At a beach cafe in Mui Ne (Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan), Sam turned on his laptop and began teaching English to four students.
The 33-year-old British man who has been to 51 countries says he can work anywhere as long as he has internet. Four years ago, Sam first came to Vietnam and rented a motorbike to travel from Ca Mau to Ha Giang with five friends.
He returned to Vietnam many times. The most recent time in early 2023, Sam's two-month vacation turned into half a year. He combined work and sightseeing everywhere.
Sam rented an apartment for 12 million VND a month in Tan Phu District (HCMC) to live in during his stay in Vietnam because it was "far from the city center but close to the local lifestyle". In addition to teaching English for 5 hours a day to students around the world, Sam spent the rest of his time riding a motorbike to explore the provinces surrounding HCMC. Occasionally, he changed the air by flying to Hanoi, Nha Trang, and Da Nang.
"I like to work in a cafe with a view of the mountains, fields, rivers or the sea," he said. Sam's monthly living expenses are around $1,000 (VND20-25 million) depending on the number of trips, but he admitted that "it's too cheap compared to what you get in this country."
Sam chatted with locals during his trip to Sapa in December 2022. Photo provided by the character
Soheil Asghari, an Iranian man, decided to leave Malaysia after 8 years to come to Vietnam. Every day, he still spends 10 hours working with colleagues around the world. In conversations with them, he often says that Vietnam "is a land worth experiencing".
The young man who works in the media industry is renting an apartment in Binh Thanh District (HCMC) for 19 million VND. After staying here for a while, Soheil discovered that many foreigners like him are also pursuing this lifestyle. "I don't think many people share the same idea as me," he said.
Sam and Soheil Asghari are typical representatives of the "digital nomad" community, remote workers who are not bound by geographical location, enjoying a flexible life to explore many places around the world.
Starting from the pandemic and exploding when the lockdowns were lifted, by the end of 2022, the world will have about 35 million people choosing this lifestyle, according to statistics from Digital Nomad Report . The number of digital nomads is increasing rapidly and gradually becoming so popular that 52 countries in the world have provided visas specifically for them with terms from 6 months to 10 years such as Argentina, Norway, South Korea, Thailand, Germany, Italy, Portugal.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duc Loc, Director of the Institute for Social Life Research, said that before the pandemic, a number of foreigners had chosen to become online experts and travel to many countries after retirement. However, after two years of the pandemic, the number of "digital nomads" has increased.
Vietnam is one of the favorite destinations of the digital nomad community. Analyzing the database of remote workers around the world, experts at Nomad List recently announced the 10 destinations with the fastest growing number of digital nomads in 2023. Da Nang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City are on the list at 2nd, 7th, and 9th positions.
Mr. Loc said that this is inevitable because these are three major cultural and economic centers of the country, with developed infrastructure and convenient transportation that can meet the needs of tourists. In addition, the criteria of safety, low cost of living, beautiful scenery, rich cuisine, or the easy process of applying for a tourist visa online and staying here for up to 90 days are also the reasons why Vietnam is chosen.
According to experts, there are currently no statistics on the number of digital nomads coming to Vietnam or their impact on the labor market and employment, but statistics also partly show this trend. As of the end of the first 9 months of 2023, the number of international visitors to Da Nang increased by 2.1 times, to Hanoi by 4 times and to Ho Chi Minh City by 3.06 times compared to the same period in 2022.
Soheil Asghari at his work corner in his apartment in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, October 2023. Photo: Provided by the character
As for Sam, the good quality of life, safety, delicious food and beautiful scenery are the reasons he chose to come to Vietnam to both work and experience short trips. "Flexible hours, a pleasant pace of life, safety and nice neighbors are things that I would probably find hard to find in other countries," Sam said.
As for Soheil Asghari, when he was in Vietnam, he had the opportunity to travel by motorbike because the public transport system was not as developed as in Kuala Lumpur, but the cost was not significant. A Vietnamese meal only cost 50,000 - 100,000 VND, which he considered "too cheap". The people were open and always willing to help foreigners, making Soheil Asghari feel at home. He also rated Vietnam as one of the few countries with good Internet connection, covering all provinces and cities, so he felt very secure when working. In particular, the income he earned was enough to cover the costs of food, transportation, shopping and tourism.
Mr. Nguyen Tran Hoang Phuong, Director of the Institute for Social Tourism Research, assessed that digital nomadism is a lifestyle, not a form of tourism. They go to other countries with the desire to reduce office pressure and enjoy nature and culture.
This customer segment often chooses serviced apartments instead of hotels, spending about 50% of their time here and moving to other tourist destinations. Digital nomads often need three months to a year to experience local cultural life. Therefore, changes in Vietnam's visa policy for foreigners can basically meet this need.
Mr. Phuong noted the need to properly exploit this customer base. In principle, they still contribute to the Vietnamese economy by spending money on basic services such as accommodation, food or travel. "Therefore, it is necessary to develop the right types, serving the right needs of customers," the expert said.
Jon Connell, 32, who has been to Vietnam three times, plans to switch to working remotely and traveling in Ho Chi Minh City in early 2024. He admits that the change in visa policy is what attracts digital nomads like him.
"Before, I had to struggle to leave the country and then return to Vietnam after a month to apply for a new visa, but now it's very convenient. I hope to have great days in this country," Jon said.
Besides promoting the tourism and service industry, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duc Loc said that if domestic enterprises know how to seize the opportunity of digital nomads coming to Vietnam to recruit and attract high-quality workers, they can boost the economy and create an abundant labor source.
However, experts also recommend that to take advantage of this, management agencies must focus on investing in improving infrastructure and health care systems. "When all factors of living environment and work are guaranteed, it is natural for digital nomads to choose a place to 'settle down'," the expert said.
As for Sam, in addition to the wonderful experiences, he hopes that Ho Chi Minh City can reduce unpleasant experiences such as traffic jams and hours of dust or the risk of having his phone snatched while walking on the sidewalk.
“If I can fix all these things, I want to have the opportunity to work here long term,” said the 33-year-old.
Ngoc Ngan - Quynh Nguyen
Vnexpress.net
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