National park pays influencers for 'be kind' drive
BBCA national park is paying social media influencers to help discourage people from fly camping and littering.
The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) has set aside £6,000 for a pilot project to work with influencers to spread the message to be "Lake District Kind".
Emily Rushworth, digital content officer at the LDNPA, said influencers had large audiences which the park was not normally able to reach.
"This as an opportunity to educate more people about how to visit the Lake District responsibly, such as by leaving no trace, parking responsibly and avoiding social media 'hidden gem' hotspots," she said.
The LDNPA said more than 18 million people visited the Lake District each year, but staff were tackling regular issues such as littering, disposable BBQs being left and fly camping.
Posts about the Lake District are incredibly popular on platforms such as Instagram, with about 6.4m tags for the location used, compared to 2.4m for the Peak District and 1.9m for Northumberland.
Andrew LockingMs Rushworth said influencers were being "supportive" of their campaign.
"Some [are] offering significantly reduced partnership costs as they believe in the importance of spreading the Lake District Kind messaging as far and wide as possible."
Simon Hill, visitor management lead for the LDNPA, said the issues were not only a "blemish on the beautiful scenery", but also a threat to habitat and wildlife.
"The Lake District isn't just a beautiful holiday location, its landscape is home to thousands and is relied upon for livelihoods," he said.
The authority is also displaying digital signs on key routes into the national park and working with other bodies including councils and the police.