Selfie seekers trampling tulips in The Netherlands
Growers hoping to stem their losses
If they were tiptoeing through the tulips it might not be as big a deal, but tulip growers in The Netherlands say selfie-seekers are trampling through their flowers in search of the perfect pic.
Tulips are nourished with love and cherished by caring Dutch farmers, “but a predator lures from above, careless and unknowingly destructive.”
It used to be people would stand on the outside of tulip fields and take pictures of the brightly coloured flowers. now, they want to be surrounded by them
One grower estimates that thousands of people walk into his fields daily from 10 am to 9 pm to take pictures. He says they once caused 10,000 euros’ ($10,000 CAD) worth of damage to his plants.
The Dutch tourist board and local growers have launched a social media campaign to educate the public and have employed a team of “ambassadors” to tell selfie-takers not to step on the bulbs during their travels.
Growers say Instagram has exacerbated the problem.
The Dutch tourist board says ten years ago it was mostly people 50 years of age and older who stopped to take a picture. In the last two years, as Instagram has become more popular, more and more young people are doing so.
Sunflower growers in our region have had the same issue in recent years.
banner image via holland.com
