Airbnb goes full on with “live and work from anywhere”, Klook launches workation scheme
FIRST it was Airbnb who declared that its employees can now “live and work anywhere”, offering these options – work from home or office, move anywhere in the country you work in without any change in compensation and travel and work around the world.
Now, it’s Klook taking the lead in Asia, but with a more modest programme – an all-new workcation initiative that enables its employees to travel and work from anywhere in the world.
It said that “with international travel steadily returning in full force, this progressive initiative hopes to inspire Klook’s employees to become globetrotters after two years of cabin fever.
“Combining work and leisure, the initiative allows employees to explore their destination of choice in their spare time and immerse in the local culture. Klook’s workcation initiative enables its employees to travel and work anywhere for up to 30 business days without tapping into their personal annual leave.”
“Many firms are now exploring hybrid working models with a work-from-home and work-at-office arrangement. But at Klook, we don’t build a brand tethered to our desks; we do so by exploring the world and seeking inspiration everywhere. At Klook, we are our biggest travel advocates, and that’s why I’m thrilled to announce our workcation initiative to allow our employees to travel and work anywhere in the world. Employees will not only continue to get their bills paid, but they will experience first-hand again the joys of traveling the world that many have missed the past two years,” said Cary Shek, vice president, people and culture, Klook.
Airbnb’s more ambitious “live and work from anywhere” credo comes with a mountain of complexities, which co-founder Brian Chesky acknowledged in his announcement, as he explained the details.
“Starting in September, you can live and work in over 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location. Everyone will still need a permanent address for tax and payroll purposes, but we’re excited to give you this level of flexibility. Most companies don’t do this because of the mountain of complexities with taxes, payroll, and time zone availability, but I hope we can open-source a solution so other companies can offer this flexibility as well.
“While you’ll be responsible for getting proper work authorization, we’re actively partnering with local governments to make it easier for more people to travel and work around the world. Today, 20+ countries offer remote work visas, and more are in the works. While working from different locations isn’t possible for everyone, I hope everyone can benefit from this flexibility when the time is right.”
Both companies are tapping into the same trend they see among their customers. Klook’s primary market are the millennials in Asia Pacific and it noted that many working professionals have grown accustomed to remote working and seeking respite for their well-being in the past couple of years.
Based on Klook’s internal data, outbound bookings grew three times in April compared to February, signalling that the travel bug is stronger than ever, with overseas travel back on the table. Singapore also leads the region in outbound bookings, closely followed by Thailand, and South Korea. Users across the region are also looking at destinations like Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
In line with the burgeoning workcation trend, a 2021 study from Google revealed that in the Asia Pacific, the average length of stay has extended significantly since 2019, from three-and-half days to five days (85% of the respondents), with one in four travellers planning to spend over two weeks. Travelers are also hyper-focused and do not want to travel through multiple countries across Southeast Asia like before the pandemic. Furthermore, a 2021 study revealed that frequent travellers are happier with their lives than people who don’t travel at all.
In the first quarter of 2022, Airbnb booked a record-breaking 102 million nights and experiences and posted revenue of $1.5 billion, up 70% compared to the first three months of last year. Long-term stays on Airbnb were at an all-time high in Q1 2022, more than doubling from Q1 2019. Nearly half of nights booked on Airbnb between January and March were for one week or more.
