Teletravel: the 2021 trend
It's THE new way of travelling this year. Have you ever tried working remotely away from home?
Remote working is old news: it's all about teletravel now. But what exactly is it, and what's the difference? Here's everything you need to know!
What is teletravel?
The definition of teletravel is simple: it's remote working away from home, whether in your own country or abroad. Put simply: you no longer need to be on holiday to travel!
Its other nickname? The workation, which is arguably even clearer! The concept isn't really new, but it has been brought back into fashion by the health crisis. With repeated lockdowns and therefore remote working, many people decided to combine work and holidays. And in such an uncertain climate, we'll admit it: we did the same and went off to work in Guadeloupe!
Proof that remote working is gaining ground? The decision by Airbnb to display wifi speed on rental listings!
For example, the Hyatt group has launched its « Work From Hyatt » extended-stay package in 90 hotels across the Americas and the Caribbean. The group explains: « We are leaning into the 'work from anywhere' trend and believe it resonates with today's travellers. People are looking for more than weekend getaways, and our extended-stay package allows guests to enjoy the premium facilities and services of our resorts, all with the benefit of being able to carry on working and learning remotely. »
The pros and cons of teletravel
Teletravel has plenty of advantages:
- A genuine break fromeveryday lifeandroutine
- You're oftenmore motivatedand youwork betterso you can enjoy yourself afterwards
- You'remore relaxedbecause you're in a setting that lends itself to unwinding
For businesses, it's appealing too, as it allows them to move offices out of city centres and pay less rent. Some are firmly in favour, while others still struggle to accept remote working.
A word of caution all the same: the drawbacks can be many:
- Thetime differenceif you head abroad
- Managers who maycheck upon your availability a little more closely
- Not being able toswitch offand enjoy the place a little
- Or the opposite: being so taken with where you are that youdon't work enough
In our view, going away to work remotely takes real mental discipline if you're to stay focused despite everything around you. Before you give it a try, make sure you're not heading to somewhere you've always dreamed of visiting, unless you can follow it up with a proper holiday! So, are you tempted by teletravel? Have you already tried it? Do let us know how you got on!
And if you're short of ideas for your next destination, why not (re)discover Corsica !
Set side by side, the upsides and downsides of teletravel answer each other almost point for point.
| What it affects | The upside | The downside |
|---|---|---|
| Daily routine | A real break from the everyday grind | Never switching off enough to enjoy the place |
| Motivation | You work better so you can enjoy it afterwards | Being so fixated on the location that you work too little |
| Working environment | More relaxed, in a setting that invites you to unwind | Time difference if you go abroad |
| Relationship with the company | Offices moved out, so less rent to pay | Managers who may check up on your presence a bit more |
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is teletravel? It means working remotely from somewhere other than home, in France or abroad. You keep your job, your hours and your meetings, you simply change the scenery. You no longer need to be on holiday in order to travel.
Are teletravel and workation the same thing? Yes, workation is simply the other name for the same practice. It is arguably clearer, since it packs work and holiday into a single word. The idea itself is not new, it has just changed its label.
Why has everyone been talking about it since the health crisis? Repeated lockdowns turned remote work into the norm, and many people used that to work from somewhere other than their living room. In such an uncertain period, combining work and holiday became a way of taking back some control over daily life. We did exactly that, by going off to work from Guadeloupe.
Have hosts and platforms picked up on it? Airbnb now shows wifi speed in rental listings, which says a lot about what travellers are looking for. Hyatt launched its own extended stay package, “Work From Hyatt”, across 90 hotels in the Americas and the Caribbean. Both moves point the same way: people no longer book just for a weekend.
What are the downsides of teletravel? Time differences if you go far, managers who may check on you a little more often, and the trouble of switching off long enough to enjoy where you are. The opposite risk is just as real: being so taken by the place that you barely work. What both pitfalls have in common is that nobody sees them coming until they are in them.
How do you pick the right destination for teletravel? Avoid the place you have always dreamed of, unless you can follow it with a proper holiday straight after. Working from somewhere else takes real mental discipline to stay focused despite what is around you. A pleasant spot where you can get through your working days beats a dream you spend staring at through the window.
