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A Phoenician-Punic settlement during ancient times, Ibiza contains within its Renaissance walls an interesting legacy from all the different cultures that populated it. This artistic wealth is found in the monumental area of Dalt Vila, in the necropolis of Es Puig des Molins and in the archaeological site of Sa Caleta. The beauty of the island capital is enhanced by the sands and coves at Figueretes, Es Viver and Talamanca, as well as by its the diverse marine ecosystem.

The two most remarkable aspects of Ibiza biodiversity and culture lead to its declaration of World Heritage Site by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO).The Carthaginians were the ones who founded the ancient Ibosim, back in 654 B.C. In little more than a century, the city became a strategic colony in the western Mediterranean. Ebusus during the Roman Empire and later named Yebisah under Muslim rule, the island came under the rule of King Jaume I after the Reconquest, in 1235. The continuous pirate sieges lead to the construction of a wall to fortify the city, in the 16th century.Presently, the city is divided into Sa Penya, known as "ciudad baja" (lower city) and Dalt Vila, a monumental area located on the higher part of the city, declared World Heritage Site. Dalt Vila is surrounded by well preserved Renaissance walls, built by King Carlos V, which served as a model for walls and fortresses in the New World. The considerable height of its bastions provides a gorgeous view to the city and the port under it.The city within the confines of the wallThe Portal de ses Taules is the gate to the walled enclosure, with remarkable buildings inside, like the City Hall, located in the old convent of Predicadores, the church of Santo Domingo and the chapel of Sant Salvador. The cathedral, erected on top of an ancient mosque, has a sober Gothic structure, built in the 14th century and later remodelled in the 18th century. One of the most valuable pieces of precious metalwork that are kept inside is a gold-plated silver monstrance. Sharing the same square as the cathedral, the Episcopal Palace stands out, with its distinguished gateway. Another remarkable building is the Castell o Almudaina, the tallest building in the capital, with its great Arab dungeon. Inside the historic quarter, you can visit the Archaeological Museum, a display of the rich legacy that the city cherishes, with a valuable collection of Phoenician and Carthaginian artefacts.The best way to admire the popular architecture of Ibiza is to walk through the historic quarter's narrow streets until the port, going through the central boulevard of Vara de Rey, to later continue along the port to the Botafoc lighthouse.In addition to the fishing district in the lower city, another important spot is the necropolis of Es Puig des Molins, also declared World Heritage Site, along with the Phoenician town of Sa Caleta and the Ses Salines Nature Reserve. On this site, more than 4,000 Punic and Roman tombs have been discovered. The figurines of Goddess Tania and the God Baar, are the two main pieces. Along the shore, numerous terraces and restaurants line up, where visitors will be able to try the best of Ibiza cuisine. At night, the capital unveils its party side, with cafeterias, nightclubs, after-hour clubs and DJs that begin spinning at their fashionable parties.The beaches and coves of Ibiza, such as Figueretes, Es Viver and Talamanca have beautiful golden sands and a magnificent seabed that will dazzle scuba divers, since it houses a great number of Mediterranean native species, part of a rich and diverse marine ecosystem. This combination of culture and biodiversity has been a key factor in the decision of UNESCO of declaring this place a World Heritage Site. Gastronomy and the outskirtsThe cuisine of Ibiza combines a wide repertoire of Balearic specialities with those native to the island. So, pork products take the centre stage, an excellent example being "sobrasada", a spread made with minced meat and cured with spices. Also typical is the "tumbet" (a baked dish with peppers, aubergine and potatoes) and the rice dishes with fish. For dessert, you can choose between the famous "ensaimada" (a spiral-shaped bun, with powdered sugar), the cheese with the label Designation of Origin - Mahn and the frgola of Ibiza, one of the many dessert wines that are produced in the Balearic Isles.The island of Ibiza can be visited in its entirety, taking the capital as a starting point. A few kilometres northeast is the town of Santa Eulria des Riu, with its Roman cemetery and a church located on top of Puig de Missa. Further ahead is Portinatx, tourist centre with beautiful coves and an authentic fishing town atmosphere. Lastly, Sant Antoni de Portmany has some of the best western beaches, in addition to being a lively and exciting spot in the island.

