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15 Best Remote Work and Travel Programs (And Highlights of Each)

Written by Becca

Updated on May 30th, 2024

How do you choose the best work and travel program for your preferences and job? In this guide, I compare the top retreats and experiences to help find the right one.

This article may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commissions when you purchase via those links — and it's free for you. It's only us (Becca & Dan) working on this website, so we value your support! Read our privacy policy and learn more about us .

Table of contents

• Remote Year
• Hacker Paradise
• Noma Collective
• Venture with Impact
• Nomad Train
• Coworkations (Warning: not a remote work and travel program)
• Behere: not a work and travel program
• Selina: not a work and travel program (but some people think it is)
• Nomadize (red flag)
• JoinMyTrip “Coworking Trips” (red flag, but only for remote work trips)
• WiFi Artists
• Figuring out which remote work and travel program is right for you

I’ll just be frank: I did Remote Year on the four-month program, and Dan did Remote Year twice: the first time on the year-long 12-month program, and the second time on the four-month program with me.

There are other remote work and travel programs out there, though, and some are best for certain types of people.

In this guide, I’ll outline what to know about a lot of the group programs that let you work remotely and see the world. We have friends who have done a whole slew of them, and have given us feedback and told us about their experiences first-hand.

I’ll clear up common misconceptions about each, and you can do the math on which ones you want to apply to.

I’m also going to clarify some things about companies that seem like remote work and travel programs (but aren’t), as well as some to avoid!

Remote Year

Remote Year , founded in 2016, was probably the first groundbreaking “remote work and travel program” everyone heard about. That was a while ago, and working remotely (and traveling) is SO much more commonplace now.

When Dan joined Remote Year, we had to explain the concept of working remotely around the world and traveling with a group of people, and people couldn’t wrap their heads around it. Nowadays, it’s almost as if everyone knows someone who has done one of these programs.

Main summary of what to know

Remote Year operates with lots of opportunities for travel programs to join, ranging from one week to one year. The company offers destinations at every corner of the world, with staff to help you and guide you along the way in order to have the best time.

For me, the main benefits of Remote Year was the community , as well as the vetted coworking spaces, group activities, connections to local culture, awesome staff and for sure, the alumni community that I’ve been connected to ever since we ended our program in Mexico City.

Why are coworking spaces such a huge part of remote work and travel programs? See all the benefits of coworking spaces that a Remote Year trip taught me about.

Who it’s for

Honestly, as someone who thought that remote work and travel programs were only for engineers and web developers, Remote Year was great for me . I worked part-time for my employer in NYC in business operations, and the other part of my time was spent on content creation for this website, as well as some media that Remote Year eventually used on their website.

Our Remote Year cohort was full of people of diverse backgrounds. Our fellow participants worked as salespeople, writers, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, real estate professionals, jewelry designers, consultants and more. Many became my friends, and all in all, I learned how to work remotely and travel in a way that let me excel.

I can’t possibly describe my entire Remote Year experience here, so I would urge you to check out my guide called, What is Remote Year? to learn more. Remote Year totally changed my life (for the better!) and I’m so glad I took that one day to convince my boss to let me work remotely and travel .

An alternative to Remote Year, WiFi Tribe has been described by friends of ours as being more basic, but with the details I’m going to share here. The info below is from a friend who has done multiple WiFi Tribe trips.

Here are a few main points about WiFi Tribe, and what sets this remote work group trip program apart.

Main summary

• WiFi Tribe offers the three key elements to working remotely and traveling with a program: a place to work, accommodation and a community of friends (participants).
• Less “structure:” While Remote Year offers LOTS of programming and “experiences” to add to your week, WiFi Tribe does not. The key idea is that the group plans what it wants, organically.
• Community is STRONG: the group functions wholesomely, which is a big positive for a lot of people who choose WT exactly for this reason. For someone worried about the pros and cons of being a digital nomad , WT solves the fear of isolation.
• Autonomy: there are no hard feelings if someone wants to dip in and out, and “do their own thing;” in the same way, anyone is welcome to plan something for the group.
• Participant curation: While it has been pretty clear that Remote Year accepts basically anyone who can prove that they work remotely, want to travel and want to do the program for the right reasons (in my experience), WiFi Tribe is known to reject 80% or so of applicants, thereby creating groups of people who are vetted for a personality fit — a lot like getting a job!
• Group sizes: Groups in WT are intimate, between 10 and 30 participants in total.

WiFi Tribe’s website currently says, “Our current experiences are designed for people between the ages of 21 and 45. This helps us keep lifestyle expectations aligned. We’re hoping to build out experiences for all ages in the future.” Keep this in mind for if you don’t fall within these limits, or, if you are seeking a program that does not have age restrictions.

WiFi Tribe is, based on the above parameters, for people who are “really community-oriented” and who want to meet and connect with other professionals while seeing the world.

WT participants have hailed from more than 60 nationalities in the curated communities. There is a big emphasis on sharing values, getting the right “fit” of incredible people in each group and “togetherness.”

I think the WiFi Tribe website , even in its main page, does a great job of spelling out the community’s aims right from the get-go.

Another friend of ours was rejected from joining WiFi Tribe because they did not work enough hours per week, while owning their own business, when they quoted their work schedule in an application. WT rejected this person on the grounds of this person potentially not fitting in with the schedule that the majority of community members have. You can see how the curation works in this way.

Hacker Paradise

Use our exclusive discount code HALFHALFTRAVEL200 to get $200 off your Hacker Paradise program.

Hacker Paradise, or HP, was also one of the original work and travel community-based programs that debuted in the mid 2010s with the rise of remote work. This “work from anywhere” attitude is present in the company’s mantra of “Work Hard, Travel Far.”

We also have a friend who did Hacker Paradise several times as a community participant, and I want to share this person’s findings on what makes HP different from WT and RY.

Key summary of the program

• Structure: Two program leaders plan events during every month and each destination.
• What your program fee gets you: accommodations in each city, a coworking space with WiFi, a SIM or eSIM for cell signal, the “community” and repeating events like Monday lunches (included in the fee), Tuesday potluck dinners, Wednesday Skill Share events, Thursday “meaningful conversation” get-togethers and Thursday “nights out.”
• Weekends: on a HP trip, weekends are free time, when people in the community might plan something like an activity, or group leaders may plan something. Every weekend is different. If the group does something held by an external vendor, there are no up-charges (which are common on RY experiences).

Who it’s best for

Hacker Paradise is actually not just for computer hackers, as the name sounds. As I looked on the website under their People tab, HP is for people of all professions, like writers, entrepreneurs, developers, artists researches, designers and more.

HP is best for people who are seeking the structure offered, and personally, I think this is really great because I crave structure. I also crave structure when I’m away from my regular routine of home, and looking for exactly that: structure.

A gift from us: Check out Hacker Paradise and use code HALFHALFTRAVEL200 to get $200 discounted on your Hacker Paradise program when you enroll.

Recap and comparison of the top 3 work and travel programs

Let’s summarize the top 3 “work from anywhere” travel programs for remote professionals in the most boiled-down way possible. Hopefully this could help you choose which one is right for you if you’re interested in these top 3.

• Remote Year : Lots of events, participants can be as group-oriented OR as autonomous as they want, lots of staff and support, lots of expectation.
• WiFi Tribe : Highly curated community, focus on values, fewer structural elements like fewer formal events on the calendar
• Hacker Paradise : A mix of both of the above, and falls in the middle, with mildly-curated groups, a mix of group events, autonomy is welcomed and a focus on community.

Now it’s time to see more work and travel programs and compare their benefits and styles.

What is Outsite ? My friend Jena “did” an Outsite house in Puerto Rico . Outsite is a formalized coliving type of environment, or “program,” you could call it.

Outsite calls itself, “Beautiful places to stay, designed for remote workers.” This means it is a coliving program, designed for people who want to come live at a house with a community. It was born from a desire to work in beautiful locations around the world.

The company has more than 50 locations worldwide and has more than 5000 members who have participated in the Outsite houses.

The “houses” have local experiences, shared spaces for working, and community initiatives like events with nonprofits in the region.

The “community” is what you get when you become a “ Member .” By becoming a member, it doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to live immediately at one of the houses for a period of time; it means you get access to choosing which you’ll go to first, and encourages you to visit and stay at more and more Outsite locations.

In short, Outsite is for if you want to latch on immediately to a close community in a gorgeous destination far from home. Showing up at an Outsite house, maybe even only for two weeks, is a good amount of time to try traveling and working remotely.

What to know about Outsite is that unlike RY, HP and WT, pepole go in and out of the location you’re in. This can potentially create a feeling of transience: someone is always leaving, and someone else is always showing up.

This isn’t a group that travels together; rather, it’s you who’s doing the traveling, and meeting different (transient) communities around the world who share Outsite values.

Noma Collective

I engaged a bunch with Noma Collective over the years, and spoke to the founders and leaders of the company over a video call once to learn about their Belize retreat. From what I see, NOMA focuses more on “wellness” than other programs, and escaping the walls of a traditional 9-to-5.

Noma Collective’s tagline is, “Bring your job, we’ll bring the world.” The company brings participants the full digital nomad experience by offering accommodations (usually apartments or hotels), coworking environments, daily events and “wellness.”

Included in the fees are things like logistics planning, excursions and events, as well as the community itself.

While I was most interested in joining NOMA’s coworking program in Belize, the company also offers places like Kenya, Guatemala, Portugal, Argentina, Morocco, Spain and Panama under the current offerings.

Venture with Impact

VWI’s founder (Ann) reached out to me a while ago to ask to make sure to include the company in lists of ours like this one.

Venture with Impact is a special organization, and the way Ann phrased the company to me was, “Each of our participants is partnered with a local non-profit to engage in a pro-bono project.”

So what VWI is, in essence, is a “coworking retreat” where participants can work remotely AND at the same time, work on a volunteer project that fosters professional development. The three tenets are LIVE - WORK - IMPACT and the retreats are 30 days long.

The current location offerings are Mexico City and Lisbon, Portugal (two of my favorite cities on Earth). There are also special one-week retreats and “custom retreats” for five people or more.

SOJRN is popularizing the idea of “studying abroad as an adult,” which is exactly how I once described Remote Year. SOJRN calls their experiences “chapters,” and mostly focuses on destinations like Italy, Colombia and Bali.

A lot of the SOJRN trips have a theme, like “Spanish in Medellin” or “wine in Tuscany.” Participatns will work remotely while staying in a place with a group, and create an unforgettable journey for everyone.

What I like about SOJRN are the missions and values: SOJRN emphasizes “slow travel,” to respectfully engage with new cultures, and positive impact, which means giving back to the communities that the group visits.

I’ve heard about Unsettled for a few years, and I wanted to know what made this program different. While it’s a younger program than the others, there does seem to be a focus on entrepreneurship and creativity from the get-go, with the company’s intro as, “Unsettled is a global travel community for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and creatives who are on a mission to live and work differently.”

Here are some things to know about Unsettled:

• Programs are anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks in places like Greece, Italy, Croatia, Bali and Peru.
• Unsettled has deep and though-provoking values like fueling inspiration, discovering the world around us, seeking purpose and pushing boundaries.
• Unsettled participants like to ADVENTURE, whether by doing adrenaline-inducing activities or pushing their limits together.
• Participants are mostly in their 30s to 50s, so you can expect a more “mature” crew in any cohort.

Nomad Train

Nomad Train held the first-ever “longest coworking journey by train” in 2017 when the program began. I think you have to love trains to try out Nomad Train as your work and travel retreat, which makes this type of experience pretty niche.

Nomad Train has (according to the website) had around 100 participants since the company’s maiden voyage. And there are really “out there” locations that these trips explore, like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

I think in summary, Nomad Train is an extreme type of remote work and travel program, and I mean “extreme” in a good way! Most people think of Bali, or Western Europe, for their coworking adventure, but Nomad Train has brought remote workers to Russia and the Trans-Siberian Railroad as a way of taking groups of professionals on big trips.

Coworkations (Warning: not a remote work and travel program)

I learned about Coworkations from a blog called Career Addict , listing the best programs for working remotely and traveling. I believe it incorrectly lists Coworkations, which is not a program in itself, but rather, a database of “work anywhere” programs around the world.

While “Coworkations” is not a brand of a certain program, what it does let you do on the website is filter by location or “theme” (like “fitness” or “foodie trips”). In your results, you will get trips from companies I mention above, like Hacker Paradise and Noma Collective.

I wanted to make this crystal clear because sites are listing Coworkations as “one of the best programs,” but it is not a program at all: it’s a website.

Behere : not a work and travel program

Behere is like an “Airbnb for digital nomads.” That’s right: if you read this piece from Fast Company about Behere , you can learn about how this “program” of sorts lets professionals safely find accommodation (as well as coworking spaces and fitness studios) in new cities where they want to be digital nomads.

Unlike the other remote work and travel programs that have you traveling with the community, Behere allows you to be part of the local community by living in a place where you can work remotely and enjoy your surroundings.

If you want to consider the digital nomad lifestyle without the strings attached of a constant stream of events or structure, Behere creates a way to “just go live somewhere else” but not deal with the overwhelm of finding a place to live from scratch.

There are some membership fees, and I’d suggest reading the FAQ to see how Behere works in practice.

Selina : not a work and travel program (but some people think it is)

I want to make this clear: I’ve seen sites like OwlLabs and Freaking Nomads list Selina as a work and travel program for remote professionals. It is not.

What Selina is

I’ve done Selina stays, and I’ve coworked as well at Selina locations without staying there. Selina is a hostel company that caters to digital nomads and the digital nomad travel lifestyle. Each hostel (located in many parts of the world, but mostly Latin America and Europe) has fun events, social mixers, tour excursion opportunities, cool “vibes” and trendy decor.

There are also coworking spaces at most Selina locations where you can buy anything from a day pass membership to a month of membership in order to work remotely with WiFi in a professional environment (where people will probably be wearing flip flops and hoodies).

I’ve stayed at Selina locations (hostels/hotels) in:

• Cartagena, Colombia
• Chicago, IL, USA
• Cancun, Mexico
• Mexico City, Mexico

And I’ve been a CoWork member at Selina in:

• Medellin, Colombia

The best job I’ve done of explaining how Selina works is at our Selina Mexico City Downtown review](/travel-guides/selina-mexico-city-downtown-review.html), where I talk about our accommodation, the coworking space and things like the shared kitchen for longer-term stays, like ours.

