05.08.2021.

BelgradeGets.digital platform attracts digital nomads to Serbia's capital

Beograd, June 17 - The Digital Serbia initiative and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched BelgradeGets.digital - a website promoting Belgrade as a life and work destination for digital nomads and other digital professionals from all over the world.

With the pandemic expected to ease, more and more countries are launching international promotions aimed at digital nomads - among them exotic tourist destinations such as Barbados and Costa Rica, but also European countries such as the Czech Republic and Estonia, or Croatia and Montenegro in our immediate neighborhood.

BelgradeGets.digital is an initiative grown by the local digital and startup community to help Belgrade retain its title as one of the 20 most popular destinations according to the users of Nomad List, a site that brings together the world's largest network of digital nomads. The project will also introduce Belgrade in a new light to people who may have not been digital nomads before the pandemic, but who are now turning "work from home" into "work from anywhere".

The BelgradeGets.digital is a platform built on an earlier initiative to position Belgrade on the global digital map, led by Nova Iskra, the SHARE Foundation, and Startit. The platform provides practical information and advice on getting to Belgrade, choosing a place to stay and a place to work, as well as discovering pleasant environments for relaxing. There are also tips for cultural events and local food. Users can get additional support in the form of free legal vouchers - for consulting lawyers or accountants on administrative procedures. Finally, BelgradeGets.digital presents the experiences of other digital nomads from all over the world who have already stayed in our capital –through video interviews and direct contact with people in the network of "Belgrade Ambassadors".

"The Digital Serbia Initiative joined this project almost a year ago because we believe that this kind of positioning benefits the local community: it expands the network of digital professionals who bring crucial knowledge and international contacts and create new opportunities, it improves the global reputation of our capital, and builds its image as a hub for the region’s digital economy", says Tijana Stefanović from this non-profit organization.

Development of the platform benefited from research and testing with nomads who had previously visited Belgrade, as well as from numerous conversations with nomads who have yet to visit our country. The results of this research were published last year in the report "Digital Nomad Scanner".

"The UNDP Accelerator Lab supports the BelgradeGets.digital initiative because we want digital professionals considering the nomad lifestyle to choose Belgrade as their starting point, and we want to ensure they have the information they need to make this choice in one place. The pandemic and remote work are changing the way we imagine the future of work, the workplace, of how and where we do our business. The trend of remote work could be significant for Serbia and the region since it could affect the direction and intensity of economic migration," said Kristina Jazinka Nikolić from the UNDP.

BelgradeGets.digital shows Belgrade as an imperfect but authentic European city always ready for change and one that can attract digital professionals with its honesty, openness, and cosmopolitan spirit. An added bonus is the extremely lively digital and startup scene, which has been attracting more and more international attention in recent years.

The GRAD Cultural Center has also been involved in the development of the project, while the DIRECT MEDIA United Solutions agency, as a member of the Digital Serbia Initiative, has contributed to the development of a dynamic visual identity accompanying the BelgradeGets.digital brand.