A town in Vermont has banned tourists from entering the area in September 2023 after a social media tag led to an influx of visitors that overwhelmed rural tourist destinations.
The TikTok video garnered thousands of viewers and the hashtag #sleepyhollowfarm went viral, with tourists flocking to the pretty New England town of Pomfret, hoping to snap photos of themselves against the rural backdrop. The town, known for its autumn foliage, took issue with the move, calling it “influencer tourism,” part of a travel trend in which social media phenomena can cause overwhelming and unexpected increases in tourist numbers.
Traditionally, tourists are thought of as traveling to gain new experiences: they see the sights, take photographs, and collect souvenirs. But the relationship between tourists and travel is changing.
With 24-hour access to social media, some tourists are travelling primarily for experiences that will leave a positive online impression. In a recent survey by American Express, around 75% of people said social media was what inspired them to travel. Some tourists may choose a destination based on popular backdrops on social media or TV to get high-status photos.
The expansion of social media and the widespread use of smartphone cameras have had a major impact on tourist behaviour. This has also led to the so-called “tourist gaze” selfie, which produces photographs in which the tourist, rather than the destination, is at the forefront of the image.
In fact, my research suggests that tourists are increasingly going out to attract attention – to be observed by others, whether online or in person at their destination.
Looking for drama
The study found that social media connections are driving tourists to particularly dramatic or luxurious locations, such as Dubai, known for its glitzy culture and high-end shopping, which has become a playground for influencers looking for a high-end setting to add a touch of class to their celebrity-inspired image.
Dubai has become a popular travel destination for influencers. Tasfoto/Alamy
Some tourists don’t just take pictures of the scenery they travel through, but instead aim to photograph themselves at famous places. Others choose to act like mini-celebrities and perform in front of the camera, hoping and hoping to attract attention from those they meet. Still others talk about their participation in extreme events.
One such event is the 2,000 km Rickshaw Run across India. This adventure tourism event encourages participants to dress up and behave eccentrically to attract attention. The vehicles are customized with eye-catching designs as they zip around India in tuk-tuks from Kerala to Darjeeling. Many participants film themselves and upload the results to social media, so the event tends to attract a large following. For example, this YouTube video series created by Rickshaw Run participants has attracted 3.6 million subscribers.
Participating in the Rickshaw Run.
However, some of these tourist “performances” can be controversial. For example, climbing fragile ruins to look for social media content can damage the ruins; posing for a laugh in a sacred place can cause offense; and reducing culture to a backdrop of social media content can suggest that tourists have no interest or respect for their hosts.
My research points to a rise in narcissism in society, which is linked to what tourists want from their travels and how they behave while they are there. This may be reflected, for example, in a growing sense of entitlement and exhibitionism among tourists who seek to take photographs in more inaccessible or restricted areas.
One could argue that selfie culture encourages self-involvement over social responsibility. It is well-known that tourists tend to be selfish, prioritizing their own comfort and pleasure over local issues. This is especially true for the ultra-rich. Private jet passengers are responsible for half of global aviation emissions.
Read more: Sustainable tourism must be built with local people in mind
However, the desire to promote individuals and their values could potentially be harnessed to promote more sustainable tourism. Volunteers abroad may be motivated by the image-improvement benefits of doing good, but in the process they often also give something back to the host social and natural environment.
There are signs of a new tourism trend where travellers are looking for deep, meaningful experiences, and ecotourism could help provide that: the act of traveling in a more environmentally friendly way might be seen as a way to not only show off, but also to get some selfies.
The positive and negative effects of tourists’ self-obsession on the environment may be up for debate, but it’s certainly not good for the tourists themselves. For example, research has shown that the desire to “perform” in front of the camera can affect people’s mental health.
Research has shown that unexpected encounters help travelers gain greater self-insight. Plus, getting out of your comfort zone can lead to rewarding personal growth.
Disconnection between self and place
Taking more selfies could potentially disconnect people from their surroundings, which could make the travel experience less immersive. Indeed, the rise in selfie-related tourist deaths may be a testament to this disconnect between self and place. A 2018 report estimated that 259 people died while taking a selfie between 2011 and 2017.
Other research suggests that people motivated by the desire to share a particular image online are more likely to take risks with travel selfies, with potentially deadly consequences.
Tourists have always been somewhat self-centered: the 18th-century Grand Tour was a leisurely journey around Europe that allowed the wealthy to indulge in ways that might not have been socially acceptable in their home countries, and in the early 21st century scholars worried that self-centered backpacker communities in Southeast Asia showed little interest in interacting with locals.
The difference between smartphones and social media is that they allow some tourists to quickly express their self-indulgent and sometimes insensitive tourist traits. Wi-Fi and mobile data allow tourists to travel with just their eyes on finding the perfect selfie background, filter and share their travels, and respond to likes and comments.
For better or worse, living out this influencer fantasy may have been an integral part of tourism for a while.
