Looking forward to taking some picturesque snaps on your trip to the Italian Alps? You might need to pay for them, after fed-up farmers set up turnstiles to charge selfie-loving visitors.
More than 120 million people visit the Alps every year to run, hike, climb, and relax in the serene mountain surroundings, but not everyone is pleased to see them. Frustrated Italian farmers say tourists are trespassing on their land to find popular 'Instagrammable' spots for a selfie.
Now they have set up turnstiles to charge visitors €5 ($5.77) for access in areas like the Seceda and Drei Zinnen regions.
Carlo Zanella, president of the Alto Adige Alpine Club, says that the boom of social media has brought more tourists to the region, rather than the hikers who once populated it.
“Once upon a time, those who came up to the mountains were prepared, dressed for the mountains, and came for hiking," reads a statement he shared with CNN.
“Now I’ve seen people go up to Seceda with sun umbrellas and flip-flops and get stuck because the cable car closed and they hadn’t checked the lift schedules.
"This isn’t what the mountains should be."
Local tourism bodies have insisted that the issue is overblown and asked authorities to close down the turnstiles to avoid discouraging visitors. Italian laws allow free access to wild spaces like the Alps, but farmers say they haven't received any backlash from authorities.
The Santa Cristina Tourist Board, which is responsible for the alpine region where many of the turnstiles have been erected, has instead hired four rangers to keep tourists on the trails and away from private land.
President Lukas Demetz told CNN that "things have improved significantly" with the new rangers.
“And even the litter problem isn’t as serious as people say. It’s significantly reduced."
Turnstiles and rangers aren't the only tools in use to keep the crowds down in Italy. Some wilderness areas, like the picturesque Lake Braies, now charge visitors €40 ($46.22) to park. Elsewhere, parking spots are limited to as few as 150, to dissuade overcrowding and protect the alpine ecosystems.
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