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F.acT: Why is this topic relevant for the Tyrolean tourism industry?
Sophie Schopf: Digital nomads are people who work from anywhere and flexibly combine travel and work. More and more of them are looking for places with good infrastructure, a high quality of life and experiences close to nature. For Tirol, this phenomenon opens up opportunities to appeal to new target groups, but also requires an awareness of the potential social and cultural impact on local communities.
F.acT: What methodological approach did you use in your work?
Sophie Schopf: I chose a qualitative, ethnographic research design. I spent four weeks on Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, where I conducted participant observations and guided interviews with digital nomads and locals. This approach made it possible to gain a deep understanding of the interactions between digital work, local culture and tourism development.
F.acT: What are the core results of your work and what significance do they have for tourist destinations and businesses?
Sophie Schopf: Research shows that digital nomads can challenge local life. They contribute to year-round occupancy and economic diversification, but can also cause social tensions and rising living costs. For destinations such as Tyrol, this means that a conscious design of this new tourism segment is necessary, with a focus on sustainable integration, fair use of resources and preservation of local identity.
use of resources and the preservation of local identity.
F.acT: What was a particularly interesting result of the work?
Sophie Schopf: One particularly interesting finding was that digital nomads are not only looking for infrastructure and internet quality, but above all for places with a good quality of life, authentic cultural experiences and social networking opportunities. At the same time, the research shows that political measures are needed to manage the impact on local communities. In the Canary Islands, for example, regulations and strategies need to be developed to take advantage of economic and tourism opportunities as well as to avoid social tensions and rising living costs.
F.acT: What specific recommendations for action do you make in your Master's thesis?
Sophie Schopf: Destinations should develop strategies to address digital nomads as a sustainable target group, for example through co-working offers, local networking initiatives and awareness-raising programs for both sides. Local businesses can benefit from this development, for example by cooperating with remote workers and creating hybrid offers between work and leisure.