The End of the Expat Lifestyle and How That Will Impact the Travel Industry
Photo Credit: One of the casualties of globalization, hyper-connectedness, direct flights, rising levels of nationalism — and a global pandemic — is most certainly the plum expat gig. Adobe / Merla
Skift Take
As the cushy expat gigs wind down in the world, what is needed from a policy standpoint to attract the new generation of talented, remote workers who can go wherever they please? And what does it all mean for travel's ecosystem?
On Experience
Colin Nagy is a marketing strategist and writes on customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his writing here.
One of the casualties of globalization, hyper-connectedness, direct flights, rising levels of nationalism — and a global pandemic — is most certainly the plum expat gig.
It’s not only a job but an aesthetic of sorts. The lifestyle is perpetuated mostly by large multinationals (think finance and insurance) and characterized by cushier-than-normal living.
Twenty years ago, if you were a New York-based banker that moved to Hong Kong for work, your very nice housing on the Peak was paid for, as was your children’s private school, and exclusive club membership. In many ways, these types of expats lived in bubbles where they mostly engaged with their own kind — the country they were parked in was little more than window dressing.
It was also a lingering vestige of colonialism — and all of the negative airs of superiority that implies. Many of those living this lifestyle followed a similar route to the one their countri
