Greece can become an ideal destination for digital nomads
Greece can become an ideal destination for digital nomads was the conclusion of the first day of the Digital Mobilities conference, which was broadcast digitally by ΑΠΕ – ΜΠΕ. A number of speakers, from Deputy Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis to the mayors of Rhodes, Ioannina and Kalamata, agreed that our country has the means to attract this emerging group of visitors who combine remote work with a different quality of life.
But what about digital nomads? And what are their characteristics? The first member of this community was mentioned in 1997 by the Japanese Tsujio Makimoto, while the entry “Digital Nomads” first appeared on Wikipedia in 2009. Twelve years later, and with the acceleration of the phenomenon caused by the pandemic crisis, The Greek government is passing a law, 4825, which aims to make our country an attractive destination for these ever-increasing economic migrants – it is typical that in an international survey 47% of employers allowed employees to work remotely . , while a total of 669 CEOs to 78% agree that distance work has come to stay.
Experts predict that digital nomads will reach one billion by 2035, many of whom are in “constant motion”, while others will be static. The common denominator in both categories is the search for a balance between personal life and work but also the search for an economic, cultural, social and personal freedom. Digital nomads are citizens of the world who want to get to know other cultures, seek new experiences and a better standard of living. According to other data presented at the conference, men and women are in equal proportions, usually between the ages of 20 and 45, with the majority belonging to the Millennial generation and working in the tech professions. Many are not highly skilled, while their monthly income ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 euros. They also work fewer hours than the general population, while 81% say they are happier..
“We live in an age where work is changing. The provision of distance work is becoming more and more common “said Miltiadis Varvitsiotis. “In a competitive environment we tried to see what kind of facilities we could provide,” he added. As he mentioned, Greece is a country that can attract digital nomads for reasons that start from the climate and the beauty of the natural landscape and reach the highest percentage of graduates, work in infrastructure and the cost of living. “The main goals of the government were two. “First to offer a simple, functional and accessible legal framework to digital nomads and second to not be able to take advantage of this framework by various smugglers,” he added.
The tools that the Greek state has for the digital nomads are the simplification of the procedures, residence permits that can be renewed and gives the possibility to establish one of the employees in our country with its members and the “one stop” services., that is, free from bureaucracy. As the Deputy Minister assured, the interest is increased for our country, while the contribution of the region with the creation of new infrastructures, such as the design of 32 waterways in the Aegean islands, and the elaboration of actions, the aim of which is to attract of digital nomads.
In this context it is typical that operate digital information desks, while efforts are being made to provide information on questions coming from many parts of the world in one day. As mentioned, the questions mainly concern visa, tax and residence issues but also various other procedural issues.
“We can make the imprint of the digital nomads even more intense,” stressed elected officials and officials from Athens, Rhodes, Crete, Ioannina and Kalamata.
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