When a Holiday Becomes a Working Trip

The definition of a vacation is to take a break from work, to abandon the routine and to travel to a different location. However, with the rise of remote working, there is a blurring of the lines between work and leisure. More tourists are packing their laptops as well as their bags and staying at hotels that offer Internet access, and also are lengthening vacations that span their work schedule. It's an option for some to discover more locations without exhausting their annual leave. It serves as a new challenge for others: balancing work and having fun in a place.

The Rise of Work and Travel

Telematics has altered the location for some workers to finish their work. If the work can be done via the laptop and video calls or cloud-based applications, then working from another city or country is more feasible. Members of staff who are flexible, e.g. independent professionals may be able to work offsite for a few days or weeks without the need to disrupt their usual duties.

This has helped to make workations, trips where workers work remotely more popular. A workation is a bit like a business trip, except that it takes place after hours to allow the traveller to experience the country away from their work.

The arrangement may be in various forms. A person could work during the day, and spend a week in a coastal town at night to explore. Another hiker might be able to add a few days to his vacation, working during the morning and sightseeing in the afternoons. Others opt for a longer duration, thus gaining more time to explore a destination over a longer period.

The opportunity is, however, linked to the type of employment. Some roles cannot be done remotely, might be on-site or involve regular, face-to-face contact, which may not be very flexible. Under company policies, client confidentiality or international regulations, even employees who work remotely may be restricted on where they can work.

Why Travelers Are Combining Work With Holidays

One of the main reasons to do a workation is that you can discover a new destination without having to take a long vacation from work. This can make it more feasible to undertake longer trips for those with limited annual leave. They don't have to decide whether to finish a project or go somewhere else, they can plan their tasks to allow them to do both.

Any change of surroundings can be a respite from routines. A quiet down-to-earth rent-a-penthouse room, mountain location or seaside spot can feel different than a home office. Finding a new café on a lunch break or a new neighbourhood after work can make the day more exciting.

The decision can also be made based on the cost. If the traveler stays longer, they might be able to talk down the cost of the week or month, but there is no guarantee of savings. Extended visits may alleviate the need to see all the sights in a couple of days, and can motivate locals to use local shops and public transport as well as local restaurants.

Others may find it more attractive for the flexibility it offers rather than for the savings aspect. They can spend time in a location which they would not normally be in, but keep their jobs and continue to earn a living. The outcome is a new way to travel, a way to visit places which feel like part of life, rather than part of a flight from it.

This accommodation has a new role

If travelers are required to work during a holiday, the accommodation must provide them with more than just an appealing room and convenient location. Good internet, a good chair, light and a good surface for your laptop can become important features.

A bedroom can be a comfortable place to sleep and unwind, but it's not necessarily a suitable environment for a long Zoom meeting. Travelers might also require a tranquil atmosphere, adequate electrical outlets and privacy to keep work materials away from personal items. These can make a difference in deciding whether you go with a hotel, a serviced apartment, a holiday rental or a co-living property.

Hotels can appeal to this market segment with practical work spaces, business amenities, extended stays and flexible housekeeping services. Some travelers may prefer the kitchen and separate living room of a serviced apartment, while others may be interested in co-living spaces that provide joint work spaces and get-togethers with other remote workers.

But it's not always obvious from descriptions of accommodations whether they are indeed suitable for remote working. Internet connectivity may not be up to scratch, a shared space might be noisy, and a desk featured in a photo might be just a small table. Users of connectivity should verify connectivity facilities prior to travel and use a backup strategy if connectivity is critical.

The Challenge of Keeping Work Under Control

The idea of working and travelling together is good until the job takes up the time allocated for the trip. Late afternoon sightseeing appointments can be lost due to a late meeting, an important email or a project deadline.

There is the added complication of time differences. A person employed with a business outside the United States may have to take calls in the early morning or late at night. This can result in limited local activity and disrupt sleep. It's one thing to have a beautiful beach or an impressive historical site, but quite another when the traveler has to continually check his/her message.

Establishing boundaries is important, in other words. Travelers must be aware of their working hours, know which meetings they cannot miss and determine when they will be unavailable. 

Preventing time for food, activity, and sightseeing will help preserve the fun of the vacation.

Employers also have a part to play. Flexible working arrangements are best facilitated by setting realistic expectations for availability and output by managers. With the expectation that they will be online all day, and needing to respond to any request as soon as possible, working from a holiday destination may not give any real flexibility.

Choosing the Right Destination

Not all places are appropriate for a working trip. A place may be nice but not have a reliable Internet, not be easily accessible by transportation or not have a good place to work. A third could be well connected and a very pleasant place to stay, but be quite expensive when a traveller chooses to visit.