Selina is good for someone who wants to travel and work remotely, maybe on their own or with a buddy, and potentially meet new people who are also traveling solo and lapto-ping.

What Selina is not

Selina is not a work-and-travel program for remote professionals. In my Selina experiences, there was not much done to group together the people who were there to work remotely, versus those who were 18 years old and on a college holiday vacation.

In staying at Selina, you have to know that the locations are all hostels first (as I see it), and have coworking spaces second . This means everyone is staying at Selina, but not everyone is working. If this is an environment that speaks to you, the benefit is that you can drop in and out of working and feel like you are on vacation.

So, Selina is best for being on vacation and having access to a place to also do work, or, traveling on your own, having the ability to meet other travelers and doing whatever you want on your own schedule.

Nomadize (red flag)

I saw Nomadize publicizing remote work and travel programs, but just using my best judgement by finding my way around the website, I’m not going to recommend this company.

All of the programs say “almost available” (what does that mean?), or “coming soon,” meaning they have nothing available right now. The company’s social media also doesn’t show any real participants or testimonials.

JoinMyTrip “Coworking Trips” (red flag, but only for remote work trips)

I came across JoinMyTrip from another website, and had to look into it. The website claimed to offer “300 trips,” which is really a lot, and uses the motto, “Experience Relaxing Group Trips.” This is all fine, as I perused the trips, which are anything from trekking Scotland to exploring Japan.

At the very bottom of the website, there is a button called “Remote Working.” I clicked it, and got a blank page. Plus, in the “How It Works” page, there are no mentions of remote work or coworking at all.

I’d avoid this one if I were you, but their regular trips seem fine based on 5000+ good reviews on TrustPilot.

WiFi Artists

WiFi Artists is one of the younger work-and-travel-remotely programs. It has a simple tag phrase of, “A community of remote workers, entrepreneurs and digital nomads building connections and exploring the world together.”

All programs include accommodation, coworking spaces, connecting with a group and cultural experiences.

According to the website currently, programs are geared toward participants of ages 24 to 45. There is an ‘extremely’ high emphasis on group participant selection.

See how WiFi Artists works .

Figuring out which remote work and travel program is right for you

There are a lot of factors that go into choosing a program, as you can see. I tend to think that what’s most important is the legitimacy of the program or company, and the types of people it attracts.

What I’ve learned by going on the Remote Year program is that it attracts literally all kinds of people, and I think that is true for a lot of these programs. A lot of them also seek diversity, and this is a great thing as you make friends as a digital nomad .

You’ll also want to take the locations into account. Deciding where to work remotely and travel is one of the most paralyzing concepts, and luckily these programs have pre-determined itineraries. That doesn’t mean one size fits all, though, especially if you need to remain in US time zones for your job.

Overall, I suggest asking in forums to hear experiences of people who’ve done the various programs that interest you, and also perusing what’s included, because as you can see above, the programs all differ slightly in terms of what is included among accommodation, travel between cities, coworking and activities or social events.

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Work and Travel in the U.S.

Our program, regulations, fun in the u.s..

Spend your summer in the U.S. with Greenheart Exchange’s Work and Travel program.

Designated by the U.S. Department of State as a J-1 visa sponsor, our program allows you to work in a variety of seasonal positions throughout the country for up to 4 months.

Through a heavy emphasis on cultural exchange, our Work and Travel program promotes language exchange, building international friendships, developing cross cultural understanding and so much more!

We offer participants two program options (pending country):

• Self Placement option (SP): You, as the participant, are in charge of finding your own job. Once you have found a position, Greenheart Exchange will need to verify it before the application can be accepted.
• Full Placement option (FP): You, as the participant, are placed with a pre-approved host organization based on your experiences, skills, and availability. This placement can be completed through an in-person interview at an international Job Fair or through a virtual interview with a host organization or Greenheart staff member.

Placement Industries

Participant requirements: Must be a full-time university student from a participating country.

Program length: Up to 4 months with a 30-day travel period after; this varies by country.

Language skills: Must speak English (all participants are screened for English proficiency).

Jobs: Entry level jobs within seasonal industries (examples: server, lifeguard, food service attendant, housekeeping).

Hours: minimum of 32 hours per week.

Cultural opportunities: Greenheart encourages participants to get involved in their host community through volunteering.

Greenheart Exchange requires housing to be arranged prior to your arrival in the U.S. Though this may seem daunting, we are here to help you every step of the way.

Get started on your housing search by viewing this video

Housing Options

• Dormitory: a large bedroom for a number of people in a school or institution; often having shared bathrooms and common areas.
• Shared apartments or condominium: A suite of rooms forming one residence, typically in a building containing a number of these.
• Mobile home or trailer: A house on wheels that is parked in one particular place and used as a permanent living accommodation.
• Hotel/motel/inn/extended stay: A bedroom with a bathroom in a hotel/motel/inn – may include limited services such as refrigerator, microwave, housekeeping services, breakfast, and WIFI.
• Home: A building for human habitation usually shared with a group of people.
• Hostels: A shared or private room with shared bathroom facilities.

Housing Policies

• You must have housing secured at least 30 days prior to your DS-2019 start date.
• Housing should not be located more than 20 miles away from your job placement.
• You must have reliable transportation to and from work.
• You must have your own bed.
• You must have a designated bedroom and bathroom, whether private or shared.
• Rent should be no more than 33% of your monthly gross income.
• Housing must follow all local, state, and federal housing, building, and fire safety codes.

Housing Resources

1) Everything You Need to Know About Moving In: A Housing Checklist

2) Housing in the United States

3) Living in the United States: Housing Expectations

4) Housing Emergencies 101: What to Do

Facebook Live Video Series

1) How to prepare for your housing

2) Housing check-in

3) Roommate Etiquette

4) Cleaning your Housing

5) Housing Emergencies

What is Included in your program fees (all options)?

• One job offer
• DS-2019 form
• Medical insurance
• Virtual orientation (required)
• Greenheart Club (optional)
• 24-hour support of the Greenheart Exchange office

What is NOT included in your program fees?

• Housing fees
• Spending money
• International airfare
• Domestic transportation in the U.S.
• Airport transfers
• Public transportation to/from work

Greenheart is committed to making sure that our participants are safe during their time in the U.S. A big part of that is making sure that everyone is following regulations set by the U.S. Department of State. Below you will find helpful tools to learn more about having a safe program.

Department of State links

• Department of state Regulations:  Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)
• Welcome Letter and Brochure: The Department of State also provides a letter  Welcome Letter  and  Brochure  for Summer Work Travel participants.
• Summer Work Travel Program: Purpose and Placements  – February 20, 2013
• Summer Work Travel: Program Exclusions  – May 17, 2012
• Summer Work Travel Program: A Cultural Experience  – December 13, 2011

Seasonal and Temporary Employment

Seasonal:  Employment is of a seasonal nature when the required service is tied to a certain time of year by an event or pattern and requires labor levels above and beyond existing worker levels. Summer Work Travel host organizations should generally not hire for all three (summer, winter and spring) seasons, as the intention is that placements are only with businesses that have a seasonal need, so as not to displace Americans. Summer Work Travel host organizations are not to rely on program participants to fill year-round positions, as these positions should be filled by the American workforce.

Temporary:  Employment is of a temporary nature when a host organization’s need for the duties to be performed is a one-time occurrence, a peak-load need, or an intermittent need.

Temporary positions requested by host organizations are considered on a case-by-case basis. The host organization must be able to demonstrate why a temporary position cannot be filled by the American workforce.

Participant Requirements

• Participants must contact Greenheart Exchange immediately upon their arrival to the U.S.
• The arrival check-in must be done no later than 3 days after the arrival date.
• Participants are required to validate their programs upon arrival to the Greenheart Exchange approved host organization, and no later than 7 days after the program start date.
• Participants must also check-in with Greenheart Exchange every 30 days or by the deadlines listed in their Greenheart Online accounts.
• Failure to complete any of these communications may result in a negative SEVIS status, requiring the participant to return home immediately.

Prohibited Placements

*All SWT placements are subject to Greenheart Exchange approval. Jobs not listed herein may still be found inappropriate for the SWT program. Greenheart Exchange reserves the right to prohibit any placement.  In addition to jobs prohibited by the Department of State, Greenheart Exchange prohibits participants from working:

• In positions in kiosks.
• In positions with moving companies.
• In positions with staffing agencies.
• With third-party organizations. The participant must be hired, paid, and directly supervised by the same company.
• With lifeguard companies that have not first completed a Greenheart Exchange questionnaire
• In positions that involve door-to-door or traveling sales.
• In positions where manual labor is the primary focus, requires a high-level of skill, presents safety concerns, and the facilitation of cultural exchange is lacking.
• In positions with tent companies.
• In laundry-only positions, or other positions with extensive periods of time in rotation.
• In positions that require sustained physical contact with other people (e.g. applying henna tattoos).

Prohibited Placements by Location:

Greenheart Exchange no longer allows self-placed placements in:

• The state of North Dakota
• Panhandle Florida (Destin, Panama City Beach)

No positions for any program option are allowed in the areas of:

• Williston, Dickinson, Watford City New Town, North Dakota
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Harrisburg-Hershey, Pennsylvania

Though exceptions have been made in the past, self-placed and full program option placements in Detroit, Michigan are generally prohibited

Conditional Placements by Location:

Placements for full program options in the Gulf Cost Areas of Louisiana, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Mexico Beach, Florida, including Panama City and Destin, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To be considered by Greenheart Exchange, host organizations in these areas must provide excellent housing and extensive cultural activities for the SWT participants.

The Department of State prohibits Summer Work Travel participants from working:

• In positions with host organizations that fill non-seasonal or non-temporary job openings with participants with staggered vacation schedules.
• In positions that could bring notoriety or disrepute to the Exchange Visitor Program.
• In sales positions that require participants to purchase inventory that they must sell in order to support themselves.
• In domestic help positions in private homes (e.g., child care, elder care, gardener, chauffeur).
• As Pedi cab or rolling chair drivers or operators.
• As operators or drivers of vehicles or vessels for which drivers’ licenses are required regardless of whether they carry passengers or not.
• In positions related to clinical care that involves patient contact.
• In any position in the adult entertainment industry (including, but not limited to jobs with escort services, adult book/video stores, and strip clubs).
• In positions requiring any shift where hours will fall predominantly between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m..
• In positions declared hazardous to youth by the Secretary of Labor at  Subpart E of 29 CFR part 570.
• In positions that require sustained physical contact with other people and/or adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Universal Blood and Body Fluid Precautions guidelines (e.g., body piercing, tattooing, massage, manicure).
• In positions that are substantially commission-based and thus do not guarantee that participants will be paid minimum wage in accordance with federal and state standards.
• In positions involved in gaming and gambling that include direct participation in wagering and/or betting.
• In positions in chemical pest control, warehousing, catalog/online order distribution centers.
• In positions with traveling fairs or itinerant concessionaires.
• In jobs that do not allow participants to work alongside U.S. citizens and interact regularly with U.S. citizens and to experience U.S. culture during the workday portion of their Summer Work Travel programs.
• In positions that require licensing.
• In positions for which there is another specific J category (e.g., camp counselor, intern, trainee).
• After November 1, 2012, in positions in the North American Industry Classification System’s (NAICS) Goods-Producing Industries occupational categories industry sectors 11, 21, 23, 31–33 numbers (set forth at  http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag_index_naics.htm ).

Participant Check-Ins

• Participants are required to validate their programs upon arrival to Greenheart Exchange approved host organization, and no later than 7 days after the program start date.

The Department of State places an emphasis on the safety, security, and quality of housing for Summer Work Travel participants. The following policies are provided to ensure participants are provided with appropriate housing.

• Housing must follow, at minimum, all local, state, and federal housing, building, and fire safety codes.
• Every participant must have his/her own bed. A bed is defined as a mattress on a bed frame or box spring. Air mattresses or mattresses directly on the floor are not acceptable.
• Participants must have a designated bedroom. Sleeping in a common space such as the living room is not acceptable.
• Employment must not be contingent on the participant living in host organization-provided housing.
• There must be affordable and safe transportation to and from work.
• Participants must submit their housing information to Greenheart Exchange no later than 30 days before their DS-2019 start date.

The following guidelines are provided to help avoid some common issues.

• Provide a lease or rental agreement that clearly define rules and regulations.
• Inform participants about how security deposits are managed.
• Conduct an initial housing inspection with the participant, documenting issues with participants when they arrive.
• Basic amenities, such as grocery store or the bank should be easily accessible from participant housing.
• Housing providers should offer short-term leases for 3 to 4 months.
• Monthly rent should be no more than 33% of a participant’s monthly gross income.

*The above is subject to change based on regulatory updates from the Department of State and changes to internal Greenheart Exchange policies.

If you have any questions, please contact your Greenheart contact toll-free at: 1-866-684-9675.

The U.S. is a wonderful place to explore during your summer! While work is an important component of the Summer Work Travel program , the primary focus is on cultural exchange.

We encourage you to get involved in your local community and experience all that the U.S. has to offer.

Volunteer with Greenheart

We blend service learning and volunteerism into all of our programs, creating a community of compassionate and conscious global citizens. We provide you with volunteer opportunities and even award active volunteers with up to $1,000 in grant money to be used for a service project in your home country.

You can also log your volunteer hours and connect with other participants in our online community during and after your program.

Cultural activities

Becoming involved in your new host community is one of the best ways to get the most out of your exchange experience. Volunteering and attending cultural events are great ways to meet new people, explore your passions, have fun, and build a meaningful connection to your new home.

Within our Greenheart Club , you will find cultural flyers that promote attractions, activities, events, and volunteer opportunities in your area.

Ambassador Scholars

Ambassador Scholars are our participants with an enhanced opportunity for personal growth and professional development.

You can be selected to be an Ambassador Scholar based on your community leadership in your home country. As an Ambassador Scholar, participants must volunteer in their U.S. host communities and document their experiences living and working in the U.S. through a blog or video. Ambassador Scholar’s program costs are reimbursed upon successful completion of your program and scholarship requirements.

Greenheart Global Leaders Conference

Network and collaborate with your international peers from across Greenheart’s cultural exchange programs at the Greenheart Global Leaders Conference. This is your opportunity to challenge your beliefs and think critically about global issues alongside other Greenheart attendees.

During the conference you will:

• Develop leadership skills through site visits and workshops with distinguished governmental, social, and cultural leaders.
• Experience Washington D.C. through guided tours of monuments and memorials, local entertainment, and a service-learning project.
• Gain tools to translate your international experience into a mission-driven life and career.
• Learn how to develop a community-focused service project.

