Business Traveller (Middle East)

Destinatio­ns are gearing up to host work-from-home visitors

With remote work now a reality for full- time employees, many are seeking a change of scene and swapping their home offices for more aspiration­al locations

- WORDS MEL ANIE SWAN

The way we work has changed dramatical­ly in 2020, and perhaps, forever. With working-from-home a reality for many companies for the remainder of the year and well into 2021 and corporate giants such as Twitter making that move permanentl­y, many people are seeking a more conducive space to live and work. It is no longer just freelancer­s looking for a new home working experience, but across industries from media to finance and psychology to fitness, huge numbers of people now realise they can take their ‘office’ to more exotic climes.

In Dubai, Airbnb management specialist, Frank Porter, has seen accommodat­ion normally favoured for holiday purposes now booked for work-related stays.

“As more people work from home, we are seeing an increase in business travel bookings,” confirms the company’s founder and CEO, Anna Skigin.

“Apartments win over hotels in this case as you can work in your own space, cook yourself a meal in your own kitchen and do your own laundry. It’s an easy and safe option. We are also receiving many enquiries about the availabili­ty of high-speed internet connection­s so people can Zoom easily.”

Another trend, she continues, is for extended stays with people “travelling for holidays with the mindset they can also work”.

“So, for example, a one-week holiday is being extended to a twoweek holiday – people are enjoying a new destinatio­n and working at the same time,” Skigin explains.

Not to be outdone by peer-to-peer concepts like Airbnb, a host of serviced apartments and hotels are now offering deals to entice people to work in a more glamorous or appealing environmen­t – or at least in a destinatio­n that offers a change of scene.

With the work-life balance disrupted or rather blurred for the considerab­le future, the ‘workcation’ trend has emerged and it looks like it’s here to stay.

STAYING LOCAL

Recent Global Business Travel Associatio­n surveys found that 92 per cent of companies continue to restrict internatio­nal travel and around 70 per cent have suspended domestic travel.

As a result, hotels, resorts and entire destinatio­ns are re-thinking how they generate revenue.

“It’s time to pivot,” acknowledg­es Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin, which is offering rooms as offices to locals who can “work for anywhere” within walking or biking distance.

Speaking at a recent Skift trends forum he says the hotel group is “replacing business travel” by “catering to locals” instead.

It’s not alone; hotel operators big and small are enticing local workers with concepts to get them working at their properties.

In Dubai, Studio One Hotel has been offering the ‘Box Office’ where renting rooms by the day promises a quiet environmen­t without the home distractio­ns of pets, children or partners.

Converting guest rooms into homey office spaces, prices start from AED 99 (US$27) per day, plus 25 per cent off in-room dining, in addition to perks such as screenings at the hotel’s cinema and in-room coffee-making facilities.

This service hit a peak in July, with two or three bookings per day. Four months on and regulars are returning at least once a week to use the rooms for online training, conference calls or just to have a quiet space in which to work. Although some customers are returning to their offices, the pandemic has made hotels such as Studio One think outside of the box and introduce new business models to claw back revenue.

MAKING THE MOVE

Long-stay packages at chains including Rove, priced from as little as AED 3,000 ($804) per month, have also offered short-term housing solutions for those worried about job security; they can shift into luxury accommodat­ion to live and work,

“We are receiving a lot of enquiries from individual corporate travellers who want to visit Dubai”

“Estonia is blessed with stunning natural scenery, from mountains to forests, and is a safe place to live and work”

stepping away from the commitment of long-term housing rental.

Helen Palmer works as a university lecturer in Al Ain, the UAE’s oasis city. As classes went online and the fear of lockdown loomed, she quickly left her apartment in the quiet city to move to one of the Rove hotels in Dubai.

“I wanted to be nearer to my friends and more amenities, which has proved really important during the past few months,” she explains. “Following the extended lockdown of Abu Dhabi’s borders, life would have been pretty tough for me staying alone. Being in Dubai has given me a sense of freedom; I can continue work online without feeling too isolated.”

With tourism grinding to a halt in many destinatio­ns, offering longer term safe solutions to attract visitors could be the alternativ­e and ‘work from hotels’ packages are being rolled at properties around the world in a bid to fill rooms. Accor offers these at 300 of its properties globally, which range from a $400-a-day package at The Stafford in London to cheaper $60 rates at midscale brands including ibis and Novotel.

In August, “COVID-free” Bermuda launched a work-from-home certificat­e meaning visitors can stay for up to one year, open to those working and studying remotely.

Applicatio­ns cost just $263 and depend on proof of employment or enrolment at an academic institutio­n.

