Tourists have been blocked from a popular clifftop in Spain, that has become a famed selfie spot, by local protesters.
Thousands of angry residents have barricaded Es Vedrà viewpoint on the island of Ibiza, Spain with boulders and “no entry” warnings — after becoming fed up with the influx of tourists taking selfies there.
Every summer, thousands of unregulated holidaymakers flock to the clifftop viewpoint, using unofficial car parks on private land, to watch the sun sink behind the Es Vedrà and take photos.
According to a report by The Times of London, the famed Es Vedrà viewpoint is now off limits to tourists. Residents and landowners in the Cala d’Hort de Sant Josep area have blocked off the unofficial car park with rocks and cordoned off the footpaths to stop tourists from accessing the selfie spot.
“They’ll have to leave without the photo,” a local protestor tells local news outlet El Diario, after they closed access to the islet viewpoint of Es Vedrà.
El Diario reports that the protestors have barricaded Es Vedrà to stop the photoshoots that are held there with impunity.
“After decades of abuse by businesses and tourists who make a killing in what is currently Ibiza’s most sought-after location for social media photos, this year impunity has ended,” the publication says.
The protestors say the measures will also put an end to illegal commercial activities that take place on the clifftops, including weddings, ceremonies, bar sales, and parties.
The Rise of Selfie Tourism
The news comes after a study by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) last year revealed that historical and cultural landmarks are at risk of being destroyed as a result of “selfie tourism.”
UNESCO defines selfie-tourism as the practice where travelers visit destinations primarily to take and share photos of themselves, often with iconic landmarks in the background.
Unlike traditional tourism, which focuses on capturing personal memories, selfie tourism is fueled by the need to generate visually appealing content for social media. Now, holidaymakers are choosing travel destinations simply because they look ideal for an Instagram photo.
The agency says that the trend toward selfie tourism is already having several negative impacts on cultural and historical landmarks across the world. The shift has led to overcrowding at popular destinations and placed significant strain on local communities and infrastructure.
Last year, singer Katy Perry was investigated by Spanish officials for allegedly filming a music video in ecologically sensitive sand dunes of Ibiza without permission.
Meanwhile, a man was accused of vandalizing a 6,000-year-old cave painting in Andalucia, southern Spain, so it looked better for a Facebook photo.
Image credits: Header photo by A.Savin, Wikipedia.