Learn more about our annual conference here: https://greenheart.org/event/gglc/#/scroll/overview

Get involved this summer! Find an exchange event happening near you.

Check out some of our latest blog posts.

Confusing American Habits, Explained

The Summer Work Travel program takes you far!

Do I have symptoms of culture shock?

• American Summers

Summer Work & Travel Program

Expand your horizons — live and work in the us over your university break.

IENA’s Summer Work and Travel program provides the opportunity for university students to live, work and travel for up to 4-months in the US.

Living and working among Americans is a great opportunity to gain great insight into life and culture in the US, make friends, and improve your English skills. At the end of your program you’ll have the opportunity to travel around the US for up to 30 days. Summer Work and Travel programs last up to four months, with an opportunity for up to one month of travel after your job ends, depending upon your university schedule. IENA will be your program sponsor and provide support before and during your stay in the US.

Create lasting memories with Work & Travel!

In the US summer, you might work…

• At the beach
• In amusement or water parks
• In hospitality

In the US winter, you might work…

• At a ski resort
• In a restaurant

Application and Fees

Application information.

To apply to the Summer, Work and Travel Program, you must be:

• Proficient in English (oral and written)
• Enrolled full time in a college or university course
• Excited about experiencing American culture

What your program includes

• High quality service and support from start to finish
• Optional job placement
• 24/7 emergency line
• Visa assistance
• Insurance for your entire stay in the US

IENA works with certified international partners around   the world.   Please e-mail us at [email protected] to connect you with one of our partners who will guide you through the process in your home country

Travel Information

On the move in the us.

Aim to live close to where you work. Walking and biking allows you to get to know your neighborhood and city. You will stay physically active and save on transportation costs.

For longer trips, try public transportation in your area or rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. Local taxi services offer direct service.

Pre-arrival

Participants will arrange their own transportation to and from the US, and to their housing/destination Check with your recruiter for information on flight deals.

If your employer doesn’t have a shuttle, you may be able to arrange public transportation to/from the airport to your destination. Ask IENA or your recruiter for help in identifying public transportation options.

Participant Resources

What to see in the usa.

• Sporting events
• Historical sites
• Oceans, lakes, and rivers
• National/state/local parks and recreation areas
• Major cities/nearby cities
• Amusement/water parks

The following SEVIS Validation Information is for Exchange Visitors who are sponsored by IENA ONLY and participating in our Summer Work and Travel Program, including Summer Camp Support Staff.

If the Sponsor listed on your DS-2019 is not IENA, please STOP and contact your sponsor.

Frequently Asked Questions

We know traveling to a new country for work can raise a lot of questions. Check out our useful FAQs or reach out with questions

You are going to hear several terms for different forms etc. during the process. Here is our IENAipedia to those forms:

The J-1 Summer Work and Travel Visa:  This J-1 Visa is a government program that allows qualified full time students to share their cultures and ideas with the people of the United States. The J-1 Summer Work and Travel Visa is for individuals approved to participate in work-and study-based exchange visitor programs. This program is run by the US Department of State .

DS-2019 Form:  This form can only be issued by a US Department of State designated visa sponsor. IENA is one of those. It certifies that you are eligible to take part in the cultural exchange program and is a vital part of the application process. In essence, it is evidence that you have a bona-fide job offer in the USA. You will need it for your embassy appointment AND you will need it when you enter into the USA. Guard it as you would guard your passport.

SEVIS Receipt (or SEVIS I-901 Receipt):  SEVIS stands for “Student Exchange Visitor Information System”. It is a system by which the US Department of State keeps track of you on the program. You will need this form when you visit the embassy for your interview

WHAT PAPERWORK WILL THE EMPLOYER REQUIRE? Social Security:  The US Government requires all employees to apply for a Social Security Number. Your employer will help you do this upon your arrival, however, you MUST validate your arrival via your IENA account BEFORE you can apply. Once done, you will need to visit the local Social Security office. You must obtain a Social Security Card. If you already have one, then that’s yours for life.

Form I-9: All employees, foreign and domestic, are required to complete this form for each employer. It is a straightforward form and you will need your passport (including J-1 Visa) and your DS-2019. Your employer will help you complete this.

Form I-94: This is your arrival and departure record. It is a good idea to print this when you get settled and keep it with you. You cannot print it until after you have arrived in the USA. It can be printed here

W-4:  This form is for tax purposes. Your employer may withhold a small amount of taxes from your salary. You ARE entitled to claim some of this back because you are not a resident of the USA. IENA partner with taxback.com to make claiming back the taxes as simple as possible DO I HAVE HEALTHCARE IN AMERICA?

As you may be aware, health care is not free in the USA. You must have medical insurance. We have that covered for you. There are however some terminology and procedures it is handy to know:

Co-payment:  This is like your car insurance excess. Its an amount you always have to pay when you have treatment. For non-Emergency Room Visits, the Co-pay is $50. Whenever possible. You should always call the 800 number (free call) on the back of your insurance and discuss your symptoms before visiting a doctor. They can best advise you whether to visit a doctor and if so, where the closest clinic is.

Workers Compensation:  Whilst you are at work and carrying out your duties at work, you are covered by this insurance. This means if you have an injury/illness caused by or related to your work, you are covered by this insurance which is held by your employer. Our insurance is for non-work related cases, or injuries/illnesses that occur while on days off and while you are traveling.

Emergency Room: It’s the same thing as the A & E and is for serious injury or illness that requires immediate attention.  There is no co-pay or deductible for this if the injury/illness is deemed life threatening or requires an overnight stay. In all other cases, there will be a $350 Copay, so you should go to a walk-in clinic whenever possible.

Pre-Existing Conditions:  If you have a condition that has been treated, or you take regular medication for, in the past 6 months, it will NOT be covered by this insurance.

Here you can find more details on your insurance policy .

SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

When it comes to social media and American culture, there are a few things you need to be aware of. Employers have withdrawn job offers to participants before they have even arrived in the USA due to things they have found on social media. Please be aware of how you portray yourself. You are going to America to be professionally employed and your public presence should reflect that. We highly recommend you make all your social media private.

Remember, even something someone else tags you in or photos someone else posts of you can have an impact on someone’s impression of you. As a general rule of thumb, think “Would I want my parents or grandparents to see this?”

Each employer will have their own set of rules with regards to social media once you arrive.

CAN I LEAVE MY EMPLOYER OR SWITCH JOBS

IENA recognizes there are several reasons why you may leave your job.

Getting Fired

Break the rules and you may be fired. This is a job just like a job at home.  As with any job you take, there are rules that need to be followed.

If you have been fired, the first thing you must do is call IENA.  (888)724-4292 . Your employer are also instructed to call us.  Our goal is:

• For you to understand why you have been fired
• Get your version of events
• Ensure you are paid up to date
• To make a plan with you as to where you will go, if we can place you elsewhere or how you will get home

Just because you have been terminated from employment does not mean you are not part of our program. We want to make sure you are safe and taken care of.

You Decide to Leave

We understand there are a few reasons why you may decide to leave. All we ask is that if you have any problems at your place of employment, you follow the following steps:

• Please make sure you have given the job a chance – at least 2 weeks
• Speak with your supervisor about any problems first and give him or her the chance to resolve
• If this has not worked, call IENA who will advocate on your behalf

Remember as with any job, there are good days at work and bad days.  There are people you like working with, and people you don’t like working with.  Just as the employer has made a commitment to you via you job offer, you have made a commitment to the employer in acknowledging and agreeing to the terms of your job offer.

If you do decide to leave early, you MUST call IENA before you leave on (888) 724 4292 ext 4. We will want to help you make a plan to get home or find other employment.

CAN I GET A SECOND JOB

If you have the opportunity for a second job, please contact the IENA office and we will go through the process and contact your new employer. You  MUST  do this  BEFORE  you accept and begin working for your 2 nd  job employer.

ABOUT THE USA

The USA is a vast country.  People say that every state is almost like a country with its own culture and compare it to Europe.  Here are some handy tools to help you:

• Time Zones and Local Times
• US Public Holidays
• US Customs, Habits, and Etiquette
• Cost of Living

Join one of the best work and travel programs today!

It looks like you’re currently in United States

We recommend the following for visitors in your region:

I'm an American and am interested in participating in your programs I own or operate a business in America and am interested in your services

• Go to the U.S.
• For Work Exchange
• Work & Travel USA

How To Succeed At Your Job

This may be your first official job. Even if you have past experience, you may find that working in the United States is different. The following tips can help you succeed and enjoy your time at work.

Know What’s Expected of You Full-time employment is a big responsibility. If you have a positive outlook and willingness to be part of a team, the experience can be truly rewarding. The right attitude can make going to work something you look forward to every day, and will help you form friendships with your co-workers.

Employers notice employees who enjoy their work, especially if you interact with your supervisor and co-workers. They’ll recognize your effort and respond with respect and trust.

Every workplace is different. While most are relaxed and informal, we expect CIEE employers to always be professional. Here are some simple ways to do well at your job:

• Always be on time
• Be cooperative and pleasant to everyone
• Do your best at every task that’s given to you
• Dress appropriately. Some jobs require you to wear a uniform

Your employer also is required to treat you well. You should not tolerate unreasonable demands or inappropriate behavior. Report any incidents to CIEE immediately.

Employers have the right to request that you take a drug test. You may be tested before starting work or at any time during your employment, and a positive test means loss of your job and the end of your program. You may also be tested if you are involved in an accident.

Your First Day

When you arrive at your job, feel free to ask questions if you’re unsure of anything. Your first day includes completing paperwork and an orientation. You will meet with your supervisor or someone from Human Resources. Bring these documents with you:

• Passport and J-1 visa
• DS-2019 form
• I-94 form - Click here to obtain the I-94 form
• Proof of application for your Social Security number. Your employer may not know that you can start work and get paid before your Social Security number is issued. If you need advice, call CIEE at 1-888-268-6245.

There are a few more forms to fill out. Your employer will help you with the following paperwork:

This form confirms your employment eligibility. The form asks for your Social Security number. Your employer can fill that in later, once you get your number. Make sure to give your employer the number once you have it.

Your employer automatically sets aside (deducts) money for federal taxes from your paycheck. This form tells the employer how much to deduct, so that you do not under or overpay.

Follow these instructions to fill out the federal form W-4

Important: As non-resident alien, the standard instructions on the form do not apply to you.

Personal Allowances worksheet: Ignore this section. Box 1: Enter your personal information including your U.S. address. Box 2: Enter your Social Security number (SSN). If you have not been issued a Social Security number but have applied for one, write, “Applied For.” Give your employer your SSN once you receive it. Box 3: Check or fill in withholding as “single,” regardless of actual marital status. Box 4: Leave blank. Box 5: Enter “1.” There are no exceptions to this. Box 6: Write “NR” to indicate Non-Resident Alien status. Box 7: Leave blank. Non-Resident Aliens cannot claim “Exempt.” Boxes 8 – 10: Leave blank. Sign and date the form.

Most U.S. states require tax to be deducted from your paycheck for state taxes. The state tax form looks different from the federal form, but asks for the same information.

Dealing with Issues in the Workplace

CIEE works with America’s best seasonal employers. However, sometimes problems may come up at work. Often these are the result of simple misunderstandings. An employer may not notice your good work, or treat you in a way that you do not feel is fair. Try to handle the situation by talking with your supervisor calmly, professionally, and constructively. If you feel you need additional support, CIEE is here to help you.

Some issues are very important and you should call CIEE immediately at 1-888-268-6245 if any of these happen:

Sexual Harassment & Racial Discrimination An important part of cultural exchange is learning about and respecting other people’s beliefs, values and boundaries even when they are different from our own.  You should also expect to be treated with respect. Sexual harassment and racial discrimination are very serious matters in the United States and there are laws here to protect workers. To learn more about these important issues, please  click here . Layoffs & Firings You could be laid off for any number of reasons. For example, if business is slow, your employer may not need as many workers. Getting fired usually means the company is unhappy with your performance. Talk to your employer if you have any questions or contact CIEE to talk about any issues before they become serious problems.

Leaving Your Job

If you are having issues at work, you should attempt to resolve the issues with your employer. If you decide that you still want to leave your job, you must contact CIEE first. If you quit or change your job without first receiving approval from CIEE, you risk withdrawal from the CIEE Work & Travel USA program. Additionally, any new job must be approved by CIEE before you do anything.

Before you decide to leave, know that it can be difficult to find a new job. You have 30 days to find a new employer and report your job to CIEE, or your program will end and you will have to return home. Make sure to keep CIEE informed of your search and any change of address.  Read more about getting a new job .

Handling your departure from your job in the right way ensures that you receive your final paycheck promptly and makes it more likely that your employer will give you a recommendation letter. It is customary in the United States to give a written two-week notice to your current employer to help them plan for your replacement.

Employers, especially those involved with summer or winter tourism, rely on you to work until the agreed-upon end date. Leaving your job early causes problems for your employer and may jeopardize opportunities for future Work & Travel USA students. You should never simply quit your job. If problems persist after you have spoken with your supervisor, or you need advice on how to speak with your employer, contact CIEE.

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So You Want to Work Remotely: A Guide

As more employers offer flexibility, countries, travel brands and entrepreneurs are stepping in to make working from anywhere easier, with everything from special visas to work pods.

By Nora Walsh

Months into the pandemic, Jess Romano moved from California to Croatia, becoming the third person to receive that country’s “digital nomad” visa when it launched in 2021. “When I worked in the office, my time off — and more important — the flexibility around where, when and how I could work was limited,” she said. “Now I can spend months or years at a time living and exploring new places while working full-time.”

Now, as coronavirus cases have fallen and working patterns are being reestablished, many companies are acknowledging the seismic shifts in the workplace and giving their employees increased flexibility about where they work in both the long and short term.

Kayak , the travel search engine, embraced remote work early in the pandemic, letting its staff set up anywhere the company has a legal entity, which includes 25 countries around the world, and counting. “If we have a legal entity somewhere, we can make payroll, pay taxes, and offer health care. They would just need the appropriate visa to work there,” said Steve Hafner, a co-founder and chief executive.

“We used to always compete for talent on the basis of how awesome our offices were to work,” he said. “Now we compete on a totally different dimension, which is flexibility.”

