Why this US city is banning influencers and tourists during the fall. (Image: iStock)
A US town known for its fall foliage has closed its doors to the public, especially influencers and tourists, as local residents are resisting. The small rural town of Pomfret is located in VermontKnown for its picturesque beauty, with colorful forests and autumn-hued fields, Pomfret has become a popular tourist destination during the fall season.
For this reason, the narrow, winding road was frequently stopped. Why? To capture pictures of the landscape, of course for his Instagram posts. This also caused traffic disruptions.
In response, the community of 900 people is now taking steps to protect their town from the seasonal influx.
Last year, the Pomfret select board voted to close Cloudland Road and Barber Hill Road to nonresidents for a significant period of time, from September to October. “Flower season traffic in this area has steadily increased over the past several years, resulting in significant safety, environmental, aesthetic and quality of life issues,” the select board wrote in a memo.
During the fall 2022 season, law enforcement temporarily turned the road through Sleepy Hollow into a one-way street. However, it wasn’t enough to deter tourists from misbehaving. In 2023, local residents tried a different approach: crowdfunding.
In a GoFundMe petition, a team of organizers wrote: “[We have] experienced an unprecedented rise in tourism “influencers” driven by Instagram and TikTok… [who] They have damaged roads, had accidents, had to be towed out of ditches, trampled gardens, defecated on private property… and verbally assaulted residents.” To date, the appeal has garnered 125 donations and raised more than $22,058.
As a result, town officials voted to close roads leading to the farm during peak fall foliage season to non-residents.
Although this measure may sound a bit anti-touristy, most Pomfret residents stress that they are not like that, but simply want people to treat their hometown with respect. Even more serious is the issue of concerns about residents’ safety.
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