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Seoul and Beijing are the two other Asian cities that make it to the top 10.
According to the latest Work from Anywhere Barometer released by International Workplace Group (IWG), Tokyo has stood out as the world’s best workcation city for 2025, edging out strong competitors like Rio de Janeiro and last year’s winner, Budapest.
In this year's edition, each location was assessed across 12 criteria, including:
- Climate
- Accommodation
- Food
- Transport
- Subsistence
- Broadband speed
- Happiness
- Availability of flexible workspaces
- Culture
- Sustainability
- Digital nomad visa
- Nature proximity
There are two newly added criteria this year – the availability and cost of digital nomad visas, as well as the proximity to beaches, mountains, and national parks. These additions reflect the growing preference of hybrid workers for access to outdoor recreation, with 75% stating access to natural surroundings is a major factor in their destination choice.
Marking out of 10 for each criterion, Tokyo topped the list by scoring an impressive 91 out of 120, closely followed by Rio de Janeiro (90/100) and Budapest (89.5/100).
Seoul and Beijing were the two other Asian cities that joined Tokyo in the top 10.
2025's top 10 workcation cities:
- Tokyo
- Rio de Janeiro
- Budapest
- Seoul
- Barcelona
- Beijing
- Lisbon
- Rome
- Paris
- Valletta
Other APAC cities on the list include:
- Singapore (15th)
- Jakarta (17th)
- Manila (18th)
- Sydney (23rd)
- Melbourne (24th)
- Mumbai (36th)
- Hong Kong (38th)
The rise of “nocturnal tourism” in Hong Kong is also fuelling the popularity of workcation. This trend sees workers manage their hybrid work duties during the day, then explore the city at nights or early mornings. A recent survey showed that 71% of Hong Kong citizens prefer this style of travel.
IWG’s research also highlighted the growing popularity of workcations among white-collar office workers:
- 60% of hybrid workers are more likely to extend holidays to work remotely compared to last year,
- 78% view a ‘work from anywhere policy’ a significant factor when considering a new job,
- 87% say the freedom to work from anywhere boosts their productivity,
- 85% report reduced burnout,
- 87% report improved work-life balance,
- flexible arrangements can reduce voluntary turnover by up to 20%,
- employees are three times more likely to stay in roles offering multiple work options.
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