Digital nomadism in heritage-rich communities

The 500-year history of Idrija began with the discovery of a rare and valuable liquid metal: mercury. The exciting discovery drew many miners into the valley that soon saw the development of a lively mining settlement, topped with a mining castle Gewerkenegg since 1533. With the discovery of the amalgamation procedure accompanying the discovery of South American silver and gold mines, mercury gained recognition and the Idrija mine soon became the second largest producer of this sole liquid metal in the world, while abroad it was renowned for its excellent technical equipment. As the mine closed in the second half of 20th Century, Idrija’s economy has transformed into an automotive industry with two large multinational corporations and their production sites. On the other hand, the many remains of the mine and its operations have been protected and in 2012 inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List due to the global importance and impact of mercury mining on the development of the post-Columbian world. Besides the mining heritage, also the heritage of lacemaking is inscribed on UNESCO list of intangible heritage, as well as the Geopark.
For decades, rural areas and smaller industrial cities in Europe have been experiencing the outmigration of young people and ageing of the population, leading to stagnation in regional development, social polarization, impoverishment, underutilized public infrastructure and a negative image of these areas. Since the economic crisis of 2008, intra-EU migration has intensified, and many young people have moved to larger urban areas in search of better opportunities.
At the same time, due to the digitalization of jobs and the emergence of new industries (digital content creation, digital marketing, online sales), a different trend began – an increase in remote work, significantly increased during the COVID-19 epidemic. At the same time, the related trend of “digital nomadism” has started.
The term “digital nomads” describes people who travel freely while working remotely using technology and the internet. Such people generally have minimal material possessions and work remotely in temporary housing, hotels, cafes, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles, using Wi-Fi, smartphones, or mobile hotspots to access the Internet. The majority of digital nomads describe themselves as programmers, content creators, designers, or developers. Unlike remote workers who spend most of their time in a home office, digital nomads take advantage of not being tied to a desk and use that freedom to travel and explore the world. Different types of digital nomadism will be taken into account (arts and culture, IT, marketing, sales).
A survey within Erasmus+ NomadLand project, coordinated by ID20 Institute from Idrija, stressed the importance of local community engagement during their stay. As strong community connections characterise rural communities, these areas can be an ideal location for (digital) work and the living of digital nomads. Skilled and high-quality youth work could therefore provide positive effects for both digital nomads and local communities.