Meet Dubrovnik's Digital Nomads-in-Residence: Dutchman Rob Schubert in Estonia

The DNiR programme, which has been designed by Saltwater Nomads, in partnership with Total Croatia News, the CIty of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board (and financed by the latter two), is an innovative direction for the Pearl of the Adriatic, as it looks to diversify its tourism strategy away from overtourism and in the wake of the pandemic.

You are a DN-i-R winner. Congratulations! How do you feel?

I know it’s not really a good habit to check my phone first thing in the morning. Anyway, I did check my phone with my still sleepy eyes and read that I am a DN-i-R winner! First thought was that I was still dreaming… Double-checking I was awake, I started to realize the dream became reality! Before I knew it I had a dance party on my bed! The party-buzz is still in me, I am beyond excited to meet the other interesting winners to exchange stories and ideas to make Dubrovnik digital nomad paradise.

How did you hear about the competition, and why did you decide to apply?

I’ve been a while already in Estonia, a small northern country that has implemented a digital nomad visa as one of the firsts. To keep up to date with the developments in Estonia I follow a few pages on LinkedIn. I’m not exactly sure anymore how the journey went, but with a few clicks, I went from the digital Estonia pages to a post about Croatia exploring the potential to become a digital nomad hotspot. The potential is clear! Croatia is such a beautiful country and has been high on my list for a while. Therefore when I found out about the competition it was a no-brainer to apply. Quite surreal that I am going now.

Which particular skills and ideas will you be bringing to the party?

I believe my start-up experience can be quite valuable. I implement the design thinking method on a daily basis and I am aware of the (European) start-up trends/needs. Besides that, I lived in a few and travelled to a bunch of countries. With this experience, I am able to communicate and emphasise different perspectives.

What are you most looking forward to about DNIR?

I foresee many people transforming into digital nomads in the not so distant future. I think Dubrovnik is taking a step in the right direction by thinking to host these interesting modern nomads. To me, it’s very exciting and motivating to help a community prepare for this new wave. To discuss, listen and share my perspective about the future of a place with so much history feels like an honour! Besides all of this, I am looking forward to meeting the local and digital nomad community and explore the beautiful surroundings.

Let’s get you involved in the Dubrovnik community. Who or what would you like to connect with?

I would be interested to get in touch with the local startup community. It would be great to exchange experiences and stories with people who are on the “same boat”. Also, if there are any communities that organise active stuff like hikes or cliff jumping I would love to meet them to feed my exploring appetite.

Here is Rob’s application video: