Administrators at most destinations yearn to have them go viral on TikTok, or dream of attracting droves of Netflix Inc viewers, despite the risk of overwhelming communities. A small island off the southeastern coast of Finland is taking the opposite approach.
Tourism officials for Ulko-Tammio, one of several islands inside Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, say they want it to be a “phone-free island” and are urging visitors to “switch off their smart devices and to stop and genuinely enjoy the islands,” said Mats Selin, an expert with Visit Kotka-Hamina, in a release.
The sentiment is echoed by Parks & Wildlife Finland, which manages the island’s pristine environment and wildlife.
Photo: Reuters
“We encourage visitors to put their phones away voluntarily and to focus their senses on nature rather than on their phones,” said outdoor recreation and visitor manager Joel Heino, in a statement.
On the travel side, booking a digital-free vacation in a tropical locale is a growing trend that even corporate executives are resorting to, and digital detox retreat options have long existed for those choosing to pull their noses out of phones on trips. But it’s not the norm for an industry that relies on influencers and breathtaking visuals on social media to attract visitors or convey a sense of place.
To wit: Some 63 percent of millennials and younger travelers say they’ve used at least one social media platform to plan trips in the past 12 months, according to a sentiment survey of American travelers last month from Destination Analysts. Besides, does your vacation really happen if you don’t post about all the fun you’re having there?
Attempts to get consumers to ditch their phones have increased over the years, particularly in the entertainment business.
Electronic dance music artist Lane 8 is famous for his phone-free concerts, and it’s brought bigger crowds for his live shows. Dave Chappelle and Alicia Keys were among the earliest adopters to ban phones at performances through use of the Yondr pouch, dating back to 2015: Pop your iPhone in a gray and lime-green pouch that seals as soon as you close it; you can carry it around, but you won’t be able to snap it open until you reach an unlocking station as you exit the event.
San Francisco-based Yondr’s locking phone cases are now used in select courthouses, theaters, restaurants and schools in the US that are looking to limit the use of devices.
In January, Thermae Bath Spa, located in historic Bath, England, announced it was becoming a mobile-free zone and would partner with Yondr. The public thermal day spa noted in a release that phones were “a regular source of annoyance” to guests, as well as “a problem for our staff who have to recover dropped phones from the bottom of pools.”
Yondr’s last public data release cited an estimated 1 million customers using its pouches in March last year; the company said it was unable to share more recent data. Questions as to whether the pouch’s effectiveness arose after it was used for the Broadway show Take Me Out, and leaked footage and images of a naked Jesse Williams on stage nonetheless appeared on social media.
There will be no Yondr pouches on Finland’s Ulko-Tammio island. But amid growing proof that social media is addictive and can impair mental health, perhaps more travelers are ready to ditch their phones in the great outdoors. It’s nice to think that a nudge will suffice.
If not, you can use a digital camera to get great photos, though you won’t be able to post them while on the island.
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