Social media-driven tourism causes overcrowding at Italian Dolomites mountain hut

Hundreds of people overwhelmed a mountain hut in the Italian Dolomites, not for the panoramic views but in search of a creamy pastry, reigniting the debate about social-media-driven tourism.

The visitors ventured en masse to the Friedrich August refuge – perched at 2,300 metres (7,500ft) above sea level, between Col Rodella and Passo Sella in Val di Fassa – some reportedly waking up at dawn or camping overnight, just to ensure they could buy a freshly baked krapfen, a traditional German pastry similar to a doughnut, before they ran out.

They had been enticed by food bloggers who in videos had promoted the pastries, which cost up to €4 (£3.40) each, while eating them against the backdrop of the Dolomites, causing massive queues along the narrow path leading towards the premises.

The queues, rather than deterring the crowds, only brought in more people after images of the scenes were widely shared online.

“We only came for this,” one visitor told Rai News, while another said they were attracted by a post about krapfen on Instagram that was accompanied by “heavenly music”.

A person who works at the refuge but who wanted to remain anonymous said it had been making the pastries for 30 years without any fuss, and blamed influencers for creating a “chaotic” situation. “We don’t like it,” they said.

Neither do the associations representing Italian mountain towns. The issue is not krapfen, they said, but the algorithms ruining the mountain environment by funnelling crowds into beauty spots.

“The mountains are not a playground,” said Marco Bussone, the president of Uncem, the national union of mountain communities, in remarks to the online news outlet Fanpage.

Francesco Abbruscato, the president of the Veneto branch of the Italian Alpine Club, told Vita.it that image-driven tourism was eroding the true spirit of the mountains.

“The main problem is those who visit the mountains without knowing or respecting them,” he said. “Until five or six years ago we did not witness overtourism in precise points or at certain moments in the Dolomites. Now there are iconic places where it is no longer possible to appreciate the beauty as we’re surrounded by dozens of people who take selfies and are only there for that.”