Picturesque town is banning influencers who are flooding into their area to make content

A gorgeous, quaint and small town in rural Vermont is hitting back at the hordes of influencers flooding into their area to make content.

Because social media is social media, everyone wants to post something that is eye-grabbing and engagement-worthy.

If they see someone standing in a field of sunflowers, they will move heaven and earth to find where it is and recreate that shot.

However, this phenomenon is having a detrimental effect on Pomfret.

The town has a population of a little more than 900 and there are some dreamy parts that turn into an autumn wonderland around this time of year.

Instagram

Picture the most rural American autumn and you'll get Sleepy Hollow Farm or Cloudland Road in Pomfret.

But the town has become so sick of content creators flocking to their gorgeous area on weekends to take pictures.

So, the local council has shut down several roads, including the entirety of Cloudland Road in Woodstock.

A memo from a recent council meeting said: “Foliage season traffic in this area has steadily increased during the last several years, causing significant safety, environmental, aesthetic, and quality of life issues.

“The steps summarised in this memo are part of a comprehensive effort, in co-ordination with area residents, to address these issues on the ground, through dialogue with local government partners, and on social and other information media.”

This comes after a GoFundMe begged for authorities to do something to address the influx of influencers who cared little about the impact their arrival was having.

GoFundMe

According to News Corp, locals have witnessed these content creators block driveways and even trespass on private property so that they can get the shot they want.

The GoFundMe, which has raised more than $15,000, said: "During Fall foliage season, crowds commonly surge to hundreds of people at one time, and tour bus companies have even joined the fracas. Cloudland and surrounding roads become impassable during the Fall, and roads and poorly behaved tourists have damaged roads, had accidents, required towing out of ditches, trampled gardens, defecated on private property, parked in fields and driveways, and verbally assaulted residents."

AP says only residents on Cloudland Road will be able to access the now-closed stretch of road and it has been filled with no-parking and no-photo signs.

Topics: Social Media, US News

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Senior Journalist at LADbible. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign. He is in charge of the LADbible Australia editorial content and social presence.

@stewartperrie