Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNALOF TOURISM, SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING, cilt.13, sa.4, ss.287-308, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
The rise of the internet and technological advances has reduced people’s dependence on time and place. During the COVID-19 pandemic, office workers were compelled to work remotely, which enabled them to experience and adapt to different work–life arrangements. As a significant outcome of these trans-formations, digital nomadism has emerged, allowing workers to leverage the freedom of working from anywhere with an internet connection. This shift has enabled individuals to live and travel across different regions of the world while continuing their professional activities without being tied to a physical office (Ji et al., 2024).Digital nomads are commonly described as young, work-oriented professionals who reject the tra-ditional 9-to-5 office structure, prioritising autonomy, flexibility, and the ability to travel while working (Cook, 2020). Consequently, they gain the freedom to choose their place of residence, with the duration of their stay in a particular country or location becoming independent of employer or company restrictions (Müller, 2016). This mobility and autonomy have generated an increased demand for tourism services among digital nomads (Gupta et al., 2024), and their participation in touristic activities at their destina-tions has led to their classification as tourists (Hall et al., 2019).The digital nomad movement has rapidly become a growing segment of the global tourism market. According to a 2024 study by MBO Partners, 18.1 million American workers identify as digital nomads, representing a remarkable 147% increase since 2019 (MBO Partners, 2024). Another study estimates that the global number of digital nomads has exceeded thirty-five million (Localyze, 2024). This substantial rise, coupled with evidence of their positive socio-economic impact on host countries, has prompted destinations to explore strategies for attracting a share of this emerging tourism market (Jiwasiddi et al., 2024). In 2020, sixteen countries, including Estonia, Georgia, Spain, and Germany, introduced digital no-mad visas, thereby opening their borders to this new group of travellers (Schengen News, 2020). By 2023, this number had increased to fifty-four (World Tourism Organization, 2023). As of 2024, Türkiye has also joined the list of countries offering a digital nomad visa (Go Türkiye, 2024).In this context, digital nomadism has become a phenomenon that not only transforms individuals’ life-styles but also reshapes countries’ tourism and economic policies. However, despite the growing global interest, research on digital nomads remains limited. Existing studies in the literature have examined various aspects of digital nomadism, including its ad-vantages and disadvantages (Mouratidis, 2018; Hensellek & Puchala, 2021; Zaki, 2024), work–life balance (Orel, 2019; Arifa et al., 2022), social and economic impacts on destinations (Jiwasiddi et al., 2024; Laza-revic-Moravcevic et al., 2024), nomadic lifestyles and the effects of co-working spaces on tourism (Putra & Agirachman, 2016; Chevtaeva & Denizci-Guillet, 2021), and the differences between digital nomads and traditional tourists (Kozak et al., 2024; Kaya-Sayarı & Coşkun, 2024). However, most of the studies on dig-ital nomadism rely on quantitative data or remain at a conceptual level (Winarya & Pertiwi, 2020; Dreher & Triandafylidou, 2023). Hannonen (2020) emphasised that in order to better understand digital nomads’ tourism behaviours, more attention should be given to the characteristics of individuals. In line with this, the primary aim of this study is to contribute to the literature by conducting an in-depth analysis to iden-tify the push and pull factors influencing digital nomads’ travel decisions.The rise of the internet and technological advances has reduced people’s dependence on time and place. During the COVID-19 pandemic, office workers were compelled to work remotely, which enabled them to experience and adapt to different work–life arrangements. As a significant outcome of these trans-formations, digital nomadism has emerged, allowing workers to leverage the freedom of working from anywhere with an internet connection. This shift has enabled individuals to live and travel across different regions of the world while continuing their professional activities without being tied to a physical office (Ji et al., 2024).Digital nomads are commonly described as young, work-oriented professionals who reject the tra-ditional 9-to-5 office structure, prioritising autonomy, flexibility, and the ability to travel while working (Cook, 2020). Consequently, they gain the freedom to choose their place of residence, with the duration of their stay in a particular country or location becoming independent of employer or company restrictions (Müller, 2016). This mobility and autonomy have generated an increased demand for tourism services among digital nomads (Gupta et al., 2024), and their participation in touristic activities at their destina-tions has led to their classification as tourists (Hall et al., 2019).The digital nomad movement has rapidly become a growing segment of the global tourism market. According to a 2024 study by MBO Partners, 18.1 million American workers identify as digital nomads, representing a remarkable 147% increase since 2019 (MBO Partners, 2024). Another study estimates that the global number of digital nomads has exceeded thirty-five million (Localyze, 2024). This substantial rise, coupled with evidence of their positive socio-economic impact on host countries, has prompted destinations to explore strategies for attracting a share of this emerging tourism market (Jiwasiddi et al., 2024). In 2020, sixteen countries, including Estonia, Georgia, Spain, and Germany, introduced digital no-mad visas, thereby opening their borders to this new group of travellers (Schengen News, 2020). By 2023, this number had increased to fifty-four (World Tourism Organization, 2023). As of 2024, Türkiye has also joined the list of countries offering a digital nomad visa (Go Türkiye, 2024).In this context, digital nomadism has become a phenomenon that not only transforms individuals’ life-styles but also reshapes countries’ tourism and economic policies. However, despite the growing global interest, research on digital nomads remains limited. Existing studies in the literature have examined various aspects of digital nomadism, including its ad-vantages and disadvantages (Mouratidis, 2018; Hensellek & Puchala, 2021; Zaki, 2024), work–life balance (Orel, 2019; Arifa et al., 2022), social and economic impacts on destinations (Jiwasiddi et al., 2024; Laza-revic-Moravcevic et al., 2024), nomadic lifestyles and the effects of co-working spaces on tourism (Putra & Agirachman, 2016; Chevtaeva & Denizci-Guillet, 2021), and the differences between digital nomads and traditional tourists (Kozak et al., 2024; Kaya-Sayarı & Coşkun, 2024). However, most of the studies on dig-ital nomadism rely on quantitative data or remain at a conceptual level (Winarya & Pertiwi, 2020; Dreher & Triandafylidou, 2023). Hannonen (2020) emphasised that in order to better understand digital nomads’ tourism behaviours, more attention should be given to the characteristics of individuals. In line with this, the primary aim of this study is to contribute to the literature by conducting an in-depth analysis to iden-tify the push and pull factors influencing digital nomads’ travel decisions.