Predictions for 2022
For the last few years, I have been working in Travel and on the Future of Work.
Now, by a stroke of luck and adversity, both these industries are merging like never ever before!
So, here, I will predict within my circle of competence and early next year, we will come back to see how many of these came true!
Here are my predictions for 2022
Work From Anywhere will decide Hiring
Employees will start to prefer offers from companies who let them work from anywhere, if not always, then at least for a period of time in the year. The importance of meeting in person has already diminished in the last two years. 9–5 commute for most of the knowledge workers is now a matter of choice to 2 to 3 days a week.
UAE has already moved to 4.5 days working culture. There are countries in the EU like Spain and Portugal that are already tweaking their Visa policies to attract more digital nomads.
Working from anywhere will no longer be an exception. It will be a norm. It will close many job offers for companies that are flexible.
Travel is dead, Long live Travel!
Travel the way we have known all our lives is dead. We will no longer fly around the world for business.
The primary travel will happen around where we live while we hike, camp, work or do all three together.
Gojauntly, Alltrails will be the next Airbnbs.
The real OG is still Airbnb! That is thanks to their quick repositioning in pandemic around flexibility. They used not only discovery but also gift cards, and online experiences which we can consume while sitting at our home.
Leisure travel will become even more domestic, at places where people can find more open spaces.
I have a controversial prediction on international business travel. In the first half of 2022, it will stay on zoom (which means no business travel 🤷♂). In the second half, we will have interoperable Metaverse which will bring the cost of usage down. That means, more people will start refusing business travel, despite the business travel starting again.
Demand on Mental Health will outstrip Supply
Working from Anywhere is not all good. It comes with extreme strain on our mental health and in ways that we have not experienced in at least the last 2 centuries. World over, we are facing a shortage of physicians. The era that Oak, Headspace and Calm had ushered, will become mainstream. Mental wellbeing will not be scoffed upon and would be seen at par with physical wellbeing.
Mental Health, will become one of the core pillars of the employee experience and benefit.
If you have other predictions, please send me a tweet. I’d love to hear them.
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