You’ve heard of the term ‘digital nomad’, but what about ‘slow traveller’? The explanation really is in the name.
Photo by Matheus de Souza on Unsplash
Slow travellers are digital nomads that live and work remotely, but they prefer to stay in one location for a longer stay of typically 1-3+ months.
Slow travellers tend to be seasoned travellers who have learned what they want from their travel experience. Seeking more comfort and stability with a place abroad that is more like a ‘home-away-from-home.
This is why remote workers, those with seasonal work who travel in the off-season (such as teachers), and retirees are more likely to fall into this category.
As of 2021, there were 35 million digital nomads across the world, according to DemandSage, and this number has been steadily rising.
Of these, more are choosing the slow travel lifestyle, and from this, a new trend has been born. Digital nomads are looking for more than just accommodation when it comes to their searches.
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Instead, their focus is on finding community. For proof of this, one only needs to look at comparable-quality private rooms in a hostel versus hotel rooms. You’ll be shocked to find that private rooms in a hostel are nearly always double the price!
This trend stems from one of the greatest challenges that slow travellers face, which is loneliness. 40% of digital nomads feel lonely either often or all the time and even decide to stop travelling due to feeling isolated, according to Passport-Photo Online’s 2023 survey. Hostels serve as a solution to this problem, but they only cater to the budget traveller niche.
Meanwhile, a recent Harris poll found that of all digital nomads working remotely in the US, 46% say that they have used Airbnb to find a remote working destination.
However, when looking for community and consistency, platforms such as Airbnb don’t always check all of the boxes. In fact, our research shows that there are currently no comprehensive platforms available that cater to this group of extended-stay travellers’ needs.
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Serai is working to create a solution to this problem, at least for those who find this issue worth paying a little extra to resolve. Serai will be a marketplace that promotes mid- and luxury-tier extended-stay accommodations with a focus on guaranteed comfort, turnkey amenities (such as high-speed wifi, a fully stocked kitchen, and a comfortable workspace), as well as community.
This creates a sense of belonging, no matter where you go. Allowing travellers the ability to book for 1-3 months at a time, in advance, without the fear of arriving and losing money on a space that isn’t right for them or simply does not match the representation of its space.
Serai was created by CEO Michelle Himden as the solution to a problem she saw from both sides. As owner of Cityami, a luxury furnished rental management and consulting company, she found there was no platform truly suited to the needs of extended-stay property managers and hoteliers.
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As a traveller and digital nomad for the last 5 years, she also saw the problem in finding those accommodations. Continuing this tradition, Serai almost exclusively hires digital nomads, with the belief that those who can live anywhere not only see the problem and live it firsthand but also have a unique ability to thrive in a creative and ever-changing landscape.
Michelle has spent the last decade working in furnished rentals. Four years ago, pre-pandemic, she began to see a huge shift in the way people travel, with extended-stay travellers now living ‘everywhere’.
This trend sharply increased with the rise of remote work that came from the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, 50% of guests staying at Cityami’s properties are slow travellers.
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Michelle explains the company’s innovative stance: “The modern extended stay or remote working traveller needs more than a new destination and a comfortable bed.
“They are searching for exciting experiences where they can return to the comfort of their home away from home at the end of the day.
“They want real interactions that last, not just in passing but in a stable, ongoing community. At Serai, we recognise the evolving needs of digital nomads, and we’re embracing this shift to focus on building these borderless communities around the world.”
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From co-working environments to curated events that foster relationship building, the extended-stay traveller is not just a guest in a higher-end accommodation but becomes an active part of a like-minded nomad family at these locations.
“Our ethos is about blending the boundaries between work, leisure, and connection. By cultivating communities in each of our partner’s locations, we ensure that our guests have the opportunity to create meaningful bonds, not just with the place but with its people.
“With the rise of travel, this nomad community has become fluid, with remote hotspots such as Bali, Baja California, and more being the current trend. We want to expand this to lesser-known areas to spread out the footprint across the globe,” Michelle Himden added.
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In a rapidly evolving travel landscape where the lines between work and wanderlust continue to blur, Serai’s pioneering approach stands as a testament to the future of travel.
As more professionals embrace the nomadic lifestyle, with an estimated 70% of work becoming remote by 2025, the demand for such integrated experiences will only surge.
Serai is currently seeking more partnerships with properties that align with their Extended Stay Digital Nomad Pilot Program’s objectives and criteria.
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This includes at least 10 professionally managed apartments or studios per property, high-quality mattresses, a fully stocked kitchen (with essentials, not food), a dedicated workspace, and reliable, high-speed WiFi of at least 30+ Mbps.
Serai’s team will guide those that are accepted with customised tips for catering to this demographic of travellers, with a focus on increasing occupancy and ANR.
Serai will also feature all accepted participants on their site and Instagram, with all content creation included. If you’re interested in listing your property on Serai, be sure to apply via their website before their available listing slots fill up.
