Tourists have been banned from taking selfies at a popular cliffside photo spot over fears that the rock will break due to the sheer number of people who have posed on it.
“Surfers’ Rock”, the naturally-formed surfboard-shaped rock that juts out over Lagoinha do Leste beach in Morro da Coroa, Brazil, has been the backdrop for hundreds of thousands of photos on Instagram.
Tourists and influencers have been known to wait in line for hours to pose on the edge of the iconic Surfers’ rock at the beach, for Instagram-worthy photos that give the illusion that the subject is dangling their legs over the precipice.
But now safety officials say the rock has become so degraded by the number of selfie-seeking visitors that it is no longer safe.
According to National World, local authorities have now closed the path to the rock and erected signs warning tourists that it is no longer safe to stand on.
The Municipal Environmental Foundation of Florianópolis put up signs near “Surfer’s Rock” stating that it is “Closed due to the precarious conditions, the possibility of rockfalls, and erosion.”
The closure comes after concerns were raised about the increasing number of tourists visiting the site to take photos. A recent geological survey revealed that the rock — known in Portuguese as Pedra do Surfista — is at risk of collapse due to erosion and the impact of frequent human traffic.
According to the survey, the rock could easily snap off and fall to Lagoinha do Leste beach below.
The Rise of Selfie Tourism
The news comes after a study by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) last year revealed that historical and cultural landmarks are at risk of being destroyed as a result of “selfie tourism.”
UNESCO defines selfie-tourism as the practice where travelers visit destinations primarily to take and share photos of themselves, often with iconic landmarks in the background.
Unlike traditional tourism, which focuses on capturing personal memories, selfie-tourism is fueled by the need to generate visually appealing content for social media. Now, holidaymakers are choosing travel destinations simply because they look ideal for an Instagram photo.
The agency says that the trend toward selfie tourism is already having several negative impacts on cultural and historical landmarks across the world. The shift has led to overcrowding at popular destinations and placed significant strain on local communities and infrastructure.
Image credits: Header by Diego F. Gonçalves/ Flickr, CC by 2.0
This post was originally published on here
