Mumbai Only Indian City Among the World’s top Workcation Destinations Cities

2026-08-24 02:19:14 News & Society

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Mumbai, 24 August 2026 - Mumbai has debuted among the world’s leading workcation destinations in the fourth edition of IWG's Work from Anywhere Index, joining Bangkok, Tokyo, Barcelona and other leading cities in a global evaluation of destinations that support remote working while travelling. Mumbai is the only Indian city on the index with a Total Score of 77, ahead of cities like London and Miami. The index has popular vacation destinations Bangkok, Tokyo, and Barcelona, with Total Scores of 106.5, 96.5, and 95.5 respectively ranked as the top three cities in the world for a workcation.

The annual index ranks cities against a range of criteria designed to assess how well they support remote working while travelling, including climate, broadband speed, accommodation, transport, food, culture and the availability of flexible workspaces. It comes as new research from IWG demonstrates the growing popularity of work-from-anywhere policies, enabled by hybrid working and access to workspaces around the world.

Now in its fourth year, IWG’s Index has previously been topped by Barcelona, Budapest and Tokyo, with Bangkok taking the top spot in 2026.

Mumbai puts India on the global workcation map

Mumbai's inclusion in the 2026 Index reflects the maturing of India's remote-work infrastructure and the city's growing appeal as a destination for professionals combining work with travel. The city has scored highest on parameters like cost of transport, availability of coworking or flexible workspaces, climate and accommodation. The city however loses score on broadband speed and quality, availability of local events, and happiness index.

According to Cushman & Wakefield's Global Trends in Flexible Office 2025 report, India scores a perfect 100 on the firm's flex workspace maturity index, the highest in the world, ahead of established markets such as the UK (98), France (97) and the US (81), as well as Japan and Singapore (77 each).

India is also the largest flexible office market in APAC, with 79.7 million sq ft of stock across the top eight cities as of Q2 2025, expected to cross 100 million sq ft in 2026. Mumbai is among India's leading flex markets alongside Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Pune and Hyderabad, giving the city a professional workspace ecosystem that supports both Indian companies and international remote workers extending their stays.

Bangkok leads a new global top 10

Bangkok takes the number one spot in this year’s ranking, followed by Tokyo and Barcelona, reflecting its strength as an affordable, well-connected global city with the energy and appeal of a major travel hub. Porto and Vancouver round out the top five, while Budapest, Naples, Medellin, Lisbon and Seoul also feature in the 2026 list of leading destinations for workers combining travel with remote working.

The ranking also highlights the growing variety of destinations now appealing to employees, from major Asian hubs and European city-break favourites to long-haul locations such as Vancouver and Medellin. Its mix of cities underlines how successful workcation destinations need to offer more than holiday appeal alone, combining strong connectivity, transport, accommodation and access to flexible workspace with the culture, food and lifestyle experiences that make extending a trip worthwhile.

Work from anywhere policies become mainstream

New research commissioned by IWG, the world’s largest platform for work and provider of flexible workspace, found that more than half of (51%) of workers say their employer already offers a work from anywhere policy. Its impact is overwhelmingly positive: 90% say WFA has improved their work-life balance, and 80% say it has improved productivity. The policy is also shaping career decisions, with 80% saying it would make a new role more attractive and 62% saying they would consider changing jobs for a better WFA policy.

The 2026 ranking comes against a backdrop of more established work from anywhere policies, with employees increasingly looking for destinations that can support them professionally as well as personally. Access to flexible workspace at the destination is an important part of that decision, cited by 38% as a key factor when choosing where to work remotely while travelling.

Flexibility is helping workers extend their trips

Remote working is increasingly reshaping how people travel. Almost half (48%) of workers plan to extend a holiday or mini-break by working remotely in 2026, and 46% say they are more likely to do so than they were last year. The trend is already well underway, with 43% having worked remotely from a holiday destination without using annual leave.

Wellbeing, family time and costs are driving demand

Avoiding burnout and supporting wellbeing is the biggest reason workers want to extend trips through remote working, cited by 54%. This is closely followed by spending more time with family and friends (53%) and making annual leave go further (52%). Financial pressures are also influencing behaviour, with 51% saying the cost of living has made them more likely to use hybrid or WFA policies to extend holidays.

Connectivity remains a key consideration

When choosing where to work remotely while travelling, reliable Wi-Fi is the clear priority, selected by 38% of respondents, ahead of high-quality accommodation, food and transport at 12%. More affordable travel and accommodation would motivate 46% to extend a trip by working remotely, underlining the importance of destinations that can combine practical working needs with value for money.

Employees want clear employer guidance on workcations

The data also suggests that, while appetite for WFA travel is growing, employees still want reassurance that working remotely while travelling is accepted and supported by their employer. Clear guidance and confidence around expectations could help more workers make the leap, with 44% saying they would be motivated by knowing this would not affect how their work is perceived and 39% citing clearer employer guidance.

Mark Dixon, Executive Chairman and Founder of IWG, said: “We’re seeing more workers than ever extending their trips to work remotely or choosing to spend longer periods abroad as digital nomads. Thanks to hybrid working and cloud technology, employees now have the freedom to work wherever and whenever suits them best – whether that’s a local flexible workspace or a co-working centre on the other side of the world. For many, the days of long daily commutes are over, and there is more freedom to work in new locations.

This trend is here to stay, with many companies adopting flexible working and WFA policies, particularly over the summer months for the long term, which not only improves work-life balance and reduces burnout but also delivers significant productivity gains.”

Harsh Lambah, Country Head, India, IWG, said: "Mumbai's place in this year's Work from Anywhere Index reflects what we're seeing across India's flexible workspace market more broadly. India now leads the world on flex maturity, and cities like Mumbai are combining strong transport links, growing international connectivity and professional workspace in a way that makes them genuinely competitive with global workcation hubs. As demand for flexible working keeps growing, we expect more professionals, both Indian and international, to choose other Indian cities beyond Mumbai for exactly this kind of work-life blend."

With over 5,000 flexible workspace locations in more than 120 countries, IWG’s network includes many of the world’s leading destinations for WFA travel, helping employees access professional workspaces wherever they choose to extend a trip.

About International Workplace Group PLC

International Workplace Group (IWG) is the world’s leading platform for work, enabling companies of all sizes to work more productively and profitably. We create personal, financial, and strategic value for the most exciting companies and well-known organizations on the planet, as well as individuals and the next generation of industry leaders. All of them harness the power of IWG’s platform to increase their productivity, efficiency, agility, and market proximity.

International Workplace Group’s unrivalled network coverage includes more than 5,000 locations across 120 countries, and 83% of Fortune 500 companies are amongst our growing customer base. In Q1 2026, IWG’s network expanded even faster with 382 signings and 222 openings in 2026 vs 224 signings and 165 openings in 2025.

Our brands, including Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature, serve millions of people, providing professional, inspiring and collaborative workspaces, and all our digital services are available via the IWG app.