74 | Italia Nomad Fest: Building a Digital Nomad Community in Palermo

What makes a place feel like home when you're a digital nomad? Is it the weather, the food, the people, or something deeper?

In this episode of the Nomad Summit Podcast, Christoph Huebner sits down with Marco Traina, founder of Beat Community and Italia Nomad Fest, during Colive Fukuoka in Japan.

Marco has been building a community for digital nomads in Palermo, Sicily, since 2018. What started as a coliving project focused on sustainable tourism has grown into a movement connecting international remote workers with the local community.

But Marco believes there's something we're losing as tourism becomes increasingly commercial: the traditional sense of hospitality, family, and belonging.

Christoph and Marco discuss what makes communities thrive, why genuine connections are worth more than financial transactions, and how Italia Nomad Fest is helping digital nomads experience Palermo as locals rather than tourists.

Marco also looks back at the first edition of the festival in 2026, shares what worked, what he learned as an organizer, and what he's planning for Italia Nomad Fest 2027, taking place March 6–14 in Palermo.

And because this is Italy, the conversation inevitably includes plenty of food, from Sicilian home cooking to fresh octopus, pasta, and traditional desserts.

In This Episode

Building a community in Palermo: How Marco started Beat Community in 2018 and developed a coliving space for digital nomads. Hospitality vs. commercialization: Why Marco worries that traditional Southern Italian hospitality is being lost as tourism becomes increasingly focused on money. What makes a real community: The importance of generosity, trust, consistency, and taking care of the people around you. Creating connections with locals: Why digital nomads should become part of their destination rather than remain within an international bubble. The story behind Italia Nomad Fest: How Marco brings digital nomads and Palermo residents together through cultural experiences and shared activities. Lessons from the first festival: What worked in 2026 and why Marco wants to spend more time with his guests in 2027. Living in Palermo: Why visitors often stay longer than the festival itself, and how the local coliving community makes that possible. Sicilian food and culture: From lively local markets to pasta, caponata, cannoli, and cassata.

Italia Nomad Fest 2027 – March 6-14, 2027 in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Italia Nomad Fest brings together digital nomads, remote wor