Remember photos are not all that important, they come second to practical considerations. Travelers should consider the internet connectivity, the quality of the accommodation, the transport options, access to groceries, and quiet workspaces. The climate and season can also play a role, especially if outdoor activities are a key element of the experience.

Some destinations may have more digital amenities and choices of places to stay, making them easier to manage. In smaller towns, they may be able to offer less noise and more leisure, but it is important to verify the presence of essential services. Seasonal closures may restrict local dining at certain locations or traveling to and from them during off peak tourist season.

There are other questions to consider when travelling internationally. Even if the employer and clients are in a different country, not all countries will allow a tourist visa to be used for remote work. Before travel, travelers should ensure that the relevant immigration regulations, tax considerations, employment regulations and insurance requirements are observed. Letting the time pass could result in responsibilities, which would not occur during a brief vacation.

Choosing the Right Destination

A working trip might seem like a budget-friendly option because the travelers are still working while on the trip. However, the overall cost could exceed the estimate if you add the cost of accommodation, transportation, food, and working spaces for the day.

Staying longer can lower the nightly charge an average visitor pays, but it will increase the total number of nights an individual pays. When travelling, people may have to consider renting a room that offers a workspace, instead of opting for the most affordable room. They may also have to pay more for their café purchases, for local travel or activities because work reduces the time available for them to cook their own food or do their own thing.

There is an opportunity cost to this as well. If a person works a lot during the journey, he could work for a destination but not enjoy much of what makes it attractive. If that's the case, it might be more beneficial to take a shorter break from work completely.

Prior to booking, it's beneficial to establish a sensible budget. It would be necessary to compare the accommodation, transport costs to that of a conventional holiday and the hours that are likely to be worked to the experiences that the traveler hopes to enjoy. The idea is to cut costs, but to make it worthwhile.

How Local Businesses Benefit

Work stations can have an impact on tourism companies by prolonging the stay of tourists in a destination. In addition to coming in for the weekend, remote workers could spend weeks on the job. This can lead to the need for longer-term rentals, for coworking spaces, laundry facilities, cafés and everyday retail.

Shopping out of the beaten path can also be beneficial to local businesses. Someone who works in a café in the neighborhood several mornings a week or goes to the local market can make a contribution to the local economy beyond the main sightseeing area.

For destinations, the number of days spent by visitors could bring a wider distribution of tourism activity over the months of the year, especially in slack periods. The advantages are, however, dependent on the conditions locally. If there is a shortage of available housing, an increase in the number of long-term visitors may lead to a shortage of rental units, if available, and consequently to pressure on rent.

This raises the challenge for destinations to ensure the balance between the economic benefits and the needs of residents. Workation tourism is most sustainable when visitors visit and support local businesses, while not making everyday life more difficult for those that live there.

So is a Working Holiday a Working Holiday?

The primary issue is what the result is if work and travel go hand in hand is it the best of both worlds or is it the worse of both worlds? The answer is based on expectations. A person who desires to see the sights for a couple of hours a night might be rewarded by a workation. Professional responsibilities can be disheartening to a traveller who is hoping to have a relaxing trip.

The difference is also important in regards to mental recovery. A holiday is usually a time that is taken from work to allow people to rest and not have to deal with the pressure of work deadlines or notifications. If it's the same duties taken to an overseas country, the change of scenery might not help them escape.

A planned working trip should be based on a reasonable balance, therefore. A few travelers might want to work for a few days, and then have a totally free weekend. Some people may take a workation and then take a couple days without meetings at either end of the vacation.

If you are up-front about the reason for your visit, you won't be disappointed. When the aim is to explore a destination, the working hours must be restricted as far as possible. When professional responsibilities are the top priority the location should be selected based upon convenience, not the fact that every moment that wasn't spent at work will be an adventure.

The Future of Work and Travel

The dynamic of work and holidays will continue to be flexible as remote-working policies, digital services and accommodation will evolve. Hotels can offer better workspaces, destinations can offer longer stays and booking platforms can better inform of the availability of facilities appropriate for the workplace.

Meanwhile, the decision to allow remote work will be influenced by employers and governments. Some arrangements may be more complicated than they seem due to international tax rules, data security requirements, immigration regulations, and more. While being able to plug in a laptop to the Internet is important, it is not enough to provide greater flexibility – there must also be clearer policies and better information.

Finally, a holiday that turns into a working trip isn't necessarily a better way to travel. Can provide freedom, new environment and opportunity to experience a place at a different pace, but can also cause a grey area between work and play. Working trips that are planned with realistic expectations, appropriate accommodation and defined and protected leisure time are the most successful. When these elements combine, work and travel can co-exist without one completely dominating the other.