The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
For many remote workers and digital nomads, part of the allure of the job is the ability and flexibility they get from traveling while working. Many digital nomads balance their daily work lives with travel and exploration and live in remote places around the world. In a previous post on traveling while working remotely, we highlighted the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. This can be difficult for remote workers, as their working space or “office” is often a mere step away from their living or travel space.
Establishing work boundaries is crucial to enjoying uninterrupted personal time post-workday, especially because digital nomads may be too swept up in their work to explore the new surroundings and attractions around them. For digital nomads who may be gaming enthusiasts and are looking for ways to kick back when not busy working on the go, there are a variety of travel destinations around the world that offer the best of both worlds. Below, we’ll look at four travel destinations that esports-loving digital nomads should check out:
Las Vegas is a heavily visited city, attracting millions of tourists to its bustling nightlife and luxurious spots. When you think about Vegas, it’s hard not to think about its strong gaming industry, with glamorous casinos and casino hotels abound. Esports is another aspect of Las Vegas that is slowly improving. Over the years, the esports industry has grown to encompass different avenues. For example, many are familiar with passionate gamers who get paid to game professionally. However, gaming fans and enthusiasts can still participate in other ways, such as betting.
The esports betting scene is one of many telltale signs of how big the industry has become, providing lucrative opportunities for fans and viewers. This has increased the demand for esports betting tips as many traditional bettors look to esports as an alternative avenue to traditional casinos. Fortunately, standardized betting odds, whether fractional or decimal and online bookmakers make the esports betting experience much more familiar to avid bettors. Aside from betting, Las Vegas has also heavily invested in esports infrastructures, such as the HyperX Arena Las Vegas, situated in the Strip’s Luxor Hotel.
Another top destination for gaming and esports enthusiasts is Seoul, South Korea. Known as the esports Mecca or even esports capital of the world, Seoul is home to a lively gaming and esports community. Whether Dota, League of Legends, StarCraft, or Overwatch, South Korea has long dominated esports communities across different games. It’s estimated that the average Korean spends two hours a week playing games, with more active gamers logging close to two hours a day. Working from Seoul may also benefit digital nomads, as South Korea boasts the fastest average Internet connection speed worldwide.
Another reason why esports is so popular in Seoul and the rest of the country is its media presence and government-backed initiatives. In South Korea, there are TV stations specializing in reporting and organizing various esports events, such as OnGameNet (OGN), which televised esports tournaments instead of hosting them on live streaming platforms. The South Korean government has also invested in several esports-specific facilities, such as the Busan Esports Arena, the first one built outside greater Seoul.
The Chinese esports scene is larger than you may think. Currently, China is the third biggest esports present globally. One of the most dominant gaming organizations, Tencent, acquired US-based game developer company Riot Games in 2011, and the country has since made waves by pushing for esports investments and encouraging esports talent to excel on international stages. After acquiring Riot Games, esports shooter game Valorant and its esports team announced China as its separate region for the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) — the game’s esports system.
In 2024, Shanghai is set to host VCT Masters Shanghai, with the final three days to be hosted in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The massive esports stadium has a seating capacity of 18,000 and has hosted various major esports events and tournaments. The League of Legends LPL Spring Finals 2023 was held in the same arena as Dota 2’s The International 9 and The Shanghai Major in 2016. When not being used for gaming, the stadium hosts international musical acts like Metallica, Ariana Grande, and Bruno Mars. So, the city has plenty of gaming and entertainment for digital nomads.
Finally, Tokyo, Japan, is another go-to for digital nomads who are gaming and esports fans. In 2022, the city unveiled the Red Tokyo Tower attraction, the country’s biggest esports park, aiming to help Japan’s position in the growing esports and competitive gaming industry. Set across three floors at the base of Tokyo Tower, the park is a space for esports competition and other gaming-related attractions, such as virtual motor racing, virtual reality, and game simulators.
While Japan’s esports scene isn’t as dominant as China or South Korea, the country is working hard through further investments to help cement its place in the writing of esports history. Even if you may not have specific major esports events in Tokyo during your stay, it can never hurt to be in the country that gaming giant Nintendo calls home, as well as the birthing place of popular and next-generation consoles from Sony’s PlayStation brand.