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Tourism in Ibiza in Ibiza, Spain | Spain.info in english

At the World Travel Market 2014 in London, the leading event for the global travel industry, euronews spoke to Razvan Maric from the Romanian National Authority for Tourism about how his country is currently promoting Romanias Black Sea Coast as a new hot spot for summer fun in the sun.

Over the past three years, the Black Sea Coast, in particular the resort of Mamaia has become known as the Ibiza of the East so it has a lot of clubs, and events going on in the summer. Our season is quite short, about three months, every summer and those three months are full of carnivals, of parades of people partying non-stop. So that is why we want to promote here at the World Travel Market our coastal resort as a destination for party.

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World Travel Market 2014 interview Razvan Maric, Romania

Osuna wants similar boost to Croatian an town of Dubrovnik where three seasons were filmed Town hall officials say tourism already up 15 per cent Producers didn't struggle to find extras thanks in part to Spain's 24.5 per cent unemployment

By Afp

Published: 17:17 EST, 22 October 2014 | Updated: 18:27 EST, 22 October 2014

Film crews have begun shooting part of the fifth season of Game of Thrones in southern Spain, delighting local authorities who expect a massive tourism boost.

Extras were pictured in Osuna today, a small hilltop town surrounded by olive groves located about 50 miles away from Seville, which will reportedly serve as the backdrop for a battle scene.

Osuna officials says visitor numbers to the town are already up by around 15 per cent since producers of the series announced at the start of July that it would film part of the fifth season there.

Hotels in the town of around 18,000 residents are fully booked during the second half of October when filming is expected to take place, while a tapas bar in the town has introduced a special menu with dishes named after 'Game of Thrones' characters.

Location, location, location: As Spain grapples with an unemployment rate of 24.5 per cent, producers did not struggle to find extras seeking a few days work on the set

Hot stuff: Hundreds of extras can be seen waiting in the soaring temperatures for their big moment

Extras acting in the series of the Game of Thrones leave the bullring as film crews began shooting part of the fifth season of the popular US fantasy television series in the southern Spanish city of Osuna

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Game of Thrones season 5 starts shooting in Spanish town of Osuna

An innovative marketing campaign in the European city of Amsterdam has shed new light on the power of consumer-to-consumer marketing, writes guest columnist David Hornstein

If youve been to Amsterdam lately, youre likely to have seen the large three-dimensional I amsterdam letters in front of the citys famous Rijksmuseum. The letters were installed in 2005 as part of the citys rebranding campaign. By now, the sculpture is the citys most photographed item, being photographed over 8,000 times on a sunny day.

With smartphones and visual social media on the rise, the I Amsterdam letters are an innovative example of how destination marketers can harness the power of C2C marketing.

Heres why.

The social media revolution has turned the traditional one-way flow of destination marketing information on its head. Indeed much of the destination marketing organisations (DMO) power has been transferred to the public - the connected and empowered consumer who co-creates and shapes the destination brand.

Visual user-generated content such as tourist photography plays a particularly important role as social media is increasingly based on visuals. DMOs must address this fundamental shift in power and place social sharing at the heart of their campaigns. This means directing all efforts towards turning visitors and residents into brand ambassadors and viral agents.

Four ways that destination marketers can get visitors talking.

1. Provide attractive visuals that add meaning to peoples personal brand story: DMOs must find ways to get visitors to talk about them in their private social networks. It must be attractive (add value) to people to share destination information with their peers. Essentially, this is about story telling: when travelling, we use photography future memory-making but also to create compelling visual stories about our selves. These travel tales are often designed with the purpose of telling our personal brand stories things we would like everyone else to think about us. Common themes include basic statements such as I had fun or I had a unique experience etc. Through images on social media we essentially construct our own idealised selves and identities. If DMOs want people to share their destination brand material on social media, they must provide those attractive visuals that add meaning to peoples personal brand story.

