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TikTok visitor stampedes have forced towns to cap bus numbers and block off iconic views.
Guidebooks, travel magazines and tourism agencies are no longer the only authority on destinations to visit and attractions to see. In fact, for younger generations of travellers, they’re rarely used at all. Instead, TikTok and other social media platforms have become the go-to source for travel inspiration. Such is their influence that Paris has closed its last in-person tourist office and is sharing visitor advice on social media instead. TikTok’s powerful sway over which destinations are trending has not, however, been a welcome development for everyone. Italian ski resort inundated with tourists after viral TikTok videoTikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms thrive on trends and viral content, so when a destination comes into the spotlight, there is often a sudden rush of visitors. Big cities or extensive natural areas can often absorb an unexpected influx of social media-inspired travellers but smaller destinations often struggle with the crowds. Most recently, a mountain ski resort in Italy was overrun with selfie-stick-wielding touristsafter the snow-blanketed town went viral on TikTok. Busloads of visitors descended on Roccaraso, clogging roads, leaving behind litter and scorching the slopes with fires. Many were daytrippers who had booked packages with travel agencies for as little as €20, including transportation and a meal.On Sunday (26 January), the town of just 1,500 residents faced an onslaught of around 10,000 additional visitors. The tourist frenzy prompted local authorities to cap the number of buses permitted on weekends to 100.Austrian residents block view that inspired FrozenLast year, residents of a town in Austria became fed up with video-making visitors and their backlash went viral. The stunning backdrop to the mountain town of Hallstatt is thought to have inspired Disney’s animated film Frozen.Over a million tourists descend on the destination every year with many wanting to snap a selfie with the famous view.Residents of the town became so frustrated they put up a fence blocking the view to stop visitors from taking pictures.It was later removed after outrage on social media but it was hoped that the barrier would prevent people from gathering in one popular selfie spot and disrupting residents by making too much noise.Barcelona store charges visitors for ‘just looking’TikTok has also been responsible for overwhelming individual businesses and shops that go viral. In Venice, Libreria Acqua Alta has become a social media phenomenon because the bookshop regularly floods during high tides. Welly-clad influencers snap photos beside stacks of books in bathtubs and a gondola but rarely show an interest in purchasing any of the titles on display. Signs now invite those entering to consider buying something instead of just using the store as a photo-op. A historic delicatessen in Barcelona has taken things one step further. Queviures Múrria in the Eixample neighbourhood was established in 1898 and sells high-quality produce like caviar, smoked meats and artisanal cheeses. So many tourists enter with the sole intention of snapping photos of the Modernista-style mahogany-shelved interior that a curt notice appeared outside last year. “Visit just looking (inside) €5 x person, thank you,” it read.
