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“Bermuda has been a little bit forgotten,” said Victoria Isley, the chief marketing and sales officer of the Bermuda Tourism Authority, who took the post in April after leading Destination Marketing Association International, a trade association.  To do so, the island is turning to where travelers increasingly learn about destinations: social media

This week in public diplomacy, we looked at how culture is being used to redefine the 'coolness' of countries through gastrodiplomacy, music, art, and fashion.

For many Muslim women around the world, the hijab — the scarf covering their hair — is not just a religious accouterment but also a symbol of their identity.  Young Muslim women are posting pictures of themselves in their hijabs on Instagram, inspiring large followings and placing more emphasis on the traditional headpiece as a fashion statement.

Journalists, tour guides and tourists are increasingly using Instagram to capture snapshots of life in the DPRK. Here's a selection of our recent favourites, from a 1400-mile road trip through farming hinterland to a day out at the dolphinarium.

FC Barcelona defender Dani Alves sparked a global anti-racism protest by eating a banana that was thrown at him during Sunday's match at Villareal. Alves picked it up, peeled it, and then ate it before taking a corner kick. Barcelona forward Neymar later kicked off the global trend, tweeting an Instagram image of the incident using #SomosTodosMacacos ("We are all monkeys"). The hashtag has since been shared more than 64,000 times.

On the cusp of the New Year 2014, I went to St. Peter’s Square to see and hear perhaps the only person in the world -- not counting Justin Bieber, Rihanna or the boys in One Direction -- able to draw an eager outdoor crowd of 100,000 on a chilly, drizzly, gray December afternoon. It was Pope Francis’ first Christmas Day speech to the city and the world, and what I witnessed was a leader aware that he lives in an era of rampant digital disruption.

The year-in-review posts are coming fast and furious from the world's leading technology companies. Instagram is the latest to post their statistics. And it has the best social network factlet of the year: the most-Instagrammed place in the world is a mall in Bangkok. New York makes three appearances, including the one for the High Line. Southern California also appears three times for Disneyland and two sporting venues.

North Korea has long been shrouded in a haze of seclusion and mystery. But over the past year, the country has eased up on some of its restrictions by allowing visitors to carry phones and even access a 3G network. Associated Press photographer David Guttenfelder has been quick to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to disseminate information — and, of course, photos — from within North Korea’s borders.

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