Companies like Spotify, Twitter and Airbnb have also adopted work-from-anywhere policies. In a report released in June 2021, Gartner, Inc., a technological research and consulting firm based in Stamford, Conn., found that by the end of 2021, 51 percent of what it calls knowledge workers worldwide are expected to be working remotely , more than double the number from 2019.

As remote workers flood the market, governments, travel companies, hospitality brands and entrepreneurs are responding with innovative ways for location-independent professionals to make the world their home. Here, a guide to new developments in the work-from-anywhere world.

Remote work visas

More than 20 countries across the globe offer specialized visas that let foreigners live and work remotely within their borders, including the European nations of Portugal, Norway, Georgia and Malta. Spain is working on a new Start-ups Law that’s expected to pass by the end of the year, making it easier for professionals and their families to relocate there. The bill proposes 12-month visas for remote workers with the option to apply for a three-year residence permit that’s conditionally renewable for another two years.

In Latin America, Brazil was the first South American country to offer a remote work visa in September 2021. When requesting the one-year digital nomad visa (which can be renewed for additional periods), applicants must provide proof of an income source outside Brazil, have health care coverage, and earn at least $1,500 per month or have $18,000 in the bank. Brazilian Consulates abroad have so far granted 197 digital nomad visas to citizens from more than 15 different countries, including the United States, Germany and Colombia.

A popular vacation spot for U.S. travelers, Costa Rica signed its new digital nomad visa into law this August and has already received 27 applications. “We estimate that each remote worker who stays in Costa Rica to work will generate $46,400 per annum for the country, which will contribute to tourism industry revenues, and mean more jobs for Costa Ricans,” said Carolina Trejos, director of marketing for the Costa Rica tourism board.

Thailand’s new 10-year long-term visa , which launched in early September, seeks to supplement an aging work force by attracting a fresh pool of foreign talent that will drive economic activity, explained Janthapat Saichumin, the deputy director of Thailand’s board of investment. The visa is available for remote workers, highly skilled professionals, pensioners and wealthy global citizens who receive a range of benefits, including tax exemption for overseas income, permission to work locally and fast-track service at international airports throughout Thailand.

Those who love island life can set up a toes-in-the-sand office and work remotely from a handful of Caribbean countries or head to far-flung shores of Bali, Mauritius and Dubai.

Companies get in on the act

As part of its new Live and Work Anywhere program, Airbnb is partnering with 20 destinations around the world to create custom digital hubs featuring information like visa requirements, tax policies and a comprehensive list of the best long-term-stay accommodations. Buenos Aires ; the Austrian Alpine region of Salzkammergut ; Tampa Bay , Fla.; Tulsa , Okla.; and the Caribbean have already launched, with more to follow later this year, including Thailand, Cape Town and the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy.

“Remote work is where the world is going,” said Brian Chesky, the co-founder and chief executive of Airbnb, in an email to employees . “The right solution should combine the best of the digital world and the best of the physical world.” Airbnb employees can now live and work in more than 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location.

As of the second quarter of 2022, Airbnb said it has seen long-term stays (28 days or more) increase nearly 25 percent from 2021 and by nearly 90 percent from 2019.

Sojrn , a new travel brand that started last year, offers monthlong experiential learning programs for remote workers around the world (from $3,199 for four weeks). “It’s like work from home meets study abroad for adults,” said the founder, Tara Cappel. “We scout great places to stay, Wi-Fi-enabled work spaces and immersive experiences centered around an educational theme, which adds an element of purpose to the trip.” Top sellers include Spanish in Medellin and Wine in Tuscany .

Yaroslav Prygara, a Ukrainian entrepreneur, founded Remo last August as a creative solution to hotels’ growing need for flexible work spaces that guests can use during short- or long-term stays. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more people working remotely than from the office in the next decade,” he said.

Remo builds prefabricated mirrored-glass cubes that house work spaces kitted out with reliable high-speed internet, ergonomic office furniture, temperature controls and terraces. The modular cubes are designed to make use of a hotel’s underutilized outdoor locations. In July, the first Remo work spaces launched at Sensira Resort & Spa on Mexico’s Riviera Maya (rates from $385) with four individual offices and one team pod located on the fourth floor terrace with sweeping ocean views. Guests who book their hotel stay through the Remo.Club app receive complimentary access to the office spaces for the duration of their stay. (They are usually priced at $50 per day.) The brand plans to expand to seven hotels in Miami by the end of year, followed by Austin, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Hotel brands double down

Hotels that already had their hand in the co-working game are seeing investments pay off as a global work force pushes back against traditional nine-to-five office jobs.

In 2019, Accor started Wojo , a brand of co-working and flexible work spaces, across its economy, mid-scale and luxury hotels. “ Accor was ahead of the curve and saw this movement coming,” said Markus Keller, the company’s chief sales and distribution officer. Today, it has 400 Wojo installations at hotels in Europe and Latin America, with sub-Saharan Africa in the pipeline.

Wojo work spaces range from shared desks to meeting rooms and closed offices, all of which can be booked by the hour, half-day or day through the website or the app (starting at $30 per day for a shared desk). Longer-term contracts are also available: Shared desks are on offer from $300 per month and private offices start at $500 per person per month.

The Hoxton hotels launched Working From in late 2019 at its Southwark, London (co-working rates from $125 per person, per month) and Fulton Market, Chicago (co-working from $75 per person, per month) properties. A new outpost at the Hoxton Brussels will open next spring with four floors of co-working spaces. Each location is equipped with steady (200 megabits per second) Wi-Fi, on-site tech support, full-time baristas, stocked pantries and on-site showers (day passes for hotel guests and the public are available for about $30).

Also quickly expanding throughout Europe is the British aparment-hotel brand Locke Hotels , which features fully serviced studio apartments, co-working spaces, lively restaurants and community programming (rates from around $200).

Crowne Plaza , a premium brand from IHG Hotels & Resorts , recently released a white paper on “blended travel” that notes 80 percent of travelers plan to tack on leisure days to upcoming business trips as well as capitalize on the opportunity to work from anywhere.

Crowne Plaza properties have undergone significant renovations to create flexible WorkLife rooms (rates from about $180) and public spaces where guests can work comfortably. Its new brand, Atwell Suites (rates from about $215), caters to long-term stays with work areas equipped with counter-height tables, office chairs and virtual-conferencing-ready backdrops. There are also co-working zones and huddle rooms in common areas.

“This new generation of remote workers has the flexibility to travel any day of the week, every month of the year, not just on weekends and major holidays. As a result, we’re seeing a rise in longer stays and midweek travel,” said Lisa Checchio, chief marketing officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts . To accommodate demand, Wyndham is launching a new extended-stay economy brand in the U.S. later this year with a starting portfolio of 72 hotels. The company is also expanding its Wyndham Residences collection for longer stays in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (suite rates from $63 per night plus tax).

Remote workers interested in living and working from abroad can turn to a spate of new digital resources for help. Rowena Hennigan , a globally recognized expert in remote work based in Spain, introduced a LinkedIn Learning course in June called Becoming a Digital Nomad ( $24.99 or free for LinkedIn Learning subscribers). The 27-minute beginner’s guide covers the pros and cons of a remote work and travel lifestyle, as well as important details like how to navigate visas, how to tap into the community and ways to decrease your carbon footprint while traveling.

Ms. Hennigan is an adviser for the start-up Boundless Life , which specializes in remote work family travel, providing furnished homes, educational programs for children, and co-working spaces in Portugal, Greece and, come January, Italy.

The Italian start-up Nomads Embassy is planning to launch a new digital nomad visa platform at the end of the year that connects visa applicants with immigration lawyers (legal services will range from $600 to $3,500, depending on the firm). Remote workers will be able to upload required documents, communicate with lawyers and track their visa status in real time through the platform.

“The application process usually takes from 10 to 28 days, but as we test the platform, we’re seeing that time decrease to less than a week,” said Brittany Loeffler, who founded the company with her partner Jacopo Gomarasca. The website, which gets about 20,000 unique visitors a month and has been seeing that traffic increase about 20 percent a month, is updated daily with each country’s digital nomad visa requirements, fees and processes.

Tanja Polegubic, the founder of Saltwater Nomads , a remote work consultancy company based in Croatia, recommends MeetUp for community building, Wolt for food delivery, Discord for communicating with other remote workers, and Revolut or Wise for skirting hefty A.T.M. and international money transfers fees.

“As a Black woman traveling alone, my travel research must always take this into account,” said Marquita Harris, a journalist who participated in Airbnb’s Live Anywhere initiative last year. “I often use The Xpat App , which is amazing for connecting with other Black expats living abroad and getting insight into their experiences.”

Two new booking platforms, RemoteDream and NomadStays , help remote workers find accommodations with work-ready spaces, speedy Wi-Fi and a community focus. App in the Air ’s newest travel tool, Remote.ly , enables users to filter destinations by preferences such as “sea” or “mountains” and find information related to fees, regulations and requirements to live and work in destinations worldwide.

Kayak’s Work from Wherever guide ranks the best countries to work remotely based on categories like time zones, weather, safety and social life. “Once we’ve eliminated the thicket of regulations of being able to work from anywhere,” Mr. Hafner said, “everyone is going to be a global citizen.”

52 Places for a Changed World

The 2022 list highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

An earlier version of this article included a caption that incorrectly described Jelsa, Croatia. Jelsa is a town on the island of Hvar in Croatia, not an island itself.

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article gave an incorrect publication date for a report by the consulting firm Gartner, Inc. The report was published in June of 2021, not this year.

How we handle corrections

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Port Antonio, Jamaica:  The Grammy-nominated D.J. and music producer Diplo recommends spots in a city he loves  on Jamaica’s northeast coast. A dance party makes the cut.

New Mexico:  The Gila Wilderness, home to wolves, mountain lions and other wildlife, marks a century as a “land lab,”  where nature thrives as far as the eye can see.

Greece:  Is Serifos the perfect Greek island? A writer’s checklist included ferry service, great beaches and good local restaurants.

Brooklyn:  This 36-hour itinerary  skips the most touristy and overdeveloped areas, including Williamsburg and Dumbo, and requires no restaurant reservations or advance planning.

Costa Rica:  Travelers are signing up for phone-free tours to try to escape technology’s tether on daily life. But would it make for a better experience ?

What Laura Did Next

Work and travel: tips for making both work on the go

Considering a lifestyle that incorporates both work and travel? In this article, I share my experiences and top tips for making remote work a reality, allowing you to see the world while you work on your career at the same time.

As you’ll know, one of my absolute favourite things to do in the world is travel. Wherever I go, whether exploring in the UK (where I’m from) or travelling abroad, I love finding new things to see and do – whether that’s through experiences, trying new food, seeing new sites or exploring new landscapes. In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to work remotely while exploring new destinations has become a reality for many. And why wouldn’t you work and travel at the same time, given the opportunity?

I’ve been incredibly lucky over the past couple of years, and have been able to experience both work and travel at the same time – quite literally working from tropical paradises like Fiji and Bora Bora while earning the money to enable me to enjoy all the best bits of travelling. Imagine working at a seaside resort in Fiji and then taking a dip in the crystal clear waters to swim with turtles on your lunch break – sounds dreamy, right? So how do you work and travel at the same time? And how do you balance productivity with exploration? In this guide, I share my top tips for making both work.

Table of Contents

Ensure you have a good internet connection 

The number one rule of work and travel? Always check your internet connection! When checking, ensure it’s a stable, reliable connection that doesn’t cut out. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of a work call for it to drop out and not be able to reconnect. I learnt this the hard way in rural Australia when I couldn’t maintain a stable connection on a client call. In today’s world, most places will offer a good internet connection, however, this is not guaranteed, with some countries like Venezuela and Algeria known for having the worst WiFi. When connecting to different internet connections, it’s useful to know how to change your IP address on a Mac . By changing your IP, you can overcome certain internet limitations. I recommend researching accommodation that offers high-speed internet. Mobile hotspots or local SIM cards can be a good backup for regions with inconsistent connectivity.

Dedicate set working hours 

As you can imagine, visiting new places and seeing new things is very exciting, however, this can be a distraction as well. A trap some people fall into when combining work and travel is to do more travelling and less working – this can get you into trouble and negatively affect your income. It’s all too easy to arrive at a new destination and want to explore instead of work – trust me, I’ve been there! To reduce the chances of this happening, try to set dedicated work hours that you stick to each day. By having set hours, you know you can explore before and after this period, helping you keep to a routine and balance the work and travel dilemma. I also try to make the most of the time zones – this can mean working early in the morning before having the afternoon and evening spare for exploring.

Factor in time zones 

Time zones can be easy to forget about, but they are extremely important – especially when working whilst travelling. Depending on the type of work you do, your client’s operating hours could be based on a variety of time zones. This means you might need to be awake and working to the time zone that they are on. If you travel to Australia and have UK-based clients, they are 10 hours behind, meaning when their work day starts at 9 am, Australian time will be 7 pm. This means you’ll need to be working and online based on their working day. I also make sure to use downtime effectively. Long flights with WiFi or train rides can be great opportunities for catching up on tasks like emails, planning, or brainstorming.

research your destination as much as possible 

As with anything in life, research is very important, especially when combining work and travel. When on the go, try to research the places you’re going to as far in advance as possible, including the infrastructure and time zone differences. Take note of any workspaces you might be able to use as well as hotel check-in times (you may need an early check-in so that you can take a work call). Factor in the time it takes you to get to places as well as alternative travel methods should a flight be cancelled or your train delayed. If mishaps do happen when you’re away, try to keep an open mind and be flexible. Remember, there are always alternative methods should a plan not go exactly how you would have liked it. Always manage your client expectations, too – it’s better to underpromise and overachieve, instead of overpromise and underachieve. 

Bring backups with you

There’s nothing worse than having a tech issue while you’re away, particularly if you’re in a remote location. For this reason, I always take a few backups with me. Make sure you have a reliable laptop, and pack extra chargers and portable power banks so you have a few options in case you lose a charger. I’d also really recommend taking some noise-cancelling headphones so that you’re well equipped to take calls in noisy places if needed.

Combining work and travel is one of the best things that you can do, so if you can, I highly recommend doing it. It may require a lot of planning, but once started, you’ll get on top of things and won’t want to stop. I’d suggest trying it for a month or two initially to make sure it works for you, seeing how you get on, and then booking a longer trip away. I’ve spent a large portion of the past two years working remotely, and I’ve never looked back.

That’s my guide to making work and travel work for you. Are you a remote worker too? Let me know your top tips and recommendations in the comments below.

