The rise of the working holiday

You might think you’re taking a holiday to get away from it all, but the truth is that connectivity while on the move is an increasingly important consideration for us all. We’ve all heard that the freelance economy is on the up, especially within the UK, where the Office for National Statistics recently recorded a whopping one in seven of the workforce are self-employed. Whether accessing your inbox while abroad or committing to a full work schedule during your annual family break, increasing numbers of us are showing a reluctance to leave the daily grind behind, opting to work remotely whenever possible.

Communal workspaces, convenient mobile apps and a greater emphasis on increasing WiFi connectivity across the globe are all helping us to keep on top of the 9 to 5 from far off destinations. Here are just a few of the most popular working holiday options out there.

Cruise holidays

Communal workspaces on board many modern cruise ships provide the perfect place to get to grips with your emails while out of the office. Countless entrepreneurs have blogged about the merits of distraction-free work at sea, and many cruise lines have dedicated computer areas if you’re up for collaborating and networking.

Major lines are working with leading tech minds to integrate fast and reliable wireless internet into their ships, as well as rethinking their pricing strategies. This is all being done to attract entrepreneurs and businesses to conduct meetings, seminars and thinktank sessions at sea, while discount cruise retailers are making it a more affordable option for those wanting to bring the whole family along. There’s even the opportunity to connect with foreign clients as you travel. After all, there’s nothing stopping you from conducting face-to-face meetings when you touch down in nearby ports.

House swaps

For many of us, our experience of house swapping fails to go beyond the reaches of our annual screening of The Holiday every festive season. House swaps are a viable option in the real world too however, with websites like Love Home Swap providing opportunities to trade places with likeminded people across the world.

Among the many benefits of house swapping is the potential for quick and easy connectivity. Choose to stay somewhere with a home office and you’ll have the freedom to come and go as you please, switching effortlessly between getting to grips with work back at home and living like a local in your new destination. What’s more, house swapping can be a relatively low-cost option for those looking to take a break from everyday life in a pinch.

Camping breaks

Think of a holiday that benefits from all the mod cons needed to work away from home, and camping probably couldn’t be further from your mind. It’s still possible to find traditional campsite holidays where sleeping on the floor and sharing one shower with hundreds of fellow visitors are all part of the experience, but all over the world more and more sites and holiday parks are adapting to meet the needs of the working holidaymaker.

Companies like Camping Connect are working to install fast connectivity across a number of more secluded leisure facilities, giving guests the option of checking in online while still enjoying all that the outside world has to offer. If you decide to take it one step further, there’s also the option of exploring shared workspaces that are wholly inspired by the outdoors.

 Have you ever considered taking a working holiday? If so, what are your top tips for getting away from it all while still keeping your finger on the pulse?