travel
Tourists on pastry quest overrun scenic spot in Italian mountains
Alpine communities hit out after influencer videos draw huge queues to Friedrich August refuge in Dolomites
TL;DR
- Hundreds of people visited the Friedrich August refuge in the Italian Dolomites seeking *krapfen* pastries after they were promoted by food bloggers.
- The pastry quest resulted in massive queues and a 'chaotic' situation at the mountain refuge.
- Refuge workers and mountain community associations are blaming influencers and social media algorithms for creating overtourism.
- Critics argue that image-driven tourism erodes the spirit of the mountains and prioritizes selfies over respect for the environment.
- Similar instances of influencer-driven overtourism have been reported in other Italian mountain resorts.