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I'm Laura, a keen traveller who has visited 57 countries. I absolutely love sharing my travel guides and tips with you via my blog and social channels. When I'm not busy working in social media, I'm likely either overseas or busy planning my next trip.

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Travel to the United States

There’s a reason the big USA is also called ‘the States’ as each one of the 50 states is like stepping into another country where different laws, cultures, cuisines, and even languages (slangs) exist. But as one country, there’s no denying its grandness!

Nothing can compare to the big cities, bright lights, endless entertainment, popular highways, and supersized experiences of the USA. Almost every bucket list has a good old American road trip on there for a reason.

There are countless experiences to be had such as; museum hopping and roof top partying in New York, getting your jazz on in New Orleans, indulging in a mouth watering Texas BBQ that your taste buds will crave forever, hiking through canyons and around boulders in Colorado and Utah, hitting up the chilled out west coast beaches in California, drinking some of the world’s best beer in Oregon, witnessing an active volcano at night in Hawaii, and so on.

This country is so vast that you can design your trip to suit any interest. The cities not to miss include San Francisco, New York, New Orleans, Miami, Las Vegas, and Honolulu whilst must visit national parks include Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Zion National Park, and the Grand Canyon National Park.

America is truly an amazing country that will excite you at every turn and offers something for every taste and every desire. Get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

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America is the most dominant country in the world in terms of music and entertainment, even having their own ‘pop culture’ which refers to the popular trends in the film, music, gaming and comic industries. Friendly and patriotic, Americans are proud of their country and unity.

Best time to visit

The USA offers varied but equally wonderful experiences year-round. Spring lasts from March to May and is considered the best time to visit for outdoor activities, such as sight-seeing and hiking.

Autumn is another favoured month for camping and road trips, falling around September to November. Summer’s (June - August) humidity and heat are perfect for relaxing by the beach and exploring nature, while winter (December - February) can bring snowfall and a cherished holiday season.

Best places to visit

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Why Work and Travel Can Be Good for You

The rise of remote work has made it easier for people to live anywhere..

Posted November 19, 2023 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• What Is a Career
• Find a career counselor near me
• Remote work has become the norm for many.
• Combining work with travel can improve mental health.
• The digital nomad lifestyle has both advantages and disadvantages.

The pandemic brought about a new way of working for a vast majority of knowledge workers. Working from home became a rising trend well before COVID-19 , but it seems to have become legitimized as most of the world struggled to maintain their business workflow despite our collective isolation. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other forms of digital communication have become the norm for much of the world. As companies scan for talent across national borders and time zones, remote work has become the norm for many.

Being a digital nomad is an amplified version of remote work that may not be suitable for everyone. It entails working and living wherever you choose as long as you have an internet connection and a digital device to remain in contact with your employer or client base. It is an ideal solution for freelancers who may work on asynchronous projects that require end results with little real-time input. But even for those who have regular meetings, working digitally can offer a great deal of benefits. Oftentimes people combine their work with travel, thus the nomad component to this type of lifestyle.

According to a recent study by WorkMotion, Barcelona was ranked the best city for remote work among the 85 cities examined worldwide. The top 10 cities for remote working infrastructure included (in ranking order) Barcelona, Dubai, Prague, Madrid, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Sydney, Gran Canaria, and Reykjavik. It appears that as a country, Spain is the most popular place to have a so-called workation.

The pros and cons of being a digital nomad

In a recent email interview, Chase Warrington, head of remote at Doist and a U.S. expat living in Spain, pointed to the advantages and disadvantages of the digital nomad lifestyle.

“Crafting your perfect workday involves working from a place that inspires you, and when you have the freedom to choose that place, it can be an absolute game changer,” he states, but he also highlights the downsides to a nomadic lifestyle.

“The paradox of choice is a blessing and a curse,” he says. “When you have the freedom to choose your location for the afternoon, day, week, month, or year, there tends to be a constant analysis running in the background that's hard to turn off. I know digital nomads who have completely burnt themselves out because they were trying to maximize their location independence, and ended up suffering from overanalyzing their options. This downside is relative and comes from a place of privilege—nobody will feel sorry for you—but speaking with nomads from around the world, I know it's a challenge nonetheless.”

How travel can improve your mental health

If you find the right mixture of work and pleasure while being able to avoid overthinking where you are going to go next, the digital nomad lifestyle can improve your mental health. According to a survey of German travelers conducted by IcelandAir, 37% of those surveyed pointed out the benefits adventure travel has on their mental well-being. Nearly half experienced a confidence boost while traveling, while nearly 44% underscored the importance of work-life balance issues as a top priority in life.

The principles of the Power of Slow include delegating, expectation management , saying "no," and befriending time. What better way to test those principles than engaging in remote work in a foreign country? It may not be for everyone, but one thing is for certain: Travel can open the mind in ways that can add to your joy while building your work experience, no matter where your laptop takes you.

Christine Louise Hohlbaum is the author of The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World.

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Home » Work and Travel » 35 BEST Travel Jobs to Make Money While Travelling

35 BEST Travel Jobs to Make Money While Travelling

Do you wish you could travel more but don’t have enough money?

Then this guide is for you! It will tell you all about the types of epic travel jobs that you can do. Ultimately, this post will help you find work and travel the world… FOREVER.

There are a surprising number of jobs that involve travelling, a few canny ways to make money travelling abroad, and even some jobs where you actually get paid to travel… (The best kind!)

From freelancing to affiliate marketing, travel blogging, tending the bar at a hip hostel–there are seriously all kinds of awesome – and some terrible – travel jobs you can get to make ends meet and prolong your travels.

The life of a working traveller is varied and complex: there are countless tools in your arsenal! In today’s post, I’m giving you the lowdown on some of the best travel jobs for backpackers, expats, and aspiring digital nomads. And realistically, for nearly all of them, you don’t need no tertiary education.

Ditch your desk, amigos: the world is waiting and the only thing you need to SUCCEED is  grit.

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you . Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more .

• Making Money Travelling the World:Types of Travel Work

The 35 Best Travel Jobs in 2024

Did you find your dream travel job, making money travelling the world: types of travel work.

There are lots of different types of travel jobs out there, and they can roughly be broken down into three categories. Let’s take a look at them before we delve into the jobs themselves…

There are some jobs that will pay you to travel the world. This might sound very glamorous at first, but you have to bear in mind you may not get as much of a chance to actually explore as you will be working. These could be travel jobs or potentially even travel careers , but they still generally require the level of input from you that any regular ol’ boring job would.

Jobs that require travel and pay well, such as being an airline pilot or foreign service travel jobs, will offer you a chance to save up mega-cashola and to hopefully see parts of the world during your downtime. But to be honest (and in my opinion) these travel careers don’t have the same kind of freedom as being a digital nomad.

Personally, I’m a big believer in making money through a digital nomad job as these jobs allow you to work from literally anywhere in the world, on your own schedule, and often as your own boss.

It takes time to set up a career as a digital nomad career… But it’s easy to get started now and to begin your journey!

All you need is a laptop plus a few other of the digital nomad essentials , and idea of WHAT you want to do, and a place in the world that you’re content to get some work done from. Well, that and playlist that gets you in the zone!

Beccoming a digital nomad changes how you travel , so for backpackers that want to retain their backpacker-roots, you need a job for backpacker. These travel jobs are job-jobs.

They could be wicked jobs, they could be shitkicker jobs. They could, potentially, also progress into careers, but they wouldn’t be travel careers. You’d just be an expat with a regular ol’ job.

Many of the best travelling jobs for backpackers are super casual affairs – seasonal work or temporary labour gigs. I’ve found paying work on goat farms, behind bars, in hostels, on construction sites, on beaches, and in many other places whilst backpacking around the world. It’s usually very easy to find some casual work as a backpacker.

All you need is a good smile, good work ethic, and maybe the willingess to be paid under the table for less than minimum wage! (Oops, did I say that? You do you.) 😉

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Let’s look at how to work and travel like a BOSS (or self-employed hustler). Ideas range from online trading to teaching yoga to consulting. Don’t Work Another Day ; we have something for every CV!

1. Make Money Blogging

Starting a blog is one of the best travel jobs out there. You can travel whenever you want and make money out of your adventures to keep you going! However, blogging is not easy and it’s not one of those jobs to make money quickly.

Blogging offers a great introduction to many different digital nomad careers. You’ll learn more about SEO, copywriting, web design, social media management, marketing and PR… the list goes on! All you need to get started is a decent laptop for travel blogging and loads of patience!

If you want to get a taste of blogging before launching your own, you can look into becoming a virtual assistant or if writing is more your thing becoming a freelance service provider , like Sofie Couwenbergh is also a viable option. Working for a blogger is the best way to learn the tricks of the trade!

Full disclosure: The travel blogging industry is competitive, cutthroat, and, honestly, oversaturated. DO expect a long road to the top.

How Much Can You Earn?

• From $0 – $50,000 per month!

Finding a work-friendly atmosphere is important – check out Tribal Bali …

Having a job is one thing, but being able to sit down and get some work in is a whole other story. Luckily there are amazing coworking spaces all over the globe. But what if you could combine working and a place to live? Say no more…

Introducing the best Coworking Hostel in the World – Tribal Bali!

A unique coworking and co-living hostel for those that want to travel the world while working from their laptops. Make use of the massive open-air coworking spaces and sip on delicious coffee. If you need a quick screen break, just take a refreshing dip in the infinity pool or grab a drink at the bar. Need more work inspiration?

Staying at a digital nomad-friendly hostel is a really smart way to get more done whilst still enjoying the social life of travelling… Mingle, share ideas, brainstorm, make connections and find your tribe at Tribal Bali!

2. Teach English Abroad

For backpackers looking to settle somewhere for a year or more to save up some serious cash, teaching English abroad is one of the best jobs for nomads.

These days, you can teach English in most countries in the world while seeing all the goods they got to offer at the same time! This is probably one of the best travel careers out there: there’s a low barrier to entry and most native speakers can get a travel job teaching English.

Being a native speaker gives you an obvious advantage, but it’s also possible for non-native speakers to get work teaching English too.  You don’t even really need a degree to teach English in many countries, however, nabbing a TEFL certificate through an online course first will help you hit the ground running. (And hopefully will mean you won’t be a crap teacher too ?)

It’s a small investment that will help you score more gigs AND better-paying gigs in the long run. Plus, think of the children! Won’t somebody think of the children!?!?

• $1500 – $3000 depending on the country.

3. Teach English Online

Thanks to the power of the internet, the world of teaching English online has opened doors to English speakers everywhere! You can work from anywhere! (Provided you have a solid internet connection.)

What’s the best part? Depending on the company you work for, you can choose your own schedule and commitment level. Whatever works for you!

Teaching English online is fast becoming one of the best ways for backpackers to make money online without a doubt. Online teaching platforms connect prospective teachers with keen students. Set your pricing, choose your hours, and market yourself to potential clients.

The money isn’t impressive, particularly in the early days, but this is a job that you can grow and literally do anywhere. Nothing beats a location independent gig!

• About $1500 per month.

4. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is when you ship products to customers, usually in Europe or the USA, from somewhere cheap (usually China). Essentially, you manage the online storefront while a third party handles the logistics of storing and shipping products. Why stay in Boston ?

Now, dropshipping CAN be profitable. It can also be a major headache: you have been warned.

5. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is very simple. It means that you recommend a product or service to your audience, and if someone on your website uses or buys that product or service, you get a commission!

Affiliate marketing is basically being a middle man and is one of the most popular, proven, and sustainable ways to create income online.

If you are interested in online jobs travellers can easily utilise, learning effective affiliate marketing strategies is the holy grail. Passive income is fucking POWERFUL.

• Oodles but you need the traffic to earn it. But then, it all flows in passively. 😉

6. Crytocurrency and Day Trading

The exciting world of cryptocurrency investment has come a long way. You can HODL, stake, mine, generate interest (yup – totally a thing now!), and, of course, trade.

Day trading is a really exciting – but very nerve-wracking – way to make money while travelling. I have no experience trading stocks, but a lot of people I know have been trading cryptocurrency for a while now and have seen rather delectables return on their investments (with some losses along the way).

If you have money that you can afford to lose (seriously, this shit carries risk), then day trading is one of the most exciting travel jobs out there right now.

• The sky’s the limit!

7. Volunteering

Okiedoke – volunteering! Now, clearly, volunteering ISN’T a travel job, however, it’s functionally the same. You work (hard), you greatly reduce your travel costs, plus you’ll have some life-changing experiences while you’re at it. So it fits the bill!

Now, while voluntourism has received some flak over the years (and the trade has only become stickier in the COVID-times ), volunteering still remains one of the most meaningful ways to travel. A free feed and bed is certainly a win, but it’s the experience and the knowledge that you’re actually making a difference is what makes it, honestly, one of the best travel jobs for backpackers.

You have a lot of good options for volunteering abroad:

• WWOOF – An organisation primarily concerned with connecting working travellers with volunteering gigs on organic farms and agricultural projects.
• Workaway (and its numerous alternatives ) – As well as agricultural projects, these guys tend to also connect you to volunteering gigs around the board. Hostel work, translation and copywriting, building skate ramps, building backyard dunnies: it’s a wide net.
• Worldpackers – Our personal fave platform for this bizz.

Worldpackers is a smashing organisation. They’ve got more of a community focus than many of the alternatives and they run a tight ship too!

We sent one of our tried and true broke backpackers on a volunteering mission to Vietnam and the results were stellar. So stellar, in fact, that we happily partnered with them to bring Broke Backpacker readers a discount on the signup fee!

Just enter the code BROKEBACKPACKER at the checkout when signing up or do the clicky-click below!

Worldpackers: connecting travellers with  meaningful travel experiences.

We’ve also got a review of Workaway you can peruse if Worldpackers doesn’t float your boat. They’re a bit more stuffy (a natural caveat for being the lead of the pack), but they have volunteering gigs coming out of the ears!

And as one brief little sidenote, it’s worth noting the skills you pick up volunteering can go a LONG way to aiding you in your career as a working traveller. The more you know, the more backpacker jobs open up to you.

8. Become A Freelance Travel Photographer

If you love taking pictures, why don’t you make the most of your skills and be paid for it? Breaking into freelance photography is no easy, feat but it’s totally possible if you have perseverance and work at honing your craft every day.

You can travel the world forever by snapping away… If you get really good at your craft, you can even land a job that pays you to travel as a professional photographer for either the media or, the dream, National Geographic.

