BRIDGETOWN:--- 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.
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 their 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 program 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.
Bermuda has already seen marked success in embracing foreign remote workers, with its government long lauding the launch of its “Work from Bermuda” program that allowed those workers to live in Bermuda for up to one year while working remotely.
That nation’s government spoke of the boon such a program 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.
Caribbean Employment Services Inc., based in Barbados, is thrilled about the potential job expansion on the horizon and looks forward to assisting businesses with finding the right talent as their operations ramp up.
Several Caribbean nations had introduced similar programs welcoming digital nomads, like our “Welcome Stamp” here in Barbados and The Bahamas’ Extended Access Travel Stay (BEATS), among others.
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 Airbnb’s data specifically regarding Caribbean bookings, “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.”
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.
