Cute Fall Town Was Overrun by Influencers, So It Banned Them

Fortune

Around late September, the leaves on the maple trees in Vermont are turning from a verdant green to near-iridescent orange and red, attracting hordes of tourists to the area each year.  This year, the locals are hoping for fewer visitors.

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00:00A rural town in Vermont that's a popular peak foliage photo ops for influencers is now closing

00:05its doors to non-residents for the second year in a row. Each autumn for the past five years,

00:09Pomfret, a town of only 900 residents, has been flooded with influencers and photo enthusiasts

00:15who are eager to pose with the state's stunning foliage, leading to traffic jams and trespassing

00:20in locals' private property. This road is a gravel and dirt road that is not maintained for the level

00:27of traffic that it gets. Remember that Vermont has had disastrous flooding, which makes care

00:34of these gravel roads worse. On one single lane winding path called Cloudland Road, a resident

00:39told Fortune he'd see, quote, lines of cars pulled over to the side of the road, dozens long, 20, 30,

00:4540 cars per row. The town took action last year by closing Cloudland Road to non-locals and raising

00:51$22,000 to hire patrols during busy hours to only allow locals to pass through. This year,

00:56the road will close again starting September 25th to address resident safety concerns. Beth

01:02Finlayson of Woodstock Chamber of Commerce told Fortune, quote, it's a very small one-lane dirt

01:07road. If there are two cars parked on it, an ambulance or fire truck wouldn't be able to get

01:11through. And Vermont isn't alone. Since the pandemic, influencer-driven tourism is booming

01:16worldwide, from quaint cafes to iconic landmarks. Affordable flights have made travel more

01:22accessible for people who prioritize experiences over luxury purchases. Plus, the influencer

01:27marketing industry is expected to reach $24 billion this year, with content creators adding

01:33to a never-ending bucket list. Other popular destinations in Italy and Spain have considered

01:38stricter regulations and additional visitation fees to combat over-tourism. While places like

01:43Pomfret and surrounding towns depend on tourism for income, Select Board Chair Benjamin Brickner

01:48notes safety has to come first. He hopes the road closure will be temporary, allowing the

01:52town to return to its peaceful, rural roots as the initial surge of interest fades.

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