A Global Backlash Against Digital Nomads Is Brewing

The generosity being shown to foreign entrepreneurs and freelancers is irking some people in Croatia. As Skift reported last week, the country has launched a campaign where 10 “digital nomads” will spend four weeks in Dubrovnik to help its government develop policies to better understand the needs of remote workers. But one local journalist has described the move as hypocritical to Skift. “Croatia has had a long-term problem, in terms of being too reliant on tourism. It’s a bad ecosystem for entrepreneurs, so this is seen as a slap in the face," said Ivan Brezak Brkan, founding editor and CEO of Netokracija — a media company dedicated to digital business, startups, marketing and culture. He pointed to a recent protest organised by the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association (UGP) in Zagreb, where people voiced concerns over discrimination towards entrepreneurs and the private sector. In particular, there’s been little in the way of tax breaks during the pandemic for locals.