Greece is developing a package of initiatives designed to form a comprehensive plan for persuading so-called “digital nomads” to base themselves in the country, it was revealed on Wednesday.
Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis, speaking at the Delphi Forum, said that attracting digital nomads is a new global trend from which Greece can benefit.
He noted the repeated statements by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about making Greece attractive to professionals who can work from home — anywhere in the world.
According to the Buffer 2020 survey, more than 70 percent of “digital nomads” in this category have annual incomes that exceed $50,000, the minister said.
“We are following the issue of digital nomads with great interest and attention and we are now able to move on to the next step,” he stated.
“According to a study by the MIT Enterprise Forum, if Greece attracted 100,000 digital nomads each year, with an average stay of six months, our country could benefit by more than 1.6 billion euros.
“This amount almost matches the weekly income brought in by 2.5 million tourists,” Theoharis noted.
Comprehensive plan for digital nomads
On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, the first step in the preparation of a comprehensive plan for attracting digital nomads to Greece is the organization of a round of consultations between the relevant authorities.
The aim is to identify a package of necessary steps that should be taken to make Greece even more attractive to digital nomads, as well as to all those who would like to work from the country for a shorter or longer period.
The tourism ministry, as Theoharis stressed, pays special attention to cooperation with ministries and private-sector and civil associations in the following areas:
- Promoting of Greece as an ideal destination for digital nomads.
- Improving broadband infrastructure, especially in relation to the provision of high-speed internet services.
- Collaborating and exchanging infrastructure know-how and best practices with other cities abroad which are oriented to attracting digital nomads.
- Collaborating with organizations that work with start-up companies that employ digital nomads.
Google Maps creator Lars Rasmussen recently announced he is moving to Greece in order to create a new start-up enterprise.
The tech maven’s move to Greece with his Greek wife, high-tech executive Elomida Visviki, is seen as an important development for the country, which has been trying to attract high-flying digital nomads and cutting-edge technology companies.
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