Digital geo-arbitrage and selective mobility in the Iberian Peninsula
XX Congreso Internacional de Ciencias Sociales Interdisciplinares ||| XX International Congress on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
July, 2025.
During the XX International Congress on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, I had the opportunity to present my latest research on digital geoarbitrage, workation, and remote work migration in Lisbon, Madeira, and Las Palmas.
The session sparked rich debate and several positive contributions — this is clearly a topic that resonates deeply across disciplines. In the paper, I explore how international digital nomads are shaping local economies, housing systems, and governance frameworks in southern Europe. While remote work promises flexibility and opportunity, its impacts on urban inclusion, affordability, and long-term development deserve critical attention.
Full title: Digital Geoarbitrage, Workation and Remote Work Migration in Lisbon, Madeira, and Las Palmas: Social-Economic Impacts and Discussions
Full PPT (open access): https://gamma.app/docs/Geo-arbitraje-digital-y-movilidad-selectiva-en-la-Peninsula-Iberi-gvw5g0sjjapktnh
Feel free to reach out if you’d like to exchange ideas or collaborate.
Fernando Pacheco
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0495-3721
Website: www.pachecofernando.com
Email: fernando08p@gmail.com
Abstract
This article investigates the potential social, economic, and political implications of digital geoarbitrage by analyzing three emblematic cases in the Iberian Peninsula: Lisbon, Madeira, and Las Palmas. Through the lens of remote work migration, the study explores how international digital nomads interact with local economies, housing markets, and urban governance frameworks. Using empirical data on salaries, rental prices, and visa issuance, combined with theoretical contributions from labor and mobility studies, the article raises questions about the extent to which these mobile workers influence structural urban change. Can a small but high-income population segment significantly shape housing trends or local integration? To what degree do short-term stays and limited social interaction affect host communities? And how does digital tourism blur the boundaries between work, leisure, and residence? Rather than proposing definitive answers, the article offers a grounded and comparative discussion that situates remote work mobility within broader socio-economic and spatial transformations.
