitor economies. However, the impacts of digital nomadism on local communities, their culture and economies, are not without challenges and require further understanding. Almost all existing studies on digital nomadism focus on the nomads themselves, while, in this study, we take the perspective of the locals visited by digital nomads. Using the case study of Chiang Mai, the “digital nomad capital”, we answer the following research questions: What are the impacts of digital nomadism on local communities? How do digital nomads compare to other visitor types within the visitor economy of a local community? Our findings reveal diverse socio-cultural, economic and technological impacts and how locals in Chiang Mai evaluate digital nomads differently compared to other types of visitors. This research, grounded in an in-depth case study, contributes to a better understanding of digital nomadism by offering new knowledge about its ambivalent impacts on local communities. We also discuss contributions to the wider literature and implications for policy."