What it takes for a workation to actually work: four years of HINOMAD

HINOMAD has run workations for four years across five regions of Gangwon: Yangyang, Sokcho, Yeongwol, Pyeongchang, and Gangneung. Along the way we visited overseas nomad hubs like Bali, Chiang Mai, Lisbon, and Madeira looking for what makes them work. We found one answer: a hub is a system, not a vibe.

A pretty cafe and an ocean view don't make people stay. What keeps people around is the people and opportunities they can keep meeting in that space. That's why HINOMAD brings in visiting experts and brands as ongoing program partners, not one-off guests. It's not a single event that brings people back, it's the predictability of knowing they can keep showing up.

At the time of writing, HINOMAD had run 22 events with 774 paid participants. One in five participants returned. Those repeat visits told us that people wanted to keep the connections they had made.

Family workations and programs for international visitors showed us something else: a longer stay gives people more chances to meet local people and return to the places they liked.

HINOMAD LAB grew out of that observation. It gives people who came for a workation a place to keep meeting, and a way to connect with local businesses and young people in Sokcho.