• $0 – $5000
• BEST Cameras for Travellers
• GoPro Alternatives to Make You  Whoah
• Top Camera Bags – Buyer’s Guide!
• Essential Camera Accessories You NEED

9. Teach Yoga

Yoga continues to grow in popularity around the world, and yoga instructors are in high demand. While not the highest paying job for travellers, finding work as a yoga instructor is one of the more assured ways to work and travel.

Travellers love yoga and are keen on lessons just about anywhere in the world. Combine that with hostels, cafes, and community centres (among a million other venues) always being on the lookout

Getting a yoga certification CERTAINLY helps you stand out from the crowd but it necessarily isn’t needed. Talk to other guests at your hostel, or people around any beach, hippy, or traveller town and see what you can rustle up. Start off with a sesh at a world-class yoga retreat to learn a few Asanas and limber up first and the rest will be easy.

Alternatively, head over to Yoga Travel Jobs Directory and see if there are any worthwhile postings. The beauty of this one is that the informality allows you to find work on the road in most places without the added red tape.

• $5/hour or even less in developing nations. Bounce on over to the northern beaches of Sydney though, and activewear soccer mums eat that shit up for $50+ a pop!

10. Fitness Instructor

Similar to yoga, if you’re in shape and know how to break a sweat, you can get paid to help others do the same! I love finding creative ways to stay in shape while travelling and you’ll find plenty of other travellers who will share this interest.

See if your hostel wants to organise any activities or events which you can market by word of mouth or by putting a flyer up. Head to a park or the beach and BOOM! You’re a certified fitness instructor… sort of.

Certifications are for losers without glorious, rippling muscles.

11. Tour Director

Directors accompany a tour group for the entirety of the itinerary and basically make sure people are having a good time. If it’s a twenty-one-day culture tour through Central America, the tour director is there the entire time, leading the group, answering questions, communicating with the bus driver, and, most importantly, creating solutions when shit goes wrong.

This is one of the travel industry careers that require the most work, but if you think you possess the qualities, there are thousands of amazing adventure tour companies looking for new leaders worldwide.

This industry is very competitive, but once you get your foot in the door you’ll be offered work left and right. I’ve got some experience leading adventure tours myself and this is a solid choice of job that involves travelling… You just need to have endless amounts of energy.

These are maybe the best jobs for travel and adventure for those that seek the high life and the pay ain’t too shabby either!.

• $1000 – $3000

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Single-use plastic bottles are a MASSIVE threat to marine life. Be a part of the solution and travel with a filter water bottle. Save money and the environment!

We’ve tested the Geopress  rigorously  from the icy heights of Pakistan to the tropical jungles of Bali, and can confirm: it’s the best water bottle you’ll ever buy!

12. Travel Tour Guide

As opposed to a tour director, a tour guide usually does shorter tours (think three-hour walking tours). Ideally, tour guides are experts in their niche, but sometimes just a bit more knowledge than the average Joe will suffice

If you have experience or certification, getting tour guide work will be easy. If you travelling in the EU , you can also find tour guide work within Europe relatively easy (free walking tours, etc.) without certification.

Otherwise, there are lots of people on the web tapping into their entrepreneurial spirit and starting their own tour jobs while on the road.

• $500 – $1500

13. Work on A Boat

Unfortunately, the days of being a pirate are kinda over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still work and live on a boat!

A traveller’s job on a boat is certainly easier to get with experience, but sometimes it’s as easy as just walking onto a dock and asking around. Teach yourself to tie knots first and you’ll be golden.

Want to significantly increase your chances of getting hired on a superyacht or boat? Consider taking a course at the Super Yacht School – an online training company that educates people on everything they need to know regarding how to land a job on a superyacht as a crew member.

Alternatively, become a cruise ship worker and live the party-working-travelling-life on the high seas. Drugs, booze, and nights of wanton hedonism – excellent!

• $1200 – $2500

14. Boat Delivery

More boats! This one is a bit difficult to get into as a newbie, but if you have some experience working on the high seas, boat delivery has some serious work and travel potential. Typically the pay won’t be very high (if at all) but you’ll get your experience up and get to sail the seven seas for free!

Getting into this travel career could lead to more lucrative gigs in the future too, so it’s worth considering if the goal is simply finding jobs that let you travel.

Head over to Crewseekers.net or cruisersforum.com for some killer job leads!

15. Making and Selling Jewellery

Screw travel jobs – be a travel entrepreneur! While you can make and sell anything, jewellery is certainly the backpacker artisans staple, and I’ve met lots of people who make and sell jewellery whilst travelling .

Some critics of budget backpacking might have a go at you for – ahem – “begpacking” , but to those critics I say… get a job, ya hippy! If you’re wheeling, dealing, and hustling on the road, you are the literal opposite of a begpacker. It’s fun too!

The materials can be cheap and light to carry, it’s an artsy and fun thing to do, and you can set up shop (busking-style) in most places in the world that are kind to street merchants (i.e. not Malaysia). Selling handmade jewellery on the street isn’t the path to becoming a billionaire, but if you can make a decent product, it’s a great way to bring in enough to cover a day of gallivanting.

It isn’t strictly one of the easiest travel jobs out there if you genuinely care about your craft. Sourcing ethical materials, making the jewellery, and haggling for a fair price can all be a real battle. But damn you’ll have some ten-outta-ten adventures along the way!

• $300 – $1000 per month

16. Importing Stuff to Sell

A personal favourite of mine, this is what I sometimes refer to as the ‘ stuff your backpack’ method. It’s an easy w ay to make some money back after quitting your job to travel .

When in exotic countries, you will find awesome trinkets and doodads that people back home will go crazy over! Think hippy stuff: chillums, trousers, jewellery, festival belts, etc. These items will be authentic and dirt cheap.

Then, when you are outside that country and back in the good ol’ inflationary West, you can sell the authentic handcrafted Indian peace pipe that you paid $.75 cents for in Mumbai for $15 at festivals or online! It’s a great way to make 1,000% or more on your investments.

To make the most money though, you’ll have to frequently hit the road and stuff your backpack (a big hiking backpack is good for this) as well as have a good eye for stuff to take back home. If you can somehow inject something about chakras into the marketing spiel you’ll give to sell it, it’s a winner.

• $500 – $2000 per month

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17. Busking

Another of the world’s oldest professions that now catches some flak from the world’s newest crybabies: busking. If you have a talent, you can flaunt it for some cash in the street AND – better yet – make a bunch of people smile too!

You doen’t have to be a wandering musician with a travel-sized guitar either; magic, acrobatics, juggling, flow, dance – anything that’s impressive enough to score a tip is worth the shot, and you can score some mean tips! (Believe it or not.)

If the artisti di strada chooses the right location and is talented (or smiley) enough, there’s a pretty good chance they are making some dough! Enough to cover a day’s cost at least… You just need to know how to busk !

Also, if you are a musician, you should look into giving lessons for work while travelling or even playing some low-key gigs at bars or hostels. It’s a good way to score a feed, and it’s certainly not a bad payoff for a few hours of jammin’!

The resident in-house dirtbag busker on The Broke Backpacker team had this to say:

“I’ve had $5/hour days, I’ve had $50/hour days; busking is large part luck, however, there is a hidden art and science to the craft.”

18. Scuba Diving Instructor

Get paid for adventure. Underwater adventures no less!

Becoming a certified scuba diver and instructor takes a bit of investment, but it can be one of the most fun ways to work and travel the world simultaneously. You need a handful of courses and certifications, as well as having logged in a certain amount of hours underwater yourself, and then the world is your… oyster. (Huehuehue.)

If you are already certified, get excited! If you aren’t, you can do it at home, or take advantage of many (significantly cheaper) programs that exist in countries like Thailand and the Philippines. Hands down this is one of the best ways to get paid to travel PLUS you can pick up paying work in lots of different countries around the world.

Plus, y’know, dive for a living. Not bad, ‘ey?

• $1000 – $4000 per month.

19. Surf Instructor

Similar to a scuba instructor but without all of the need for certifications. You just need to be a badass surfer! Surfing instructors can do well for themselves by travelling, surfing, meeting people who are interested and want to learn, and then offering their services.

Plus, let’s be real… you’ll get laid. A lot.

You won’t earn as much as a scuba instructor, but you’ll be getting paid to surf and travel at the same time which is probably the coolest thing ever! I’m a big fan of surfing and hoping to spend a year or two getting a hell of a lot better in the future. If you are looking for cool jobs you can do while travelling, this may be for you.

There are lots of resources for finding potential gigs. Surf Travel Jobs is an excellent starting point.

• $500 – $1500 per month.

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

20. Buy A Place and Rent It

If you have been working for a while, you may have some savings. Rather than blowing it all on a couple of fast-paced years of travel, invest it into buying a property at home and renting it out whilst you travel (thus living off the rent money).

You can advertise your place on lots of different websites including Airbnb or one of the many excellent sites like Airbnb , and it can very easily turn into big bucks! Pretty soon, you’ll be making money while travelling; so much so that some of my friends don’t even stay at their own place when they return to their hometown.

• $600 – $2000 per month.

21. Housesitting

Sort of a work-exchange-meets-job, housesitting while travelling is HAWT right now. Typically you pet-sit for an extended amount of time, and in return, you are given free rein over an entire house. Housesitting gigs rarely pay, but you can’t really complain as their still jobs that allow you to travel near-indefinitely.

You’ll be getting free accommodation, a big ass kitchen, and the privacy of your own house! This is one of the best ways to travel!

As with all good things, it’s challenging to crack into, but once you gain experience and a resume, you’ll have your choice of gigs. As far as travel work goes, this one comes highly recommended – it barely counts as working!

• A free house!

22. Work as an Au Pair

Au-pairing is one of the oldest travel careers around and is still a great option to save some money and see the world. Personally, kids ain’t for me, but if you are bubbly, happy, smiley and don’t mind cleaning up the misdirected poopoos, then there are plenty of little ones who need a lovely person like you to help take care of them.

It doesn’t always pay… and if it does pay it’s not always much. But you can earn up to 5k a month if you’re happy to travel for work (which, you should be) to teach in some more far-flung lands.

You’ll get free lodging and food and likely some pocket change for the weekend if you’re volunteering in Europe. Being an au-pair is a pretty solid way to get paid to travel and live in a new country.

• $0 – $5000 per month.

23. Hostel Work

Hostel work is one of the best-kept not-so-secret-secrets of the budget backpacking trade . Once upon a time, it was hush-hush, but now not so much. So let me tell you – finding hostel gigs is SUPER simple and hostel work is one of the best travel jobs for backpackers.

Hostel work is one of the easiest travel jobs to get – just ask the hostels you are staying at if they are looking for any help. They will know exactly what this means. “Help” means manning the front desk graveyard shift, sweeping the floors, or most likely minding the bar, all in exchange for free accommodation.

If they are looking for any “help” , they miiight pay a bit of cash, but more likely, you’ll get a free bed and some food out of it. Hostels are one of the staples for travel work and are a phenomenal way to save money while travelling – not to mention free entry into the hostel life shenanigans is a pretty sweet dealer for a lone ranger looking for some buds.

…And bud. 😉

• Usually just a free stay. Maybe some weed money (or weed) if you’re lucky.

24. Bar Work

Similar to hostel work, bar jobs have kept the backpacker going since basically the dawn of time. Often the bar work will be in a hostel bar (mentioned above) but just as legit is finding work at standalone bars.

This is particularly true in seasonal European cities (but I’ve seen it in South America, Australia, Asia… basically everywhere). Alcoholics are everywhere and they need a charming face with a winning smile to pour their drinks dammit!

The best way to find a bar job is just to walk around and ask if the bars are looking for any help. Or, if you’re having a pint somewhere, strike up a conversation with the bartender and get the scoop. A simple inquisition can lead to a lot of opportunities.

Full disclosure though: the booze and babes of the graveyard shift are fun for a while, but a few too many staffies a few too many months later and you’ll find yourself stuck right in a classic backpacker trap. And hungover.

• $800 – $2000 per month

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25. Become a Party Promoter/Brand Ambassador

If you are a fun-loving party animal with some social media/writing/promoting skills, then you could be a candidate to score a job as a brand ambassador for a tour business specializing in party-based tours. I’ve met someone who did this for a period; while the money wasn’t always hella tight, the nights of debauchery sure were!

A good option to break into this field is Stoke Travel . Every year, Stoke Travel gives 100+ regular travellers the opportunity to work and travel by volunteering at events or doing internships in their Barcelona and Byron Bay Office.

That’s right. Three square meals per day and unlimited booze. You’re basically travelling for free !

For the right individual, this job promises to be helluva of a lot of fun. (Possibly, too much fun…? )

• Free drinks – $1200

26. Seasonal Jobs

This is a large category that encompasses many different travel jobs. Restaurants, construction, hotels, cruise ship jobs, ski resorts, mining, deep-sea Alaskan fishing gigs, the list goes on! While a lot of these jobs are covered elsewhere in this post, seasonal jobs are worth noting.

You can literally travel the world working, chasing the season (which by the way usually equates to amazingly beautiful weather) and making money when jobs are in demand and at their highest paying…

Depending on the industry, you can end up both in some pretty off the beaten path destinations as well as touristed ones. Or both! The ski resorts in the summer trekking season is usually a much more peaceful vibe once all the loquacious Aussies have packed up shop.

• $1000 – $5000 per month

27. Construction

You can find construction work basically anywhere in the world, however, the right destinations (eg. Australia and New Zealand) pay a mean wage. If you’re operating above board that is.

Otherwise, asking around for something more informal is usually the way to go. If you have construction experience, jump on those work exchange platforms for some cheap volunteering gigs .

Many hostels, farms, and everything in between will advertise their needs in hopes of finding a qualified working traveller. You’ll get food, lodging, and (depending on the project) a bit of money as well. It’ll get you networked too – word of mouth carries!

If you have experience as a plumber or electrician, you can make bank and even land a job where you are paid to travel to and from different world projects. Also, insider tip: traffic controllers Down Under get paid an ungodly amount for literally doing nothing. They usually pick the cutest girl to man the stop sign though – yay, sexism!

• $1200 – $3000 per month but hugely variable depending on your trade and skillset,

28. Transport a Car or RV

Car and RV dealerships or car rental companies sometimes hire people to drive cars to different destinations. Rental companies often find themselves with too many cars in one destination and want to move them to an area where rentals are more in demand. Car dealerships may need a specific car, with specific options or colours, that they arrange to get from another dealer.

