Farmers Were Tired Of Influencers Exploiting the Dolomites — so They Came Up With The Perfect Plan

At about 11,000 feet above the grounds of northern Italy, the Dolomites mountains rise like a beast. This rugged mountainscape has been sculpted by years of eroding soils, chipping muds, and tanning magnesium-rich sediments, per the BBC. When the Sun goes down, the mountains turn into a stunning spectacle, as a pink-purple glow spreads across the valleys and storybook towns cradling within. The sight is a showstopper that has made appearances in iPhone wallpapers. But it has also caught the cunning eyes of social media influencers. Lately, the farmers living in this region are frustrated by a "big problem," according to a report by Fox News.

According to Euro News, there was an influx of over 8,000 visitors in a single day in August this year. The Times reported that the Dolomites received over 4 million visitors in the winter of 2024. An Instagrammer (@angererleonhard) shared a photo of over 4,000 visitors lined up in a queue to snap photos of this scenic valley and its beautiful twilights. Instead of putting people away from such a humongous crowd, photos like these act like a magnet, pulling in even bigger throngs of travellers, who buckle up their cameras to showcase their personal versions of the mountains to grab more followers.

In conversation with CNN, Carlo Zanella, president of the Alto Adige Alpine Club, confessed that he would have banned travellers from visiting the Dolomites if he could. The reason is not just a hulking crowd, but also the insane behaviors depicted by many visitors, such as ruining the grass by spreading crumbs of picnic snacks or urinating, etc. The consequences of these behaviors fall upon the shoulders of local farmers, who, at this point, can’t bear it anymore. “Enough is enough,” they are screaming.

Expressing his resentment over visitors like these, Zanella reflected that these people shouldn’t be in the mountains, “People go where everyone else goes. We’re sheep.” Take the example of the Seceda mountains, located in South Tyrol. Over the past few years, the surge in footfall has caused the trails to become abandoned and damaged, while the meadows are strewn with rubbish. The landowners even tried to approach authorities and local groups, but when they received no response, they had no choice but to take the matter into their own hands. The solution they figured out was to give these Instagram-worthy locations a price tag.

Georg Rabanser, who owns a land in Seceda, told CNN, “Ours was a cry for help. We expected a call from the provincial authorities. But nothing. We only read statements in the newspapers. Gossip; nothing concrete. We haven’t even received warning letters. So we’re moving forward.” Adding to the exasperation sentiment, Zanella confessed, “I am against the influencers.”

He said these influencers show the “mountain differently from what it is. They are only interested in making money through advertising.” So, at the beginning of July, the farmers installed turnstiles through the Dolomites mountain range, where visitors have to pay 5 euros (nearly $9) to access “Instagrammable” spots. Although the “turnstiles,” he said, are working, the best way to reduce the flow of tourists is to highlight that "there are other even more beautiful places to visit." Venting to CNN about the mess visitors cause, he declared, “I would increase the price from 5 to 100 euros, and close the accounts of travel influencers.”

More on Green Matters

Farmers Were Annoyed by Camping Gypsies Ruining Their Land, So They Sprayed Manure on Them

Tourists Are Ruining Yellowstone National Park’s Geothermal Pool With Their ‘Good Luck’ Coins

Tourists Watching the Northern Lights Warned Never To Do This 'Dangerous' Thing: "Turn Off..."