Trouble in paradise
ZARA McDermott’s behind the scenes look at Ibiza continues tonight, revealing a darker side of the island that revellers and holidaymakers rarely see.
Tonight, she’s learning more about a crimewave being fed by social media, as burglars are finding Instagram photos of swanky holiday villas and studying the layout of buildings before making their move.
Zara even accompanies the police as they attend a terrifying break-in, where the family are still inside the house.
Talking to security experts, she discovers that cleaners are regularly being bribed to leave windows open, making it easy for criminals to stroll in, and innocent tourists are inadvertently playing into their hands. It’s not just robbers exploiting social media networks though, as Zara reveals holidaymakers are being targeted by drug dealers as soon as they post online about arriving on the island.
She puts herself in danger to learn more about where the drugs are coming from, and how they are being circulated.
Beyond crime, Zara is also exploring the wider impact of social media and how it is shaping the world’s changing perception of Ibiza.
On the one hand it’s still a luxury destination, and she meets a businessman who has created an experience specifically targeting influencers. His hotel provides a ‘millionaire for the day’ experience in return for promotional posts, which the local authorities hail as being part of the new ‘Brand Ibiza’.
But on another part of the island, a successful content creator is out to capture far less glossy material, not designed to enhance Ibiza’s image.
BBC3, 9pm