[TALKING TRENDS] Workcation

Seo Jeong-min
The author is a senior reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo

Workcation is a newly-coined word that combines “vacation” and “work.” It describes working — theoretically while also having fun — while at a vacation destination.

The concept is similar to that of “digital-nomad,” which has been used since around 2010. It refers to people who work regardless of whenever and wherever they are by using their laptops or smartphones, while they travel around the world.

Travel Makers, the company which runs “Living in Hotel,” a program that allows people to book hotel rooms for up to a month, released analysis on reservations for extended stays and transactions made by their users. When you look at the results, you can see that the transaction amount increased by 274 percent as of this year, compared to that of the first half of last year.

It is particularly notable that the size of transactions from April 19 to June 30, when Korea's social distancing policies were lifted, grew by 214 percent on-year. According to the data, the biggest proportion, or 34 percent of users, chose to stay longer in a hotel because they could get away from home. The second-largest group, at 26 percent, went on a workcation.

On July 11, the BBC reported that the number of people with so-called digital-nomad visas, six-month to two-year residency permits for remote workers, is increasing in 25 countries in Central and South America and Europe. Apparently, the program was designed to revive local economies after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Korean business are rushing so that they don't miss out on the trend as well. CJ ENM opened an office on Jeju Island last year and Desker, an office furniture brand, runs a workcation campaign where participants can deal with business, accommodations and leisure all at once this summer.

It’s sad but hilarious that we’ve proven remote work is actually working through the painful times we had been forced to face during the pandemic. Still, the concept of escaping the routine and enjoying both work and life sounds awesome. I hope more and more people can have the chance to enjoy a workcation.

BY SEO JEONG-MIN [meantree@joongang.co.kr]