Airbnb partners with CTO to promote 16 Caribbean countries to digital nomads who want to live abroad while working remotely
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS — Sixteen Caribbean nations can look forward to more job opportunities and economic growth within the tourism and hospitality industry, both directly and indirectly, thanks to a new initiative targeting foreign remote workers.
St. Lucia is one of the Caribbean countries that can look forward to more job opportunities as Airbnb and the Caribbean Tourism Organization partner to promote it as a destination for digital nomads.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has partnered with Airbnb to launch the “Live and Work Anywhere” campaign, designed to specifically promote these countries to digital nomads looking for somewhere sunny to set up base while they work remotely.
Participating countries include Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and Trinidad & Tobago.
This new programme augurs well for locals working not just in tourism-related industries but also those who own and operate Airbnbs themselves, resulting in direct and indirect job creation and job growth for the respective regions.
A new kind of tourism driving job growth
Airbnb has reported a significant increase in long-term stays in the Caribbean since 2019.
This new digital nomad has been a major tourism driver in a “post-COVID” Caribbean, as countless international organizations have embraced fully remote operational models.
According to data from Airbnb, “The share of nights booked for long-term stays in Q1 2022 almost doubled compared to the same period in 2019.
“In Q1 2019, almost six percent of all bookings were for long-term stays, while in Q1 2022, this percentage reached almost 10 percent.
“The number of nights booked for long-term stays tripled in Q1 ’22 compared to Q1 ’19.”
Remote workers boosting local economy
Bermuda is one of the Caribbean nations that has seen positive economic growth thanks to remote working digital nomads. Photo: GETTY
Bermuda has already seen marked success in embracing foreign remote workers, with its government long lauding the launch of its “Work from Bermuda” programme that allowed those workers to live in Bermuda for up to one year while working remotely.
The government spoke of the boon such a programme had been for the local rental market, as well as for local restaurants, retailers like grocery stores and mom-and-pop shops and entertainment operations that had suffered tremendously amid the pandemic.
Several Caribbean nations had introduced similar programmes welcoming digital nomads, like Barbados’ “Welcome Stamp” and The Bahamas’ Extended Access Travel Stay (BEATS), among others.
Thanks to the new “Live and Work Anywhere” campaign, even more of the region’s economies will be able to benefit as the world increasingly moves towards a new form of living and working that results in a different kind of tourist we can welcome to our collective shores.
Find the latest jobs in the Caribbean via Caribbean Employment Services Inc.