Issue #193: Rethinking the Digital Nomad Economy from China, Vietnam & Thailand to Armenia, Azores & Bulgaria
A global journey through the critical issues around "co-living" & "borderless" tourism.
Welcome to Issue 193 of Asia Travel Re:Set
“The ultimate goal of digital nomadism is to help overlooked and less-visited places to build-up, bring new energy and be resilient throughout the year.”
This week’s issue deconstructs remote work, global mobility and co-living lifestyles as a year-round part of the tourism landscape with Milos Pelucha of Destinova - who is currently building a co-living space in the Azores islands.
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“Thailand is projected to miss its tourist arrival numbers for this year, but authorities are placing more value on “quality” tourists who spend more. It’s a strategy that could be challenging, experts say, given the global economy and the inability to win back the important Chinese market.”
Thanks to Jack Board for including some of my comments in this detailed and well-structured article, Why is Thai tourism stuttering and will its renewed focus on ‘quality over quantity’ work?, for Channel News Asia (CNA).
Rethinking the Digital Nomad Economy from China, Vietnam & Thailand to Armenia, Azores & Bulgaria
Digital nomadism is not new - it was first cited back in the 1990s. But the pandemic and escalation of the freelance and gig economies have transformed digital nomads into an increasingly organised and rapidly growing international movement. Business investors are closely tracking its development.
So what does this mean for tourism and destination marketing across continents?
On this week’s High-Yield Tourism Podcast, I chatted with Azores-based Milos Pelucha, an active proponent of remote working as a high-yield travel segment.
We take a global journey through the critical issues of "borderless" tourism, from Armenia to China, Azores to Bhutan, Thailand to the French Alps, Morocco to Georgia and Vietnam to India.
Here an 8-point summary:
1) What’s in a Name?
Terms like ‘digital nomads’, ‘remote working’ and ‘work from anywhere’ are used interchangeably. Does that help or hinder the debate? “Digital nomads are normally people for whom travel is a lifestyle, and travel is the ultimate priority, and while they travel they are able to work. Remote workers tend to live and work in their normal lives in one place, but they sometimes work remotely for short periods of time.”
2) Defining a Hard-to-Define Travel Concept
The world of travel and tourism is still struggling to grasp the potential value of digital nomads. Are they remote workers? Are they laptop backpackers? Is digital nomadism a lifestyle? Is it a tourism segment? What is borderless living? What are Micro Societies? Why is global mobility developing as a red-hot topic? Are co-working and co-living compatible concepts for destination and travel marketing?
3) Are You Headed to Bansko in 2026?
If you want to understand the fast-paced diversification of the digital nomad economy, book your ticket in advance. The 2025 Bansko Nomad Fest - the world’s largest digital nomad gathering - took place from 20-30 June in Bulgaria. The “Glastonbury of nomad events” brings together an eclectic array of specialists from around the world to “share their expertise on entrepreneurship, remote work, AI, global mobility, and financial freedom.” It will be even bigger in 2026.
4) Different Regional Connotations
“Digital nomads are perceived differently in various parts of the world. In Europe, they are seen almost as an enemy responsible for gentrification issues and rising housing costs. In East Asia, where there is significant population loss, digital nomads are viewed as people who can bring tourism spend and talent into their countries.”
⏩ Click on the live link below to listen to It’s Time to Rethink Digital Nomadism & Global Mobility in High-Yield Tourism.
Or search for High-Yield Tourism on any podcast app.
[The High-Yield Tourism Podcast speaks with progressive travel thinkers for fresh perspectives about the future of tourism across the globe.]
5) Low Tourism Board Engagement
“I have reached out to a lot of tourism boards but received very little encouragement - mostly because tourism boards are not even paying attention to who the digital nomads are. I get that digital nomads are still a small fraction of most tourism economies, but they spend a lot of money and time in each destination - and can help with addressing issues like seasonality as they travel year-round.”
6) Digital Nomad Visas
Since the pandemic, countries in South East Asia - like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines - have issued so-called Digital Nomad Visas. These are structured schemes, with strict terms and conditions. Is this institutionalised mash-up of remote work and tourism taking the debate forward?
“This can be a great sign that a country is looking to welcome digital nomads to visit … but there’s a fine line between what actually works and what doesn’t. However, currently there are 50-70 countries that have some sort of digital nomad visa programme in place, and a lot of them are just PR stunts.”
7) Micro Societies & Domestic Nomadism
Being a digital nomad isn’t just about seeing the world. “In Portugal, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, vibrant domestic digital nomad scenes are developing in interesting ways. “In China’s Yunnan province, micro societies are developing, where young people want to live and work in other areas of the country, and that’s become a part of their lifestyle. It’s not just about the finance of working, it’s a lifestyle issue.”
8) Co-Living & Tourism in Armenia
A beautiful country with a small tourism budget and under-investment in infrastructure, Armenia is thinking differently about its travel economy. At the recent Yerevan Hospitality Investment Forum, Milos was invited to speak to local and international investors about “how Armenia can bring more interesting projects, such a co-living spaces, digital nomadism and remote work in the context of growing different tourism segments around the country.”
And, that’s a wrap for Issue 193.
Asia Travel Re:Set will return next Sunday. Meantime, find me on LinkedIn.
Happy travels,
Gary