Three small villages far in the north and worried about depopulation are offering digital nomads free housing and office space to work remotely from, well, very remote locations.
The Arctic Digital Nomads Stipend is being offered by Geiranger, Norway, Thingeyri in Iceland and Vágur in the Faroe Islands. Goal of the initiative is to widen local occupations beyond farming and fishing; the towns hope that the nomads will choose to stay, perhaps permanently.
Geiranger, in particular, has a busy summer season with tourists and cruise visitors, but shrinks to its core population in winter. It’s located in the West Norwegian Fjords, a UNESCO World Heritage area. It’s at the end of a branch of the larger Storfjord. A local spokesperson told reporters that “Winter is the dark, quiet time. We are probably looking for those who want to be quiet and get inspiration from nature. And they also have to tolerate living here when it’s dark.”
Image: admiratio/Unsplash
