Do You Want to Work from a Beach? This Is Your Chance

Illustration by Vector Stock

As remote working becomes the new normal, Barbados is hoping to turn its beaches, adjacent to crystal-blue waters, into your new outdoor office.

According to The New York Post, the Caribbean island nation is set to introduce a “12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp,” which would allow visitors from overseas to stay for an entire year and work remotely, according to a speech made by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley last week.

“You can come here and work for a couple months at a time; go back and come back,” she said.

Mottley acknowledged the difficulty of short-term travel, with coronavirus restrictions and mandated quarantines, but a yearlong stay could help jumpstart the island’s economy, Insider reported.

Tourism makes up a significant portion of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) — 40% to be exact — with more than 2.4 million travelers going to and from Barbados each year, typically spending $1.1 billion on the island. But due to COVID-19 restrictions and fewer people traveling, tourism has ground to a screeching halt in Barbados and other Caribbean countries. 

Beaches, resorts, restaurants and local businesses are virtually empty, but the 12-month stay proposal comes at the perfect time, as flights in and out of the country are set to resume July 12.

While fears of traveling are still present as the virus continues to ravage its way through many countries, Barbados’ statistics stayed relatively low overall, with only 98 cases and seven deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The country’s 12-month welcome plan has yet to launch, and an official date remains unclear, but Barbados is not the only place offering visitors travel incentives and perks.