Enjoy Ibiza Activities, the best showcase to get to know the paradise of active tourism
Ibiza is the perfect setting for active tourism for many reasons. The beautiful sea and land landscapes. The Mediterranean and privileged climate. The gastronomy, the historical heritage and the culture of the island, which round off the proposal. To highlight these attractions and taking advantage of the EXPO Ibiza Touribisport fair stage, Fomento del Turismo de la Isla de Ibiza presented its active tourism club to society. Enjoy Ibiza Activities is the name of this brand that already has more than thirty members. The germ of the initiative was Descubriendo Ibiza. In 2017, the association's activity companies joined together to promote unique experiences on the island. During the last year, the brand has been rebranded with the aim of promoting Ibiza as an active tourism destination. It now has a new name, logo, website and its own social networks. By following them, you can keep up to date with all the adventures that the island offers.
"Also, through Ibiza Health & Beauty, another of our product clubs, we have promoted many activities such as excursions or sporting events over the last three years, precisely because they are a source of wellbeing. With Enjoy Ibiza Activities we want to go a step further. The way to extend the season is active tourism. In fact, many of our members couldn't come to the fair because, although there are a few days left until the Easter holidays, they have already started their season," says Abel García.
García is coordinator of the product club and was in charge of introducing the presentation event, which included a family photo with ten of the members of Enjoy Ibiza Activities, who were present at the fair. ‘It is very positive to see the synergies that have taken place during these three days between Emove Ibiza, Aquabus, Jeep Tours, Virazón Charter, Ibiza Buggy Adventure, Kayak Ibiza, Escuela de Surf D'Ascanio, Sup Yoga Ibiza and Unión Deportiva Ibiza. Our raison d'être is to join forces: by working together, we want Ibiza to be known for what it is: an active tourism paradise. Our goal is to involve more clubs and organisers of events and competitions so that our website becomes the great portal that promotes the island as a perfect place to practice sport,’ he explains.
The radio host Agustín Prades, host of the Pitiusa disconnection on Más de uno (Onda Cero), moderated a talk in which Javier Torres - Sant Joan's Sports Councillor and Island Director of New Technologies - took part along with Jaume Torres - Amphibious Ibiza -, Cheska Giménez - Ibiza Eco Activities - and José Ramón Mancebo - Ibiza in Balloon -, three of the members of Enjoy Ibiza. Their companies are clear proof that you can get to know Ibiza from other points of view. The preservation of the environment is an essential element for these activities to continue to attract tourists. Torres, a veteran diving instructor who has seen how the protection of the seabed in the Parc Natural de ses Salines has made it possible ‘to see groupers again in es Freus’, stressed this emphatically. For the head of Ibiza Anfibios, businesses like his are great allies in maintaining the balance between the tourist industry and the natural environment: ‘We have to recover the schools that offered windsurfing or dinghy sailing classes and that were very present in our coves decades ago. This is necessary so that we don't fall into the monotheme of sun, beach and music. Ibiza is not just that’.
The three were able to explain at length the philosophy behind their projects and, above all, the passion that drives them to develop them in a destination like Ibiza. ‘When someone comes for the first time on one of our excursions they realise that, instead of flying, they are floating. Ibiza is the perfect place to get to know it by balloon. Our landscape is a thousand times better than Cappadocia's,’ said Mancebo, who runs a family business where he himself pilots a balloon that can take up to 35 passengers.
Ibiza Eco Activities, on the other hand, is a much younger adventure. Cheska Giménez explained its origin: ‘During the pandemic we realised that life is changing: tourists need more experiential and participatory experiences. We involve local agents, such as artisans. We offer, for example, a guided tour of Dalt Vila where, on arriving at the Baluard de Santa Llúcia, we find an open-air esparto grass workshop that helps to rescue this tradition’. Learning how to make cheese or Ibizan herbs, getting to know first-hand the work of a beekeeper, visiting a winery, doing yoga by the sea, learning the basics of ball pagès or going on excursions on foot or by electric bicycle are some of the other proposals offered by Ibiza Eco Activities, which is committed to ‘reducing the carbon footprint’ left by tourist activities as much as possible.
The stories that were put on the table are a clear demonstration of the type of holidays and experiences, highly personalised, that can be enjoyed on the island and which Enjoy Ibiza Activities seeks to promote in collaboration with the Consell d'Eivissa. ‘The hiking and cycling routes, as well as the sporting events that have a great social as well as sporting component, show that Ibiza is a pole of attraction for lovers of active tourism. And not just in summer, but during most months of the year,’ stressed Javier Torres.
