Lanzarote and its challenges to attract digital nomads

Prices, lack of activities and internet speed are some of the disadvantages perceived by digital nomads

November 19 2022 (06:42 WET)
Updated in November 19 2022 (11:55 WET)
Digital nomad with computer

Digital nomads do not have a fixed home and use the internet to work and travel at the same time. One of their favorite places to do so is the Canary Islands, where they enjoy an average stay of 50 nights and spend almost three times as much as a conventional tourist. To do this, many look for collaborative centers to work and live, known as coworking and coliving centers.

In Lanzarote there are several successful collaborative spaces, but there have also been several closures on the island. At a time of enormous demand in Spain and in particular in the Canary Islands, the island seems to be falling behind, according to the digital nomads themselves. This report analyzes the possible causes.

Between January and November, 45,800 teleworkers of these characteristics arrived in the Canary Islands, according to Nomad List, the world's leading portal for digital nomads.

Nomad List considers Gran Canaria the best place in Spain to work, followed by Fuerteventura and Tenerife. Lanzarote ranks 18th.

Not all those who arrive are members of the portal, but there are differences between those who are and who evaluate the virtues and problems of each place.

To begin with, the numbers, Nomad List has 400 members working from Lanzarote, compared to 1,400 in Fuerteventura. In Tenerife there are 2,200 and in Gran Canaria 2,400. The latter is the most valued island by its users, who consider it the best place in Spain to telework. Fuerteventura is in second place, followed by Tenerife. Lanzarote ranks 18th.

Digital nomads make it clear that they love the Canary Islands for their climate, their freedoms, their good internet connection and many other parameters related to the quality of life. Although they positively value the health system, they identify the quality of the hospitals as disadvantages. They also point out the low level of English as a disadvantage and, curiously, they consider that "too many people smoke."

In the case of Lanzarote, they add the high prices and the lack of activities. Also the average Internet speed is the worst valued among the islands. Some experts consulted attribute the lower development of coworking in Lanzarote to the pandemic, as well as the instability of arrivals, which makes the sustainability of businesses difficult.

 

Analyzing the possible causes

With regard to the costs of living on the island, users of nomad list calculate monthly expenses in Lanzarote at $3,797, while in Gran Canaria they say $1,855 is enough. This could be a limiting effect for many teleworkers, but it is relative when one observes that places considered more expensive in Spain such as Alicante, Jávea or Valencia are ahead in the ranking of this reference portal.

As for the pandemic, it is true that many businesses closed, but it is an insufficient reason to explain the greater development of coworking in the other islands mentioned. Clear is the case of Fuerteventura, where despite having suffered an economic impact very similar to Lanzarote due to the pandemic, is experiencing a greater development of infrastructure for teleworkers.

In Lanzarote there are several successful businesses that have hit the key to make the teleworker feel comfortable on the island. Internet speed is key and Laura Sanz Naya, founder of Pitaya Coliving in Arrecife knows it: "What teleworkers demand most is good internet, that never fails, it is their main tool to work."

Pitaya Coliving also solves another of the factors mentioned, the instability of some digital nomads, since it focuses the business on accommodation, to which it provides collaborative spaces to work.

Clients teleworking at Coliving Pitaya facilities, in Arrecife
Clients teleworking at Coliving Pitaya facilities, in Arrecife

The coliving, which includes collaborative spaces to work, is the business model to attract teleworkers that is growing the most in the main Spanish cities such as Madrid or Barcelona. It is also a business model with more presence in Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura.

Another key for a business of this type to prosper, according to experts, is the possibilities of collaborating.

Pablo Maielli, founder of Coworking Guru Lanzarote in the Villa de Teguise explains: "In addition to offering a space to work individually, we also collaborate in open source projects where anyone can collaborate, contribute their own and create something of value."

"We organize talks every two weeks where coworking participants can delve into certain topics. Everyone is free to organize a talk, present a topic," adds Maielli.

In fact, Coworking Guru Lanzarote has recently organized a talk with great public success at the headquarters of Magma Innovation Services, the innovation and digitalization unit of Grupo Martínez.

Gurú Lanzarote facilities, in the Villa de Teguise.
Coworking Guru Lanzarote facilities, in the Villa de Teguise.

But the sense of community does not end there. "Many professional collaborations arise" explains Sanz.

"In Pitaya, for example, a sales manager and a translator were staying. The former's company was looking for a translator for its website and now she is the one doing it," she illustrates.

Also social and cultural such as dinners, yoga classes, walks... Sanz sums it up like this: "What they want is to live with other people to collaborate and make plans together with like-minded people."

Lanzarote is still in time to attract more digital nomads, but the administrations will have to reflect on how to make the island more attractive for these teleworkers and support the leading centers that are creating or will create the necessary infrastructure. Otherwise, the tendency to go to the neighboring islands will only increase.

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