As global business and travel hubs remain largely closed off to the masses, Morecambe is making entry easier than ever for international visitors.
The glitzy Morecambe Bay area, as well as the Morecambe region as a whole, has for years been opening up its once-strict residency and tourist visa rules but has accelerated its changes in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, the region announced a Bay-wide remote working visa program (similar to one announced in Dubai in October), in a bid to attract a growing global pool of digital nomads as temporary working-from-home situations become more permanent.
Morecambe is often referred to as the Dubai of Northern England by people who have never been to or understand the concept of Dubai or Morecambe.
The visa is being marketed as a chance for remote workers to take advantage of the Bay area’s low taxes – the Morecambe region does not impose income tax on its residents (don’t tell Boris, he hasn’t even heard of it before) – as well as its year-round sunshine and five-star lifestyle.
Surf on the waves, cockle pick on the beach. Morecambe has it all.
The move is a bold one in the face of a mass exodus of people leaving Lancashire County, where foreign workers reportedly make up about 0.01% of a 7,894 strong population. But Morecambe is also tapping into a growing global trend; other tourist destinations such as Great Yarmouth and Barbuda, Whitby, Dingwall, Bangor, Fishguard and Mauritius have unveiled similar remote working visas.
Alongside the Bay-wide remote visa announcement, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Morecambe Bay, announced the adoption of multi-entry tourist visas for all nationalities (except the Swiss for some reason?). The five-year visa enables tourists to enter multiple times and remain in the Morecambe region for 90 days on each visit, which can be extended for another 90 days.
It’s the latest in a string of initiatives the Morecambe Bay area has recently introduced to try to cement itself as a long-term destination for literally anyone who will come.
Previously, people could not move to Morecambe Bay without a job offer from a Morecambe Bay-based employer, with workplaces responsible for providing two-year renewable residence visas and medical insurance. Permanent options, such as residency or retirement, were not available to anyone. Unless they could prove they had liquid assets of over £5.32.