While most companies work with full-time professional drivers, there may be some opportunities for one-time trips. The trick with these jobs is getting a car that’s going where you want to go at the right time. You’ll need a clean driver’s license and may need a specialty license to drive RVs, but it’s worth it for a free and rocking RV road trip !

Some transport companies that you may be able to score some delivery gigs with include:

• Imoova is one of the biggest search platforms for relocations.
• Jucy has some nice opportunities on RVs.
• Cars Arrive Auto Relocation is USA based and has some good options.
• HitTheRoad.ca is a well-known Canadian company that offers mostly long-distance, one way, one trip driving contracts for cars.
• A free road trip!

29. Professional Chef

If you have some cooking abilities or some legitimate kitchen experience, you can find a job by asking around at kitchens in hotels, cruise ships, boats, or retreats. Also, take a look into Worldpackers and Workaway as you can certainly find some cook-work opportunities for a free place to stay.

The downside is that you’ll have to work in close proximity to chefs. Chefs are primadonnas. Get in and out of the hospo industry as quick as possible, amigos.

If thou gaze too long into an abyss…

• $1500 – $3000 per month

30. Travel Nurse

Stop right now and listen to me. If you are a nurse, or if you are thinking about becoming a nurse, becoming a travel nurse is one of the single most amazing careers you can get into.

Travelling nurses are usually hired for thirteen to twenty-six weeks in whatever location they choose and all of your travel expenses are usually paid. Housing is usually covered, and due to the high demand and urgency, travelling nurses are paid more than regular nurses. It’s one of the best ways to travel, work and save a stupid amount of money.

Plus, you know, saving lives and all that jazz.

• $1500 – $4000 per month.

31. Flight Attendant

An oldie but a goodie, being a flight attendant isn’t as glamorous as it once was, but in terms of travel friendly jobs , this is a fantastic travel career. It’s really the OG travel job (right after busker AKA a wandering minstrel).

Free flights, long stopovers to explore, and the ability to tweak your schedule to have a few weeks off a month – there’s a lot to like! This is one of the best careers that involve travelling, and if you get hired by a quality airline, this is a job that not only requires travel but can also pay well.

• $1800 – $2500 per month

A new country, a new contract, a new piece of plastic – booooring. Instead, buy an eSIM!

An eSIM works just like an app: you buy it, you download it, and BOOM! You’re connected the minute you land. It’s that easy.

Is your phone eSIM ready? Read about how e-Sims work or click below to see one of the top eSIM providers on the market and  ditch the plastic .

32. New Zealand/Australia Work Visa

Not strictly a top travel job so much as a top place to find a job. Yes, the rumours you’ve heard are true: Australia does have an obscenely high minimum wage (as does New Zealand, albeit not as high).

Depending on where you are from and if you are able, New Zealand and Australia are two excellent countries to get work visas for. The visa allows you to be employed in most industries, but you’ll most likely find jobs in the hospitality, tourism, and agricultural fields. Come Down Under where you can travel and work for a year or maybe two!

However, both New Zealand and Australia’s cost of living is high, so finding a job that provides you with both a room and food will net you some huge savings. The more remote you go, the better you will earn too. (Sheep shearers make BANK… and then blow it all on cocaine and meth…)

Watch out though: not all Ozzies and Kiwis subscribe to the “mateship and fair go for all” mentality they’re known for. It’s not uncommon to get paid a fraction of that obscenely high minimum wage.

• $1800 – $3500 per month
• Backpacking Australia Travel Guide
• Where to Stay in Australia
• Backpacking New Zealand Travel Guide
• Where to Stay in New Zealand

33. Ski Resort Jobs

While I mentioned resorts and seasonal gigs before, skiing deserves its own holler(back girl). Ski resorts are notorious for hiring travellers and often under the table. Ski resort gigs can be the best seasonal jobs for travelling.

As an “unofficial” ski resort worker, you won’t get paid much (and you will likely be overworked), but it’s a great way to work hard, play hard, and make some travel friends along the way! Plus, there will always be the skiing/snowboarding perks which are obviously EPIC.

You don’t have to be an instructor though. Many seasonal jobs in lodges or working the lifts are widely available. Oh, and the snowbum life is pretty hedonistic – it’s basically working, partying, and picking up Insta-brand vacayers between your shifts.

• $1000 – $2000 per month.

34. Tattoo Artist

Backpackers love to get tattoos on the road , so there is always a demand for talented artists. And I’ve met some amazing tattoo artists travelling the world and paying their way through freelance work in hostels and backpacker hangouts. Talk about a creative travel job!

The better you get at your craft, the more doors that will open up to you. You don’t even need a gun! I’ve met and befriended some phenomenal stick-and-poke artists who earn money working while they travel.

Plus getting paid by people to inflict large amounts of bodily harm on them really isn’t too bad either!

• $500 – $15000 per month (be prepared to adjust your rates to reflect the country you’re in – ain’t nobody stupid enough to pay $100+ an hour in Mexico).

35. Join the Peace Corps

This is certainly one of the noblest travel jobs on this list and it deserves a mention! Providing a different work and travel experience, the Peace Corps is no joke and essentially makes you an international aid worker in a foreign country.

It’s a two-year commitment, you have very little influence on where you are stationed, and you only get two days off per month.

You don’t get paid much but, hell, you will be earning and you will get paid to travel to somewhere new. And what’s more, is relevant work experience can take the place of a college degree.

Check out:  This Peace Corps volunteer’s blog all about her experiences volunteering in Vanuatu.

Do You Need Insurance as a Working Traveller?

If you are going to be living and working outside of your home country, you really do need to think about getting health insurance. If you have an accident or get sick, then those hospital bills are going to completely nullify any money you’ve earned and saved.

For long term cover, we recommend SafetyWing . They specialise in covering digital nomads and those working outside of their home country. It’s basically a subscription model – month to month payments – on international health insurance without the need to provide an itinerary.

Month to month payments, no lock-in contracts, and no itineraries required: that’s the exact kind of insurance digital nomads and long-term traveller types need. Cover yo’ pretty little self while you live the DREAM!

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to work! Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

There are so many ways to work and travel; sometimes you just gotta get a bit creative! As long as you are cutting the costs of travel and picking up a job where and when needed, you’ll find a way.

Not every traveling job needs to be a career. Covering your living costs is a fantastic start, and all the skills and confidence will take you soooo much further in life than one simple job ever could.

Taking a leap of faith on a new vocation on the road is fantastic. It’s a step outside of your comfort zone and right into the growth of travel. In many ways, that’s what it means to BE a broke backpacker .

You don’t have to be broke to be a broke backpacker. Nay, being resourceful, willing, and kind-hearted with a good work ethic – that makes you more of a broke backpacker than holes in your undies and lack of consistent showering ever will.

So get out there and work on the road! Start with a shit-kicker job. Then once you’ve levelled up appropriately (and with some ingenuity), you’ll find a job that involves travelling and where you get paid to travel and live in a new country. Maybe you’ll even live in a mini-campervan conversion and start rockin’ the super nomad life. Then, you’re not just hunting for the best travel jobs anymore.

No, that’s a travel career: a whole new adventure!

Elina Mattila

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The promise of travel in the age of AI

Every generation has its own “golden age” of travel, often defined by the widespread adoption of new technology—from the jet engine of the 1950s that drastically reduced travel times to the dot-com period of the 1990s that allowed customers to build their dream itineraries online. Today, a new era of digitally enabled travel is upon us. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI (gen AI), and machine learning (ML) are equipping the industry to reimagine what it means to plan, book, and experience travel. This surge of innovation sets the stage for travel companies to rethink how they interact with customers, develop products and services, and manage operations.

Advances in technology have also transformed consumers’ expectations. Since 2013, time spent on digital devices has grown by 70 percent, and this trend only accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as online interactions increasingly replaced in-person contact. 1 Based on data from U.S. Census Bureau and Statista. See State of travel 2023 , Skift Research, July 21, 2023. However, traditional travel is unique in that it is an inherently human-centric experience. The industry, therefore, has an opportunity—perhaps even a duty—to define what travel will look like in the digital age.

Most travel companies aim to provide exceptional service and deliver the perfect trip. But, instead of ease, excitement, and delight, travel operators too often fall short of meeting baseline expectations of timing and quality. In fact, nearly 80 percent of American travelers experienced at least one travel-related problem in the first half of 2023. 2 Lane Gillespie, “Survey: 77% of travelers plagued by travel problems amid booming season; more than half saw higher prices,” Bankrate, July 10, 2023.

In the 2021 report, Rebooting customer experience to bring back the magic of travel , McKinsey and Skift Research found that leisure travelers were eager to get back to the sky, water, and road—so much so, that they were often willing to overlook customer-service issues and inconveniences. Customer satisfaction ratings at the time were high, even in a period of intense disruption when negative sentiment was on the rise. 3 Rebooting customer experience to bring back the magic of travel , a joint report from McKinsey and Skift Research, September 2021.

Today, that window of acceptance may have passed. Customer expectations are rising, and tolerance is wearing thin. Despite this, people still aspire to travel and, according to McKinsey’s ConsumerWise  Sentiment Survey, nearly a third of consumers intend to “splurge” on travel expenses in the next three months. 4 McKinsey ConsumerWise Global Sentiment Survey, August 2023, n=4,000. Through both established and new technologies, companies have the opportunity to keep the aspiration to travel alive by closing the persistent gap between the promise and reality of travel.

While larger companies may have more resources to develop in-house capabilities, a robust ecosystem of service providers makes new technologies accessible to companies of all sizes. According to McKinsey Digital estimates, companies that holistically address digital and analytics opportunities throughout their organizations have the potential to see a 15 to 25 percent earnings improvement.

A new report , The promise of travel in the age of AI , produced by McKinsey and Skift Research offers use cases and success stories that detail how technologies are being used, drawing from interviews with executives at 17 companies across five types of travel business. It explores how companies apply advanced data science to better understand and serve customers, delves into how digital and analytics tools can improve products and services, and examines how new technologies augment workforce capabilities and unlock operational capacity. This article highlights some key findings.

Know your customers like you know your friends

Over the past two decades, the variety and volume of customer data that travel companies can capture has increased dramatically; new tools and technologies such as AI-powered assistants are only accelerating this trend. However, this data is often difficult to process and does not always paint a full picture of the customer. Companies may turn to third-party sources to complete their understanding—combining and distilling commercial, operational, financial, and behavioral inputs. Robust marketing technologies can then help distinguish the “signal” from the “noise” in the data to better predict customer behavior.

Having gained a clear and comprehensive understanding, companies can create customer segments to guide how they interact with and serve different customers. Depending on the data available and the analytics capabilities at hand, segmentation can range from grouping customers into segments based on a single macro characteristic (e.g., business versus leisure) to individual “segments of one,” known as hyper-segmentation.

Drilling down to segments of one can enable hyper-personalization, which is broadly defined as the ability to uniquely tailor touchpoints to an individual customer’s needs, preferences, and behaviors. At its core, hyper-personalization is not only about increasing conversion rates, but about providing the customer with an end-to-end experience adapted to their specific context. Considering the level of personalization that is becoming the norm in many aspects of daily life, companies are adopting an ongoing test-and-learn approach to ensure their offers and actions resonate with customers’ rising expectations.

Hyper-personalization can also help companies rebuild trust if operations have gone wrong. Personalized communication reassures customers that they are at the forefront of the company’s mind and instills confidence that a thoughtful recovery plan is in place. For example, companies may share real-time status updates in moments of disruption and provide tailored solutions, or even proactive compensation, to ensure customers feel individually taken care of.

Design your products to surprise and delight

Recent advances are pushing the boundaries of what technology can accomplish. Nothing illustrates this better than the meteoric rise of AI platforms like ChatGPT which garnered one million users in only five days. 5 Steve Mollman, “ChatGPT gained 1 million users in under a week. Here’s why the AI chatbot is primed to disrupt search as we know it,” Yahoo News, December 9, 2022. While this pace of adoption may feel unsettling, it provides an impetus for companies to reimagine their product design and delivery using AI and digitization.

Historically, capabilities such as language, creativity, and aesthetic judgment—once considered uniquely human—could not be scaled through technology. AI, particularly gen AI, offers a new way to augment and scale these capabilities with the potential for enormous benefits: according to McKinsey research , generative AI has the potential to unlock between $2 trillion and $4 trillion in annual value across industries. 6 The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier , McKinsey, June 14, 2023. In the travel context, gen AI could take the form of a digital assistant that interacts with customers throughout the journey. It can provide personalized trip itineraries during discovery and booking, offer tailored recommendations based on preferences and real-time constraints during the trip, and help resolve unexpected disruptions.

However, AI is only part of the answer. Established digital technology also helps companies deliver on commitments made to customers. Many of these digital assets and tools rely on common systems and capabilities, making them widely attainable—freeing up staff to provide better face-to-face services and build relationships through the human touch. Several such applications can boost guest satisfaction and reduce points of friction in hotels, including guest apps, digital check-ins, digital room keys, and in-room tech. The magnitude of these individual tools is amplified when seamlessly integrated together, making it easier for customers to use digital applications throughout their hotel stay.

Empower your workforce to follow through on promises made

An engaged and productive workforce enables the delivery of experiences and products that satisfy customers. However, the travel industry faces structural labor hurdles and high turnover which makes attracting, training, and retaining top talent challenging. Fortunately, the industry can enhance and scale the capacity of its existing workforce by equipping the frontline with the right tools at the right time. This can free up employees to focus on the things they enjoy most and that make the travel industry tick: quality personal interactions with customers, in essence, the human touch.

Two promising opportunities to improve workforce and operational performance through technology stand out across the travel industry: augmenting frontline capacity and upskilling talent.

In the travel industry today, complex decisions still rely on human expertise and outdated technology such as greenscreen or rudimentary interfaces. This leads to a best-guess approach, the risk of negative outcomes, and a steep learning curve. Travel companies are developing new tools  for the frontline to process complex inputs and help guide “day-of” decision making. For example, advanced simulation models such as digital twins allow companies to conduct rapid “what-if” analyses and provide real-time guidance to the frontline.

According to McKinsey research , new technology, including gen AI, is also shortening training times for new hires while rapidly upskilling the existing workforce. For instance, virtual and augmented reality are used to simulate real-life scenarios to prepare frontline employees to hit the ground running, and gen-AI-enabled "teaching assistants” provide personalized coaching based on individual performance. 7 “ The organization of the future: Enabled by gen AI, driven by people ,” McKinsey, September 19, 2023.

Travel is ripe for innovation

Checklist for the age of ai.

