Is It Tourism or Is It Remote Work? The Line Is Getting Blurry

Campaigns to promote destinations as ideal remote work spots are becoming more sophisticated. So much so they're now unapologetically crossing over into mainstream tourism. In the U.S., West Virginia’s success in attracting people with a $12,000 cash bonus, free co-working space and a free outdoor recreation package for two years — which Skift briefly covered here — has taken its tourism department by surprise. The Ascend WV campaign website has notched up more than 175,000 unique website visitors so far, with 6,500 people from 50 states in the U.S. (and 67 countries) applying. It launched April 12, and closes May 31, 2021. [caption id="attachment_428784" align="alignright" width="300"] Chelsea Ruby, secretary, West Virginia Department of Tourism. Picture: West Virginia Department of Tourism[/caption] The multi-year program, which starts in Morgantown, but later extends to Lewisburg and Shepherdstown, could be one of the country's first tourism-led initiatives to intert