Airbnb puts up policy recommendations to support digital nomads

The Future. Airbnb released a white paper last week that lays out action items governments can adopt to take advantage of the rise of remote work. With a Pew Research study finding that 60% of people that can work remotely want to, Airbnb could be laying the groundwork for an economic boom in some far-flung locations… and its own bank account.

Room to change

According to Fast Company, Airbnb has studied dozens of visa systems and thinks remote-work policies could use an update.

• The company recommends that governments and cities offer specific remote-worker visa programs that are cheap, have a simple application process, allow workers to stay in the country for more than a year, and can be easily renewed.
• It also says countries shouldn’t tax foreign sources of income or expand tourist tax exemptions to include remote workers and should define what a “permanent establishment” is so that long-term rentals don’t run into accidental issues.
• It also thinks that the programs offer other benefits like “lodging credits, high-speed internet support, discounts, and volunteering opportunities to help integrate the individual in the area.”

Airbnb is already putting its money where its mouth is, having partnered with 20 cities and regions — including Dubai, Bali, rural France, and Tampa Bay — to develop “digital remote work hubs.”

Additionally, Airbnb rolled out a new policy that lets its employees live anywhere in the world… granted they have decent WiFi access. And if they want to be digital nomads and work as they travel, Airbnb allows employees to work from 170 countries for up to 90 days.

Long stay, bigger revenue

Airbnb isn’t releasing these recommendations or starting these partnerships just for fun. Long-term stays — anything over 28 days — is the fastest-growing category of the company. Greasing the wheels on the governmental level will only generate more revenue.

But, the ideas also provide several benefits for the locations themselves. A report from the Economic Innovation Group found that a remote-worker incentive program in Tulsa, Oklahoma,  “generated nearly $20 million in additional local GDP and about $1.6 million in state and local tax revenue in 2021.” Money talks.