From leisure to labor: How workations are reshaping hospitality and destination marketing in the era of New Work

The rise of remote work, coupled with evolving traveler preferences, has created a new phenomenon called workations. This study explores the impact of workations on the hospitality industry and their role in the New Work paradigm. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and New Work concepts, we examine the motivations of workationers, and the adaptations hospitality providers have made to serve this emerging market. Through qualitative analysis of interviews with five hospitality industry experts and six workationers, we uncover key drivers behind the workation trend, including the desire for improved work-life integration, escapism, and the pursuit of novel experiences. Our findings reveal that successful workation offerings depend on providing environments that support autonomy, competence, and relatedness - the core tenets of self-determination theory. Destinations looking to capitalize on the workation trend could improve infrastructure and amenities, foster community integration, enhance work-life balance opportunities, and expand their long-term stay offerings. All in all, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on the intersection of work and tourism and offers insights into how destinations can leverage the workation trend to increase their competitiveness and resilience in a rapidly evolving tourism landscape. The analysis suggests that workations are more than a temporary trend. Instead, they represent a fundamental shift in how work, leisure, and travel are conceptualized and experienced in the era of New Work. • Workations embody New Work principles by combining remote work with tourism and reshaping hospitality offerings. • Self-Determination Theory shows that workationers choose locations based on autonomy, competence, relatedness. • Destinations can benefit by adapting infrastructure and services to the needs of workationers. • Workations are a promising marketing segment for destinations (longer stays, stabilizing seasonal tourism fluctuations).