Some travel companies are already successfully deploying digital technology, AI, and ML to reshape how they interact with customers, develop and deliver products and services, and manage people and operations. They’ve taken the following actions—are you on track?

General considerations

• created a digital wish list—as if the company had infinite time and resources
• prioritized wish list based on potential short- and long-term benefits as well as the company’s strategic vision and available resources
• assessed the skills and talent necessary to execute against the prioritized wish list
• built the right team and identified roadmap to fill remaining gaps
• inventoried existing internal customer data
• determined which data variables drive customer behavior and predict customer buying decisions
• identified relevant third-party data and integrated with internal data to build a complete customer picture
• considered using a robust MarTech stack to continuously learn and evolve with customers
• defined a dynamic segmentation and personalization approach based on customer personas
• adopted test-and-learn mindset to continually implement and refine
• mapped the end-to-end customer journey and identified pain points
• used analytics to determine which pain points impact customers the most
• considered new technology (like AI) to enhance and reimagine the customer journey
• brainstormed improvements to current digital offerings that would minimize pain points (such as more timely communication)
• built a product roadmap based on timing and importance of features
• diagnosed top day-to-day employee pain points
• determined if digital tools can resolve top pain points (for example, automate repetitive tasks)
• provided workforce with real-time visibility into critical areas of daily operations
• used simulation models to plan for multiple future-state scenarios
• built decision-making tools (such as digital twins) to choose optimal solutions for complex problems
• defined opportunities to improve training (using tools such as simulation training, VR, AR) and provide feedback (using smart-AI tool)

We believe this is a moment of optimism for the industry. Between reclaiming its historical share of GDP, benefiting from the ongoing corporate travel recovery, and catering to consumer demand for unique experiences, the stage is set for travel’s accelerated growth. Looking ahead, travel is forecasted to grow at an average of 5.8 percent a year through 2032—more than double the expected growth rate of the overall economy (at 2.7 percent a year). 8 “Travel & Tourism sector expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade,” World Travel & Tourism Council, April 21, 2023.

This does not mean that travel companies can simply sit back and reap the benefits. Existing and new technologies provide an avenue for companies to capture their share of the industry’s anticipated growth by resetting how they interact with customers, deliver products and services, and empower their workforce. Fortunately, there are a growing number of ways—build, buy, or partner—to help companies get started. The only wrong move is no move.

Susann Almasi is an associate partner in McKinsey’s Carolinas office, Alex Cosmas is a partner in the New York office, Sam Cowan is a consultant in the Minneapolis office, and Ben Ellencweig is a senior partner in the Stamford office.

The authors wish to thank Skift’s Pranavi Agarwal, Seth Borko, and Wouter Geerts as well as McKinsey’s Marisa Ancona, Danielle Bozarth, Vik Krishnan, Nina Lind, Elena Patel, Alessandra Powell, Jules Seeley, and Nirva Vassa, for their contributions to this article.

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The 3 best travel backpacks for men (also good for work).

Explore the top hands-free travel bag options for every type of journey.

The Best Travel Backpacks for Men

Courtesy of Peak Design

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is the top backpack choice for men.

Whether you're into rugged adventures in the wilderness or getting lost in bustling cities, a backpack may be the most essential piece of travel gear there is. If you choose your pack right, it doesn't need to be something you only use for your vacation: Some of the best options out there are ideal for both leisure and business travelers, and they're so stylish and professional that you can easily take them with you to work. No matter what kind of traveler you are, this trio of the best backpack options – compiled with the help of travel experts and consumer reviews – has got you covered.

Read on to discover the top travel backpacks for men from U.S. News.

The Top 3 Travel Backpacks for Men

• Best Overall: Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
• Jump to features and traveler insights ↓

Best Overall, Budget Pick: Inateck 40L 17-Inch Carry On Travel Backpack

Best small: zomake ultra lightweight packable backpack 25l.

For more information on how to choose a backpack for travel – and how to pack it – check out the FAQ section at the bottom of this page.

(Note: Prices were accurate at the time of publication; they may fluctuate due to various factors. We update this article quarterly to ensure the bags we're recommending are in stock and continue to have great overall reviews from consumers, while also considering new product launches. Dimensions are listed in order of length by height by width.)

Best Overall Travel Backpack: Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

Dimensions: 13 x 22 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 4.5 pounds

What sets it apart: If you're looking for the ultimate in convenience while traveling, Peak Design's 45-liter Travel Backpack is a serious winner. The bag's two main compartments can be accessed from the front, back and sides, so there's no need to stress about accessing those socks or shirts you packed in the deepest part of the bag. It's the kind of bag where everything has its place: There are mesh pockets inside the main compartments, two hidden external pockets for valuables like your passport, and an easy-to-access top pocket on the outside for anything you need to get quickly, from keys to boarding passes. A padded sleeve inside also helps to keep your laptop or tablet safe. There are also straps to attach equipment like a tripod to the outside of the bag.

The Travel Backpack isn't just for weekend trips – if you're not a compulsive overpacker, it's feasible to use this as your main piece of luggage for a weeklong trip or more. The bag can be both expanded and contracted beyond this size, in case you do some shopping along the way or want to use it as a daypack. In its non-expanded form, this carry-on backpack is also within the size limits of many international airlines and some domestic ones. It's only a half-inch too deep for some airlines like United and Delta, so if the bag isn't jam-packed, you may still be able to get it on board – although this is very much at your own risk.

With an industrial-strength nylon-canvas shell that's waterproof, this backpack is also a safe bet for outdoorsy travelers who may be exposed to the elements. You can choose between two colors: classic black, or the muted-green sage option. Travelers looking to save have the option to buy pre-owned backpacks directly from Peak Design's website for substantially reduced prices (although stock and prices for these secondhand items vary).

Travelers appreciate: Owners of this bag praise it for its massive capacity, with several saying it is deceptively small for the amount of clothes, shoes and toiletries the bag can fit.

Price: $299.99 or less Shop now: Peak Design | Best Buy

Dimensions: 21.65 x 13.4 x 7.87 inches | Weight: 3.52 pounds

What sets it apart: This sleek black backpack from German company Inateck checks a lot of boxes. It's both professional and stylish, with plenty of capacity for a weekend trip or longer, and with a price tag under $60. With a rectangular shape and a main compartment that can be zipped open, this 40-liter bag can be packed like a suitcase. That compartment also has mesh pockets with zips so that you can squirrel away smaller items without losing them in the bag's spacious interior.

A smaller zippered compartment that sits next to the wearer's back offers a safe place to stash a 17-inch laptop and a 13-inch tablet, as needed. Security-conscious travelers, take note: Both the laptop compartment and main compartment feature dual zippers that can be locked (although you'll need to provide the lock).

There are two smaller pockets on the front of the bag for easy access to essential items while traveling, and a semi-hidden pocket on the back (which would sit alongside your body) as a safe place for passports and other valuables. If you're not using the bag's full capacity, there are also compression straps to make the pack a little more compact. The company also includes a waterproof cover in case you're traveling through rainy weather.

Given its size, this Inateck pack should be accepted as cabin baggage on a fairly wide range of airlines both domestic and international. Of course, be sure to double-check your airline's baggage rules, as a limited number of airlines draw the line at 21 or 21.5 inches in height, such as Aeroméxico, Air Canada and Canadian carrier Westjet.

Travelers appreciate: Buyers of this bag rave about how much it can fit and its hidden pockets. Many note its lightweight construction makes it comfortable to carry, and that it works well for business travelers.

Price: $58.99 or less Shop now: Inateck | Amazon

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Dimensions: 16 x 10.6 x 7.9 inches | Weight: 0.64 pounds

For a small but mighty bag that's ideal for day trips up to overnight or weekend trips, look no further than this uber-functional option from Chinese company Zomake. Sold in a wide selection of colors from neutral black or gray to light blue or bright orange, this lightweight pack is made with water-resistant nylon for anyone embarking on outdoor activities.

The backpack offers three zippered compartments: The main chamber should comfortably store bulkier items like everyday clothes or a light jacket, as well as a small to midsized laptop up to around 15 inches.. Meanwhile, two front pockets offer easy access to essentials like snacks, important documents, a cell phone, or whatever else you may need to access quickly or repeatedly. There are two mesh pockets on the side for water bottles or other necessities.

For flyers, this backpack could count as your personal item, leaving you free to bring another main piece of carry-on luggage if your airline ticket allows this. Alternatively, the bag can be folded up into a tiny pouch measuring 5.5 by 6.7 inches – so if you're on a bigger trip, you can pack it in your other luggage and grab it out for day-to-day use while traveling.

If you're in need of something bigger or smaller, Zomake has a range of other bags with similar designs, mostly around the $20 mark.

Travelers appreciate: Wearers of this bag like the wide and comfortable straps, along with the amount of items that fit in the bag, and the way it folds and packs easily

Price: $20.99 or less Shop now: Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many details to consider when it comes to choosing the perfect travel backpack. Whether you want it big or small, stylish or functional, or equipped to protect laptops and other important items, one of the most important features to look for is the bag's organizational layout.

Rudy Maxa, host of the TV series "Rudy Maxa's World" and a convert to travel backpacks, likes options with lots of nooks and crannies to hold everything from earphones to magazines to travel documents. Wendy Perrin, travel expert and founder of travel planning site WendyPerrin.com, agrees, saying she's a fan of compartments when it comes to her travel backpack and likes the ability to get to her items quickly.

Tom Wahlin, travel gear expert and founder of Pack Hacker, says he prefers a backpack that combines spacious sections with smart organization. He recommends using packing cubes to organize items in the backpack's main compartment.

Weight should be a consideration as well. While you may need something more durable for long outdoor adventures or round-the-world trips, a lightweight travel bag can be easier and more comfortable on your back for daytrips, sightseeing or day-to-day travels. Wahlin errs on the side of going lighter, noting a backpack can be both lightweight and durable. (However, if a heavier bag has the appropriate supports, such as chest or hip straps, the bag's weight may be less of an issue.)

Wahlin also suggests choosing a bag with durable zippers. "We typically look for Japanese YKK zippers," he says. "They're tried and tested and are on most of the best bags out there."

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question – the perfectly sized backpack might depend on whether you're a heavy packer, whether you need it for multiday trips or quick flights, and various other factors. However, there are still some general guidelines to consider. Take note: Backpacks are usually measured by their volume in liters, even in the United States.

If you only need a smaller backpack – for example, for daylong excursions or to carry on the plane while most of your stuff goes in a separate suitcase – a 20-liter (5.3-gallon) backpack should suffice. If you're using a backpack as your primary baggage, you'll want to choose something a little larger. Bags in the 25- to 30-liter range are usually considered good for shorter trips, from an overnight stay or weekend away up to five nights (at least if you pack wisely). For longer trips where your backpack is your main luggage, you may need a pack with a volume of up to 40 or 45 liters.

But, pay attention: If your travel plans involve flying, make sure that you're bringing a backpack that fits within the carry-on limits of every airline you'll be taking. This is particularly important if you're flying with budget airlines, as they tend to have more restrictive rules on baggage size (and often enforce those rules rather strictly). Backpacks with a volume of 35 liters or less should be accepted on most airlines, and you may be able to take a backpack of up to 45 liters on airlines with a more generous allowance, so check with your carrier before you leave.

Think about two things when preparing your backpack for travel: what to pack and how to pack it. If you're bringing a backpack in addition to other luggage such as a checked suitcase , try to put only the necessities in the backpack. For a long flight, for example, these items could include important travel documents like passports and boarding passes; a few basic toiletries such as your toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant; a laptop or tablet for work or entertainment (plus headphones); some extra clothing (especially if you're going someplace with a different climate); and snacks and a bottle of water or something to drink.

If you're flying, remember to comply with the Transportation Security Administration's rules for what's allowed in your carry-on : Containers of liquids and the like can't exceed 3.4 ounces each and must fit in a quart-sized bag, so you can't bring drinks through airport security, although an empty water bottle is allowed.

When you're packing your bag, keep the items you'll need more often in the most accessible places. So, consider putting your passport , headphones and lip balm somewhere close, such as the exterior pocket – and definitely not at the bottom of the main compartment underneath all your other possessions.

Once you've put those necessities in easy-to-reach places, you can pack the rest of your belongings and travel accessories . Think about weight distribution here: Ideally, you'll want to put the heaviest items (for example, laptops) close to your body, so your backpack won't weigh so heavily on your shoulders and will be more comfortable. Pay extra attention when packing delicate or breakable items, like sunglasses or electronics. It's best to put these in the exterior pockets of your pack so they can't be crushed by heavy items in the larger main pockets. Protective cases are also a wise purchase for items like glasses. Of course, if you're carrying a laptop or tablet and your backpack has dedicated pockets or sleeves for these items, use them.

Read: Things You Should Always Pack in Your Carry-on Bag

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Tim Forster is a U.S. News & World Report contributor. As someone who mostly travels with carry-on luggage, he's an expert when it comes to backpacks. Forster used his travel experience and research expertise to write this article.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Travel Toiletry Bags
• The Top Fanny Packs
• The Top Travel Neck Pillows
• The Top Sleeping Bags for Backpacking and Camping
• The Top Carry-on Luggage Pieces

Tags: Travel , Travel Gear

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Nighttime paving on M-553 set for next week

June 17, 2024

MARQUETTE, Mich. - Motorists should expect single-lane closures on M-553 between Division Street and US-41 in Marquette for nighttime paving work beginning June 24 as part of the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) rebuilding project.

Beginning at 7 p.m. each evening, one lane will be open in each direction on M-553. The closures are expected to be lifted by 7 a.m. the following mornings. This nighttime paving work is expected to be completed by June 28.

This work is weather dependent, and the schedule is subject to change.

The work is part of MDOT’s $1 million investment to mill and resurface about 2 miles of M-553. Work will include asphalt milling and paving, sidewalk ramps, curb and gutter, and pavement markings. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 12 jobs.

Work started May 20 and the overall project is expected to be completed in August.

Media Contact:

Dan Weingarten

MDOT Superior Region Media Representative

[email protected]

906-250-4809

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Bose named Fulbright Scholar

Arpita Bose , an associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2024-25. The award, granted by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Program, will allow her to spend three months continuing her bacterial research at the University of Mons in Belgium. 

Bose will study a class of purple “phototrophic” bacteria that can harvest light for energy. She’s interested in harnessing the microbes for green technologies, including the production of bioplastics from biological compounds found in wastewater.

Read more on The Ampersand website.

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