It is not a cheap escape, but its soft sandy beaches and year-round sunshine could prove appealing to many. The 21-square-mile island is a tropical paradise for anyone looking to detract from the winter woes. Applicatio­ns can be made via the government portal (forms.gov.bm).

Getting there from the Gulf isn’t the easiest of journeys right now, but from March 28, 2021, British Airways will resume its daily service to the destinatio­n, flying directly from London Heathrow Terminal 5.

The route will be operated by a Boeing 777-200, which will soon feature the airline’s new Club Suite, should you wish to travel there in style.

FROM BYRON TO BARBADOS

If money is no object you might consider a trip to the Maldives where the Nautilus resort has launched a decadent ‘workcation’ package. Prices start from $23,250 for seven nights at one of its beach houses, including luxuries such as a desk with an ocean view, printer, projector, scanner and a range of other office amenities.

Workcation guests at the Maldivian resort tend to hail predominan­tly from Europe, the US, Russia and the Middle East, working in a multitude of high-earning industries including the arts and technology, as well as numerous entreprene­urs.

But it’s not just High Net Worth Individual­s (HNWIs) looking to make the most of their time out of the office. Families are also leveraging more flexible work arrangemen­ts and making lifestyle choices to suit their current circumstan­ces. For many, rural retreats, as an alternativ­e to crowded city accommodat­ion, beckon.

Eloise May is an editor in Paris. Her cosy city apartment, which she shares with her husband and two small children, was fine before lockdown – it was the place for family meals and

rest time. However, in the wake of the pandemic, with home schooling and two parents working from home, things became tight and the family is now looking to move out into the French countrysid­e.

“We’ve both been told we won’t be going back to the office until at least the end of 2021, so for us, this is a great opportunit­y to spread out. We can move to a quiet place where the kids can play outside and we have more space to work without disturbing one another,” she says.

“It’s just not practical for us to stay where we are so we thought we would take advantage of this situation to go and live somewhere we wouldn’t have been able to if COVID wasn’t a factor.”

Couples are also cashing in. Rachel Newman and her husband live in a two-bedroom apartment in the innercity suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Both public service workers, they have been told they will be working from home for at least 12 months, maybe more.

“So, we’re moving to a beautiful house near the beach in Byron Bay on the north New South Wales coast for a year and renting out our apartment here in Sydney,” she says.

“It’s one of the most stunning and inspiratio­nal destinatio­ns in Australia; it’s our happy place. I can’t think of anywhere in the world I’d rather live and work for the next 12 months. It’s an opportunit­y of a lifetime.”

Other destinatio­ns around the world luring visitors for longer stays include Barbados in the Caribbean and Estonia in Europe, both deemed ‘low risk’ due to their handling of the pandemic.

Barbados is offsetting tourism losses with a government initiative that offers visitors the chance to work remotely on the island for up to a year.

The Barbados Welcome Stamp is priced $2,000 per person or $3,000 per family. Criteria includes valid health insurance, much like the

Gulf region, and a minimum salary of around $45,000. The Caribbean island offers the ultimate dream escape for anyone able to make a temporary move.

With a temperate climate and plenty of outdoor activities on offer, it’s a great place for Gulf-based families to re-locate to, particular­ly during the summer. Visitors can apply online at barbadoswe­lcomestamp.bb.

If the heart of Europe with its dramatic winters and lush green summers is more your thing, Estonia’s digital nomad package could be the answer.

With life very much back to normal there the government is offering visitors visas for up to a year. Conditions require proof of employment with a non-Estonian company and a minimum salary of around $3,500 per month.

While working on the go, the historic city of Tallinn is a maze of cobbled streets and UNESCO-listed heritage sites. Outside the town, Estonia is blessed with stunning natural scenery, from mountains to forests, and is a safe place to live and work. Applicants can apply via e-resident.gov.ee.

“If money is no object you might consider a trip to the Maldives”

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 ??  ?? TOP: Dubai apartments are popular for business rentals
ABOVE: Bermuda has launched a visitor work-from-home certificat­e
PREVIOUS PAGE: The Beach House at Nautilus, Maldives
TOP: Dubai apartments are popular for business rentals ABOVE: Bermuda has launched a visitor work-from-home certificat­e PREVIOUS PAGE: The Beach House at Nautilus, Maldives
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 ??  ?? CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Tallinn, Estonia; The Nautilus resort has launched a decadent ‘workcation’ package; You can now work remotely in Barbados for up to a year; One couple is swapping Sydney for Byron Bay
CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Tallinn, Estonia; The Nautilus resort has launched a decadent ‘workcation’ package; You can now work remotely in Barbados for up to a year; One couple is swapping Sydney for Byron Bay
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