Switzerland embraces nomadic lifestyles

The popularity of nomadism has been on the rise in recent years — even more so since the global health crisis. During the pandemic, many people got used to a hybrid way of life, with mornings of remote work done in Birkenstocks followed by an afternoon spent skiing the sunny slopes. Freedom in flexibility!

Places like Bali, Mexico, Dubai and Mallorca have nomad havens over the past few years. A promise of a better life, experienced far from home. A response to our growing need to rediscover freedom, heightened by the burnout generation who — terrified of being caught up in a deadly routine — have found themselves somewhere between a career change and a midlife crisis. Cross-border working has given digital nomads a chance to prove to even the most sceptical that, yes, it is indeed possible to combine business and pleasure.

Living the mountain high life
In this new world, Switzerland has emerged as an ideal destination, a golden promise for nature-loving nomads. High-altitude ski resorts like Crans-Montana, Zermatt and Verbier quickly realised they needed to meet the needs of this new demographic with connected cafés and coworking spaces. Neil Beecroft, founder of PuraWorka, immediately understood the attraction of Switzerland for workers on the go, having opened the first coworking space in Zermatt and later a second location in Sion, tailored towards a more corporate client. “Switzerland’s high quality of living, safety and breathtaking landscapes offer an exceptional backdrop for digital nomads”, said Neil. “In Zermatt, our space is characterized by a relaxed atmosphere and has a greater focus on outdoor activities, which tends to attract a community of adventurers and creatives who are looking for peace and inspiration while they work in the heart of the Alps”, said Neil.

And Neil Beecroft knows what he’s talking about! As a digital nomad with multiple jobs himself, he splits his time each year between his coworking locations, Valais, Lausanne and Portugal, where he has taken up surfing when he’s not working in his usual field of sustainability for sports events. Powered by his own personal experience, he highlights the growing popularity of nomadic lifestyles: “Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of remote workers and digital nomads. That trend has persisted beyond the end of lockdown and that way of life is only continuing to attract more and more people. We saw an increase in the number of people using our spaces from 2021 to 2023, which confirms that flexible, nomadic work is here to stay as a long-term change”.

Other towns in Switzerland have taken a more contemplative approach to the remote work trend. Take Lenk, for example, where Andy Stofferis has created a space for coworking and coliving, as he’s fond of both. In this kind of location, which is less upscale and mostly surrounded by farms and agricultural production, digital nomads bring a breath of fresh air to a small town atmosphere.

The cultural draw of capital cities
Switzerland also attracts those who love the city lifestyle. In that regard, Zurich is an ideal location for people who want the best of all worlds, as a centre of finance and technology that also has a well-established café lifestyle, rich cultural offerings and a thriving nightlife. The number of digital nomads who gathered last summer at the Seebad Enge swimming area, in bathing suits behind their laptops, combined with a few teleworkers who had escaped the office, goes to show there’s no limit to creatively reconciling what seems to be irreconcilable!

The more alternative city of Basel (aka the Swiss Berlin) attracts the artsy nomads: writers, designers and other art industry types looking to grow their networks.

In Geneva, a host of specialised coffee shops and coworking spaces have opened in the past decade. There’s the very corporate Spaces Works, with strategically placed locations at Quai de l’Ile, the main train station, Nations and in the eco-neighbourhood Quartier de l’Étang near the airport. There’s also the funkier Impact Hub, which hosts a weekly healthy community lunch event known as Wednesday’s Sexy Salad. And of course, there’s the local’s choice: Café Voisins, which welcomes a mixed crowd of nomads, entrepreneurs and Genevan freelancers.

Swiss nomads abroad: a great escape!
Of course, the opposite phenomenon also exists, and many Swiss people have embraced a nomadic lifestyle that takes them far beyond our country’s borders, testing the limits of reliable international wifi to enjoy half the year in the snow and the other half in the shade of some palm trees. Neil Beecroft has seen it firsthand in the statistics from his third establishment, an eco-resort and coliving space in Lombok (an island near Bali) that opened in the heart of Covid, and which is very popular among the Swiss. “Lombok is unique for its serenity and is ideal for people who love surfing, yoga and hiking. Our location there welcomes a diverse community of Swiss digital nomads who are often working in fields like web development, digital marketing and other creative professions”.

Some Swiss digital nomads choose to settle in their new host country, welcoming their European family and friends for delightful vacations abroad. Others invest while also making sure they keep one foot firmly planted in Switzerland. Nicolas Cheneve, the owner of Magnitude Construction, which specialises in the construction of luxury villas in Bali’s Ubud region, explains: “The majority of our investors are millennials, many of whom work in digital professions and around 30% of whom are Swiss!”

Beyond all rational explanations, these nomads-now-turned-expats seem to offer us all a lesson in happiness and the courage it takes to go after it. It’s no easy task to be far from where you grew up, often on your own, forging an entirely new path. But perhaps that’s a trivial sacrifice for those who believe in seizing the opportunity to live out their dreams… while they still can.