‘Workations’ are prolonged holidays, where travellers work from their chosen destinations. They’re a result of hybrid WFH models becoming more common, post-COVID.
In fact, research found that of the 1,009 Australian hybrid workers surveyed in August 2022, 88% of them reported having ‘worked from anywhere’ in 2022. The research, compiled by Market Research Society (MRS) Mortar, also found that 57% — 3 in 5 — extended their holidays by working from abroad.
“For an increasing number of workers, hybrid working offers the opportunity to work wherever we will be the most productive,” says Damien Sheehan, IWG Country Head for Australia, the world’s largest flexible workspace provider. “And thanks to cloud technology, that can be anywhere in the world, provided there’s a high-quality internet connection available.”
If you’re one of these hybrid workers looking to blend work and holiday, where are some of the best cities to visit? IWG compared 25 cities around the world already identified as being some of the best for workations. Cities were given marks out of 10 for climate, culture, accommodation, transport, food and drink, happiness, broadband speed and availability of flexible workspace.
Barcelona and Toronto tied for the top spot. Barcelona offers sun, sea, sand and a cosmopolitan atmosphere, along with an excellent transport system and a relatively low cost of living compared to other popular European cities.
Toronto, on the other hand, scored high for happiness of its residents, availability of affordable accommodation and wealth of flexible workspaces. It’s Canada’s largest city and has over 8,000 restaurants. Also, over 25% of the city is covered in forests and 18% is dedicated to parks, so there’s plenty of greenery for digital nomads to breathe in, too.
Completing the top three, Beijing scored an impressive 57.5 out of 90. It performed exceptionally well in categories like culture, accommodation and transport costs. The city presents visitors with a stark contrast between historic neighbourhoods with ancient alleyways and futuristic financial districts, a blend of traditional and modern China.
Sydney made the list too, though overall not scoring nearly as high as Barcelona and Toronto. Sydney did score highly in categories like climate and happiness, both with a score of 8.5 out of 10. The city offers working travellers a blend of harbourside views, picturesque beaches and foodie destinations like markets and festivals.
The full list is below.
| City | Total Score |
| Barcelona | 58.5 |
| Toronto | 58.5 |
| Beijing | 57.5 |
| Milan | 57 |
| New York | 56.5 |
| Rio de Janeiro | 55 |
| Amsterdam | 55 |
| Paris | 55 |
| Jakarta | 55 |
| Lisbon | 54.5 |
| Brussels | 54 |
| Budapest | 53.1 |
| Manila | 52.5 |
| LA | 52 |
| London | 51.5 |
| Buenos Aires | 51.5 |
| Warsaw | 51 |
| Mumbai | 50.5 |
| Berlin | 49 |
| Sofia | 48 |
| Singapore | 48 |
| Hong Kong | 47.5 |
| Sydney | 46.5 |
| Copenhagen | 45.5 |
| Tel Aviv | 44.5 |
| Dublin | 41.5 |
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