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Dolomites Doughnut Frenzy: Influencers Draw Crowds
19 Aug
Summary
- Influencer videos prompted massive queues for pastries at a mountain refuge.
- Visitors camped overnight to secure a krapfen, a traditional doughnut-like pastry.
- Local associations blame algorithms for driving overtourism in sensitive areas.
Social media trends have led to an overwhelming influx of visitors at the Friedrich August refuge in Italy's Dolomites. Influencer videos promoting a specific pastry, the krapfen, attracted hundreds, some of whom camped overnight to ensure they could purchase one. This phenomenon has sparked debate about the negative impacts of social-media-driven tourism.
Mountain associations are raising alarms, asserting that algorithms are detrimental to the natural environment by funneling large crowds to specific locations. They express concern that this 'image-driven tourism' erodes the authentic mountain experience, leading to a situation where beauty spots are overrun by visitors focused on selfies rather than appreciation of nature. This issue has also been observed in other Italian mountain resorts, like Roccaraso, following similar social media promotions.
The situation at the Friedrich August refuge, where a simple pastry costing up to €4 had become the main attraction, highlights a growing problem of overtourism in previously pristine areas.