2. Find the perfect photo: Every destination needs that one place-indicative photo. Think of the Eiffel Tower or Brandenburger Gate. The reason why these buildings are photographed and shared on social media time and again is because they contain the information of place. These images have PARIS or BERLIN written all over them and set the stage for the following images and travel narrative. These images are fundamental as they add context to our stories. Your destination doesnt have an Eiffel Tower? Oh well, I guess a snapshot of an airline ticket will do (but, duh, seriously).

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Social Media and Marketing

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

26-Aug-2014

Contact: Irati Kortabitarte i.kortabitarte@elhuyar.com 34-943-363-040 Elhuyar Fundazioa

The Tecnalia applied research centre has revolutionised the hotel sector with smart bracelets - the Smart VIB (Very Important Bracelet) that enables clients access hotel rooms without the need for a card, make payments using the PayPal system, share experiences on social networks via the numerous tactile screens at their disposition, and receive completely personalised services according to taste, while at all times guaranteeing protection of information.

These bracelets are available at two of the most emblematic establishments that the Palladium Hotel Group has in Ibiza: Ushuaa Ibiza Beach Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza. This exclusive and pioneering service in the sector has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the hotel group with state-of-the-art companies in the information and communications technologies sector.

Moreover, the Palladium Hotel Group has come to an agreement with PayPal, enabling the incorporation of payment for hotel products and services with the bracelet. All customers acquiring the Smart VIB bracelet or the associated packs (Zen, Ballad and Clubber) can connect with their credit card and use PayPal technology as a method of payment simply by holding their bracelet to the reader. For this it is only necessary to have a PayPal account. This is the first time the leading payment system in the world has embarked on a project with "wearable technology" in the hotel sector.

"With this initiative, PayPal has once again shown its capacity for leadership and innovation, providing simplicity and security for presential payments. The tourist sector has been one of the first to adopt smart bracelets, in order to facilitate payments and it is anticipated that this innovation will continue to spread to other industries", stated Estanis Martn de Nicols, Director General of PayPal Spain and Portugal.

The collaboration of Prodigy Consultancy, specialists in innovation in tourism, has been key at the strategic level, given that the Consultancy has enabled bringing Palladium and Tecnalia together, creating the "Smart Destination" brand. Thanks to this value enhancement, the consultancy has bridged the gap between the requisites of the Palladium Hotel Group and the know-how of the leader in "wearable" technology for the development of the product. "Cooperating for innovating is a maxim at Prodigy Consultancy, and this is why we have promoted the design and development of the 'Smart Destination' business initiative, responding to the current needs of the tourism sector and being part of our experience in the deployment of technologic strategies and innovations for providing and initiating ideas of value for the tourist industry", explained Antonio Andjar, Director of Prodigy Consultancy.

"The 'Smart VIB' bracelets are a generational renewal of the traditional analogic access bracelets, all inclusive and VIP, in the hotel sector, providing the tourist client with a unique digital and enriching experience, and the hotelier with an integrated solution, totally interoperable and innovative", stated Miguel Angel Chacn, Director of Smart Destination technology.

The Tecnalia applied research centre has been commissioned to develop the "wearable" VIBs for a "Smart Destination", a concept providing a completely personalised experience that is revolutionising the hotel world. According to Joseba Laka, Director of the ICT Division-European Software Institute at Tecnalia, "we have developed an easy-to-use device that is modern, practical and secure, with multiple benefits for the client and for the hotel. Tecnalia is totally committed to the future of cities and our aim is to transfer all our knowledge and know-how in R+D to everyday activities in order to enhance the quality of life of persons".

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Tecnalia revolutionizes hotel sector with smart bracelets