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The solutions proposed vary, but they all satisfy the desire to make the most of technological and
environmental limitations, and they all require flexibility, adaptation, inventiveness and hard work.

2. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

2.1 Best practice demonstrated during on-site visits

The EESC noted the development of big data in the field of tourism and the emergency QR project in
Mallorca, the Internet community on Samsø, virtual care and services for the elderly on Saaremaa, and
the Marina Ahoy smart solution for small harbours in Estonia.

2.2 Big data and tourism

The municipality of Palma de Mallorca is currently the second largest “wifi” city, after Miami (USA).Wi-
Fi Palma is a project run by Universitat de les Illes Balears on big data and tourism. The project is being
developed in cooperation with the Supercomputing Centre in Barcelona, the most powerful
supercomputer in Spain. In order to increase its attractiveness as a tourism centre, the Majorcan
authorities have provided free wifi access across the entire island since 2014. In some areas work is still
under way, but in Palma de Mallorca, especially in the
city centre, and on Playa de Palma, people have free
wifi access. The hotspots were technically improved
so everyone could move around the city without
losing connection. Providing wifi on the beach
promenade of Playa de Palma is intended to identify
new trends (shopping, cultural and sport activities),
which will help Palma to propose tailored activities
for tourists. The project also has considerable potential
for user groups who need special attention (i.e.
people with mobility impairments), as users’ behavior
Free Wi-Fi access on the beach in Palma de Mallorca, can be monitored. Potentially, it may be possible to
Balearic Islands, Spain
see whether fully accessible venues (i.e. for people
with disabilities, elderly people using mobility devices, families with baby strollers) are more likely to
be visited than venues which are not accessible to these target groups.
The project processes data confidentially. Data protection is a key topic in such projects and needs
to be addressed considering that, if handled carelessly, online storage of data can have serious and
undesired implications.

Website for the smart project developed by Palma: http://smartoffice.palma.cat

2.3 Emergency Quick Response Code

The Balearic Islands have a long tradition of tourism, which is reflected in its wide range of tourist
facilities and services. In August alone at the peak of the tourist season, Mallorca usually has over 13
million tourists. The emergency and police authorities are involved daily in 150 to 200 interventions,
of which 50 to 80 can be resolved swiftly. The main problems are lost children, people who have lost
their bearings and injured cyclists.
In order to promote the Balearic Islands as a destination, the Balearic authorities, including the port
authorities, are giving due consideration to the issue of security, combining public, medical and
environmental safety.
To improve the security and safety of tourists, the port authorities and the authorities of the Balearic
Islands asked the University of Palma to develop an emergency system. A QR code (abbreviation for
Quick Response Code) system is being developed for this purpose. The QR code is a machine-readable

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