Millennial and Gen Z Travelers – they live their entire vacation through selfies and Instagram posts – bless their hearts.
But some destinations are tired of selfies ruining travel for everyone else… so they’ve actually instituted a selfie ban!
In fact – if you get caught taking selfies in one of these forbidden zones – be prepared to pay a hefty fine.
Portofino, Italy
This Italian coastal town is located in the City of Genoa situated on the Italian Riviera and is home to about 500 residents.
Each summer, thousands of travelers flock to this popular fishing commune hoping to snap photos of the bright-colored houses with the stunning turquoise blue background of the Italian Riviera.
Except – apparently the selfie-phenomenon has gotten so out-of-hand the Mayor of Portofino, Matteo Viacava, has banned selfies through October – claiming tourists create ‘anarchic chaos’ by blocking streets and causing traffic jams.
Forbes reported:
“The town has designated certain areas as no-waiting zones to curb tourist loitering.
Visitors ‘lingering’ at Portofino’s beauty spots now risk a hefty fine. Taking your time to get the best selfie could land you a fine of up to €275 ($302).
The town says the restrictions are necessary to stop pedestrian traffic jams at peak times during the holiday season.”
London, England
Did you know certain areas in London are off limits for selfies? Or even photos in general?
If you want to see the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London – be warned that taking photos of any kind is strictly prohibited in this area due to safety concerns.
While the jewels are already guarded 24/7 with armed guards and cameras – photos are banned so thieves don’t study the layout of the jewels to find security weaknesses.
New York Zoos, New York
Apparently, a previous trend of men taking photos of themselves next to tigers has led to a “tiger selfie ban”
The law went into effect 10 years ago because the online-dating app Tinder saw a surge of men posing near photos to get the coveted “tiger selfie”.
NBC New York reported:
“So-called “tiger selfies” have emerged as popular profile photos on online dating sites, with users — generally young men — looking to stand out by posting a photo of themselves with the dangerous predators.
Wildlife advocates say the trend is not only potentially hazardous to humans but encourages mistreatment of endangered animals that are often taken from their mothers as cubs, poorly cared for and then neglected or discarded when they grow up.”
You just can’t make this stuff up!
Why Are Bans Needed?
Unfortunately, the new generation of entitled travelers seems to think they can do whatever they want when they travel…
… including trashing people’s hometowns and destroying natural wonders.
We’re all about exploring and viewing unknown spots – but not at the expense of damaging people’s homes.
In California, those hoping to see the stunning orange poppies ended up causing complete chaos:
The Wall Street Journal reported:
“Last weekend, traffic on Interstate 15 slowed to a standstill, and some people simply parked on the shoulder and got out. A city worker who was called in to help manage traffic into Walker Canyon, a bloom epicenter, was hit by a car ramming through a barricade.”
And the new breed of “beggars and backpackers” continue to stomp around places like Hawaii destroying the natural landscape by taking selfies and posting to their social media accounts hoping to get others to fund their travel adventures.
I’m not a fan of mandates, personally, but due to the recent travel trends of entitled millennials – we can expect to find more cities adopting “selfie bans”.
Do you think popular cities should ban selfies?
Do you agree the next generation of travelers is ruining travel for the rest of us?
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