With crypto going mainstream, people are going to migrate more, or spend time outside their native country quite often. I'm not talking about migrants with zero skills that are fleeing their country, hoping to live on government handouts in another country. I'm talking on people being full in crypto. When you have your "office" in your backpack, there's no obstacle to work from wherever you like.
Not long ago I have posted about how some countries are introducing the digital nomad visa and what the requirements are for getting such a visa. This is the first step towards inviting people in the country, but it is far from enough. This digital nomad visa is not valid for crypto, so a crypto nomad visa still has to be adopted worldwide. However, that's not enough on its own.
Yesterday I came across an article published by euronews.travel, about the top European countries for English speakers.
Yes, that's right, language will be your first problem in case you'd like to move to another country, if you don't speak the language and where English is not an official language.
If you don't plan to settle down in your chosen country and only plan to stay a few months or a year, chances for you to learn the language are slim to none as no one wants to spend time learning a language you may never use. Not to mention some are terrible at learning languages and even if they have a strong will, their evolution may be way to slow compared to the requirements.
But Britons are notoriously terrible at learning languages. With surveys often condemning them as the ‘worst in Europe’. A study by the European Commission in 2020 discovered that 62 per cent of those surveyed in the UK couldn’t speak a second language, compared to 56 per cent of people in the EU who can speak at least one. source
I know some of the Britons will feel offended, but don't shoot me for this as it's not my ascertainment, I'm just quoting it, but it supports what I was saying earlier.
Obviously as a country you can't pick which people you'd like to welcome as money is money and any money brought from outside the country and spent in the country benefits the economy.
For a couple of years now I've been trying to observe to what degree is my country ready to welcome foreigners for longer stay. Some of the services are available in English as well, like banking, phone and internet services. Menus can also be found in English in some places as it is a must if you want to attract as many tourists as possible. The younger generation already speaks English as they know without it life would be difficult outside the country, plus with all the gadgets we have today, the games and crypto, you need to know English if you want to succeed. Yet, Romania is 15th on the list, which is not a good position, not by far.
Out of curiosity, I have checked a few local authority websites to see how can you handle official matters. Well, the Brit flag is there, but when you click it, you get the Romanian menu or a mix of the two, which makes no sense.
However, not all the countries are unprepared. The maximum number of points countries could get on this list has been 800, non of the countries have been able to reach it, but still countries with famous tourist destinations are on the top of the list.
Countries like The Netherlands, Austria and the ones that follow, can't afford to lose the income they get every year from tourism, so they have already taken the necessary steps for foreigners to feel safe and cared for in their country.
Three years ago I've been to Austria and can certify that you can go everywhere, without any problems, even if you don't speak German. They are friendly, no matter where you go. Even those who speak only German were trying to help.
The biggest disappointment is Italy, which according to the article, is at the bottom of the list with 533 points. You may think the tourism sector in Italy is not important, but you are very wrong.
Italy is the fifth most visited country in international tourism, with a total of 52.3 million international arrivals in 2016. The total contribution of travel & tourism to GDP (including wider effects from investment, the supply chain and induced income impacts) was EUR162.7bn in 2014 (10.1% of GDP) and generated 1,082,000 jobs directly in 2014 (4.8% of total employment). source
With all the historical beauties the country has to offer, they are at the top of the tourist destination list.
This is a new era, where borders are not stopping people from traveling. Jobs are not what they used to be, with all the existing technology and development, you can pick up your laptop and work from every place that has a good internet connection.
You can choose to spend your money you earn in a country, where life is cheaper and move every three months if you like.
With all the economical problems we are facing, countries should be open to welcoming those willing to stay for a limited time. Therefore, change is a must. Right now it doesn't look like there's a competition, but once the pandemic will no longer be a problem, the race will begin.
Smart countries will get ahead and do what it needs to be done. The rest will struggle while rejecting change.
My dream is to travel to some part of the world, document my journey throughout my photography and share it with the world if possible. I'm not saying I could not do it if there was no covid, but it's better to have some legal ground to stay longer in a country if needed. It is better to have a visa and do things right. The pandemic is a major setback in every regards and I don't see when we're going to be able to get rid of it, but I hope it's going to happen soon and then things can change.