Tokyo has emerged as the world’s top ‘workcation’ city for hybrid workers, heading off challenges from Rio de Janeiro (2nd) and last year’s winner, Budapest (3rd).
In its third annual Work From Anywhere Barometer, International Workplace Group identified the destinations where travellers extend overseas holidays to adopt hybrid working.
A new category this year was a destination’s ‘proximity to nature’, which earned high marks for Tokyo and Singapore.
Cities to rank highly this year included Seoul (4th) and Barcelona (5th) while in Asia, Singapore ranked fourth, ahead of Jakarta, Manila, Mumbai, and Hong Kong.
Tokyo scored highly for its exceptional broadband speeds, transport infrastructure, safety, culture, and new digital nomad visa launched in April 2024, which grants stays up to 12 months at a competitive cost.
IWG said Seoul is fast becoming one of the most sought-after workcation destinations for hybrid workers, thanks to its ultra-fast internet, efficient public transport, and a thriving digital nomad community supported by South Korea’s digital nomad visa.
Singapore scored highly for food, broadband, happiness, seamless urban mobility,culture, and sustainability. Plus, its City in Nature vision.
IWG has more than 4,000 flexible workspace locations in more than 120 countries.
Other key findings from the study include:
60% of hybrid workers are more likely to extend a holiday to work remotely than last year
86% cite the availability of flexible workspaces as a major factor in their destination choice
78% of employees surveyed consider a ‘work from anywhere’ policy an important factor when evaluating a new job
87% say the freedom to work from anywhere boosts their productivity