Icelandair studied quality of life, safety, cost of living, and pollution levels in more than 100 cities around the world to determine the best place for professionals seeking their ideal workcation spot.
Based on factors that can impact worker wellness, Kansas City, Missouri, is the top workcation destination, followed by many international cities.
According to Icelandair’s Director of Global Marketing Gísli S. Brynjólfsson, the top commonality amongst the ranked cities was quality of life.

In 2022, finding the distinction between work and play has become nearly impossible.

Thanks to the widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work models, professionals have more flexibility in their work location than ever before.

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During the midst of the pandemic, many workers took the opportunity to move away from what they considered home, seeking greener pastures in their dream towns around the world.

The reasons for moving away from their home base vary. Some city dwellers may want the experience of wide-open spaces, while small town folks may have finally gotten the chance to afford apartments in larger cities due to the exodus of others.

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Now, with inflation at a record-high and remote work becoming a mainstay for many businesses’ operations, the desire to travel elsewhere has only grown.

The World’s Top 20 Workcation Spots

Work and vacation, or business and leisure, is the concept of conjoining professionalism with a life-fulfilling purpose, which has become the ultimate goal for many workers.

That’s why airline company Icelandair, the flagship airline for Iceland, recently conducted a study that explored what makes the best workcation spot.

Icelandair analyzed more than 100 cities around the world and factors that can impact wellness. Taking indexes from various sources, the airline was able to study quality of life, safety, cost of living, and pollution levels to determine the best place for professionals seeking their ideal workcation spot.

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What Makes an Ideal Wellness Workcation Spot?

According to Icelandair’s Director of Global Marketing Gísli S. Brynjólfsson, the top commonality amongst the ranked cities was quality of life. But what does that entail?

“This is a score given to cities that takes into account a number of factors, such as purchasing power,” said Brynjólfsson. “All cities also have great options when it comes to slow travel, allowing professionals to embrace their surroundings and culture after they log off for the day.”

As the world seemingly braces for a recession, bringing in new sources of revenue is critical for local economies. Luckily, the emerging group of professionals who are looking to supplement their work with more wellness may offer reliable revenue streams, but cities must embrace an agile and flexible future.  

Brynjólfsson says that many remote workers struggle with finding a “short-midterm, affordable accommodation that gives them everything they need to be able to work efficiently.”

Therefore, cities that are eager to entice these professionals into their neighborhoods must focus on addressing travelers that sit somewhere between long-term residents and vacationers.

“Remote workers tend to have more flexibility to stay longer, but often hotel prices or limited places to work in their accommodation (no desks or meeting rooms if in a hostel, for example) can make it difficult to do so,” said Brynjólfsson.

“Cities that are helping their hospitality industry to facilitate this kind of work and travel lifestyle should see remote workers be enticed in.”

Using these factors, here are the top 20 cities for workcations, according to Icelandair: 

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