SOCIAL media users have begun a hilarious campaign to discourage people from travelling to UK tourist destinations amid the lockdown.
The #Don’tvisit challenge was started on Twitter on Saturday [11 Apr] as a humorous way of dissuading travel to popular tourist destinations in Wales and Scotland.
Online participants produced posters in the style of the vintage travel adverts, warning tourists to stay home.
The trend begun with the hashtag “Don’t Visit Wales” and series of hilarious posters featuring popular Welsh destinations.
A selection was tweeted by BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine, who shared them with the caption: “Congrats to everyone involved in the #dontvisitwaleschallenge because these are superb.”
He posted a selection of posters, including one for Wales’ highest mountain, that reads: “Snowdonia: Don’t even think about it.”
Another, advertising the Pass of Aberglasyn, reads: “North Wales, Better not.”
One for the Welsh Coast reads: “Gower Way, Wales: Come visit later” above a picture of a deck chair.
The challenge then sparked a #Don’tvisitScotland campaign, after Martin Crewe, director of Barnardo’s Scotland, encouraged people to submit their Scottish offerings.
He shared a mock poster of the Scottish capital that reads: “Edinburgh, it’s not that friendly at the best of times. Stay home.”
He shared another of a town in Mull, captioned: “What’s the story in Tobermory? Wouldn’t you like to.. No!”
Twitter user Alan Downie made a poster of the Isle of Skye containing the warning: “It’s a lot wetter than you think.”
Textile artist Roslyn Mitchell also added to the fun, warning potential tourists off Largs, North Ayrshire.
She took a stylised scene of the seaside town and wrote: “You’ll be attacked by seagulls. Don’t risk it” in large letters above it.
Civil servant Robbie Cross used the style of an old Scottish Motor Transport bus advert to get his message of “Scotland: Dinnae bother” across to potential visitors.
And actress Kirsty Miller, from Glasgow, produced an image of Edinburgh emblazoned with: “You’ll have had your tea. Stay Home.”
The campaign has had social media users in stitches, with many suggesting they should be sold to raise money for charity.
Lesley Smith said: “This is perfect.”
Karen Davidson added: “These are just brilliant! I hope they’ll be on sale soon!”
And Nicola Livingston wrote: “Loving the creativity from people, some real laugh out loud contributions!”
The campaign follow’s many reports of people driving to natural beauty spots in order to exercise.
Their behaviour has sparked outraged among some locals and even led to Derbyshire Police using a drone to catch and “shame” people from outside the area who had driven into the area.
