Instagram and TikTok influencers draw too many tourists, making destinations hard to book

So much for going off-grid. Pent-up desire to travel as the pandemic eases, and viral social media posts, lead to booked out campsites, congested hiking trails

Travel bloggers have mixed feelings about posts on social media – they want people to enjoy the outdoors, but not at the expense of the environment

Reading Time:5 minutes

Social media posts about the Angels Landing Trail, a popular attraction in Zion National Park in the US state of Utah, contributed to a rise in hikers using it that caused overcrowding. Photo: National Park Service

Published: 4:15pm, 21 Jul 2022

Lauren Gay’s favourite outdoor escape isn’t what it used to be.

The 41-year-old, based in the US state of Florida, has been running her Misadventures of an Outdoorsy Diva adventure travel blog since 2013, writing travel tips for destinations all over the world. One of her “absolute favourite” escapes, however, was Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

“That was my go-to,” she says, recalling how on weekdays, she could kayak down the river for miles without seeing other visitors.

“Not now,” she says.

Lauren Gay, the 41-year-old Floridian who has been running the Misadventures of an Outdoorsy Diva adventure travel blog. Photo: Instagram/@outdoorsydiva

Ever since the summer of 2020, when people in the US turned to the countryside to stay active whilst remaining socially distant during the pandemic, Gay says she has seen the river become overrun by motorised boats.

What was once a relaxing paddle has been tainted by the smell of burning fuel, and the wildlife she used to spot during her kayaking adventures – fish, turtles, manatees – were nowhere to be seen on her last trip in the autumn of 2021.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x