There are many ways to mix business with leisure, whether you’re a digital nomad, a remote worker, or someone who just wants to get the most out of a work trip. As you plan your next business and leisure jaunt, don’t put the islands too far down on your bucket list. Flexible office accommodations, less stress, and new long-term visas are some of the best reasons to travel to the Caribbean for work.
Plenty of Office Options
Digital nomads have been wise to the Caribbean for more than a decade. After all, if you could work on your laptop from a beach, why wouldn’t you? But since the pandemic has devastated tourism, many islands have upped their technological game to attract the enormous new demographic of remote workers.
Destinations like Bermuda are hoping to lure them from their claustrophobic home offices to paradise with tech incentives. The Caribbean is finally taking steps to improve high-speed internet access. In the meantime, islands are offering private offices for rent, hot desk spaces, and working alternatives that you can book by the month, week, day, or even hour.
It’s Conference Friendly
Almost every island boasts resorts for the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) crowd. Facilities have never been bigger or more luxurious. All eyes are on Grand Cayman Island, which is building a five-star Curio Collection by Hilton property that will be conference-ready in June 2022. Even better, it will have a focus on sustainability that’s great for corporate optics.
And in Puerto Rico, there’s more business travel than pleasure since its Puerto Rico Convention Center reopened after Hurricane Maria. It’s by far the largest convention center in the Caribbean—it can welcome groups of up to 25,000, with advanced technology that’s up to the challenge.
You Can Stay a While
One of the best reasons to travel to the Caribbean right now is that you don’t need a return ticket anytime soon. More islands are following the example of Barbados, which launched its Welcome Stamp visa in summer 2020. The new visa makes it hassle-free to work remotely from the island for a year without having to become a citizen (or pay its income tax).
Now, you can find remote-work programs in Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, the Bahamas, the Caymans, Curacao, the Dominican Republic, Montserrat, and Puerto Rico. Dominica is just the latest to establish a remote work program for travelers and their families. They’re welcome to stay up to 18 months. Will beach nomads ever want to go home? Luckily, they won’t have to decide for a while.
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