Why Influencers Face New Limits at Hotels, Restaurants and Beauty Spots Restricting Photoshoots

Restrictions reach popular destinations

Hotels and beauty spots are increasingly limiting photography as people pose with phones and ring lights in photogenic locations. Reports say some visitors book lunch and bring clothes and jewellery, then use their reservation for outfit shoots rather than eating.

The Hollies, a farm shop in Cheshire that drew attention after Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague shared images from there, bars photography and filming between 10am and 4pm. In Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, a screen has been installed near a convenience store to prevent pictures being taken there with Mount Fuji in the background.

Bans appear in the US

A Nantucket shop, on an island off Cape Cod in Massachusetts, went viral earlier this year with a sign saying “no influencers.” The town of Pomfret, Vermont, has also banned influencers from taking photos in front of autumn foliage. The restrictions come as some venues seek to protect the experience of people visiting for reasons other than social media content.

Hotels weigh promotion and comfort

Beaumier, a hotel group with properties including Les Roches Rouges near Marseille, sometimes works with influencers to promote its hotels. Chief marketing officer Anna Fedou says the group has no specific photography rules but keeps its main purpose in mind.

Fedou says creators generally choose quieter periods to film and photograph. “Guest experience always comes first,” she says, describing the aim of keeping the hotel’s relaxed atmosphere while engaging with social media.

A broader debate over content

Alex Goat, founder of youth culture agency Livity, compares photo restrictions to clubs asking visitors to cover their phone cameras. She says such rules can signal that a place is intended for people to enjoy music and the space, rather than document it for others.

Influencer Nicole Ocran, who founded the Creator Union, says many creators make content for their audiences without pay, hoping to attract brand partnerships. She also acknowledges that creators can overstep while filming in public, and says limits can remind people that not every experience needs to become content.