Western Macedonia: Digital nomad hosting plan

The main issues to be investigated are the general conditions for attracting digital nomads and in particular the legislative and tax framework that provides incentives for settling in Western Macedonia and especially in the above areas, the existence of networking infrastructure and a broader technology ecosystem that allows remote work and the suitability of the destination. The pandemic period, beyond the difficulties it created, gave ground for the creation of a new landscape in the way of working. As a result of the challenges faced by businesses, teleworking has come to the fore as the most appropriate solution for continuing their activity by exploiting the possibility of employing employees remotely. It is characteristic that before the pandemic only 7% of workers worldwide worked permanently from home, while after the pandemic this percentage exceeds 28% and increases further if the hybrid work regime that has expanded significantly is taken into account.

The framework of flexibility that emerged through teleworking has led to the creation of new trends in the workplace. One such trend is digital nomads who, either as employees or as self-employed, can work remotely from any part of the world. Professionals who do not necessarily need to be physically present at their work can work remotely, as long as they have access to high-speed telecommunications networks. Today, the ability to work from one's laptop while traveling and changing one's place of residence has become a symbol of the globalization and digitalization that characterizes the current decade.

Argos Orestiko 

Digital nomads can boost tourism revenues but also function as a vehicle to achieve the distribution of visitors to destinations in Western Macedonia and become the best ambassadors when they return to their countries.

Based on the above, it was deemed appropriate and imperative to study the phenomenon of digital nomads at an international, national and regional level, as well as to investigate the capable and necessary conditions for attracting, receiving and hosting them in destinations in Western Macedonia that are deemed suitable based on required criteria, with the ultimate goal of boosting local and regional income and extending the tourist season.

The energy crisis is changing the production model in Western Macedonia
The energy crisis has accelerated the need to review the country's energy model and to move away from lignite as the main fuel for electricity production and towards renewable energy sources. One can easily imagine the impact of this development on the Region of Western Macedonia, which is the most important lignite region in the country.

In such an environment of productive restructuring, the regions of Kastoria, Voio and Argos Orestiko are facing an additional economic challenge. The fur sector, which for many decades was the core of the economic boom of these regions, having undergone significant contraction since 2015, is facing significant challenges that call into question its sustainability prospects. Under these circumstances, the existing production model of these areas needs to be evaluated in light of the changes taking place and the new data needs to be taken into account for the composition of a plan that will lead their development in the coming years.

The Municipalities of Kastoria, Voio and Argos Orestikos have for decades exploited the fur production sector (processing, breeding, tanning, trade, etc.) as a key driver of their development. The sector is estimated to have employed more than 20,000 workers in 1990, mainly in small cottage industries. Today, their number is estimated at less than 3,000. According to the study "Strategic Plan for the Development of the Fur Industry in the Region of Western Macedonia", the contraction of the industry since 2015 is a continuation of the trend of previous years and the evolving new global economic crisis of fur, which mainly concerns the change in trade relations between the European Union and Russia as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war and secondarily the global economic crisis, the pandemic and the ecological movement. Although in its final finding the study concludes that the industry does not face permanent threats (lack of demand) that threaten its viability and that it can regain its competitiveness, laying new strong foundations that will create stability and reduce uncertainty, however the fact that 20 European Union member states have already completely or partially banned fur farming for animal welfare and public health reasons points towards a more unfavorable outlook for the sector.

In any case, the established contraction of the sector on the one hand and the strong trends of change in production models worldwide, make the formulation of an updated proposal for an economic model for the regions necessary. This proposal must describe in detail the existing production profile of the regions (Municipalities of Kastoria, Voio, Argos Orestiko), proceed with an analysis of the development prospects taking into account current data and conclude with a detailed economic development plan.