Vermont town famous for fall foliage bans Instagram tourists from streets

Thousands of dollars have been donated to fund a ban on Instagram influencers in a small Vermont town. Photo / Instagram

A GoFundMe page created to support the ban of social media influencers from a small town in Vermont has raised more than $26,900.

In September, the select board of Pomfret, in Vermont, voted to close Cloudland Rd and Barber Hill Rd to non-residents in response to “poorly behaved tourists” who visit in large numbers during autumn to see the beautiful foliage.

The roads will be blocked from September 23 until October 15 and visitors will also be prevented from accessing Sleepy Hollow Farm, a private property where tourists have been known to trespass for photos.

Local law enforcement has agreed to help enforce the ban but some residents complain they will be the ones covering the costs.

Glenn Morley, who lives in Woodstock, created the GoFundMe page, called “Save Cloudland Road”, with four others in the hope of raising US$25,000.

According to the page, Cloudland Rd and neighbouring streets have experienced an “unprecedented surge in Instagram and TikTok-fuelled tourist ‘influencers’”.

Influencers are not only earning money from photos taken on private property but “turned a private home on Cloudland Rd into a social media photo destination”.

On Instagram, Sleepy Hollow Farm has been tagged as a location almost exclusively in photos taken during the fall. Photo / Instagram

While residents appreciate their town’s beauty, they claim visitors have become disruptive and rude.

“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,” the page says.

So far, the page has raised US$16,010 (NZ$26,930), which would pay for new and increased signage plus the cost for sheriff deputies to police the temporary closures.

“I hope your home returns to being one and not an Instagram destination,” one woman wrote.

“Terrible that something like this is even needed, but glad I can help,” another added.

Disdain for unruly tourists, particularly those who focus on photographing themselves for social media, is certainly not exclusive to Vermont.

Around the world, cities and attractions have added rules and restrictions around tourist behaviour, sometimes becoming famous for their strict boundaries.

In Barcelona, a deli made headlines for threatening to charge “Instagram tourists” €5 for photos.

At first, the sign was a joke among staff but had had a surprisingly positive effect, deli manager Toni Merion said.

In a video posted to Instagram, Merion explained the reason for the sign.

“What is the reason behind the famous €5 sign that we put on the door of the place? Today we explain it well so you can understand why we put it,” read a translation of the video caption.