Paid influencer posts to respect park reach 1.8m

A national park authority said paid-for influencer content encouraging people to respect nature reached 1.8m young people.

The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) spent £6,000 on a pilot ahead of the 2025 peak season to "educate more people about how to visit the Lake District responsibly".

It came amid mounting pressure for the park to deal with inconsiderate parking, illegal camping and fly-tipping, as the destination's popularity soars on social media.

The LDNPA said it was considering the results of the pilot before deciding whether to continue with the campaign ahead of this summer.

A spokesman said it gave "insights to build on future engagement activities".

"We will continue to share messaging around being Lake District Kind, encouraging people to leave no trace and help look after this truly special place," he said.

The LDNPA worked with two influencers on four-month contracts, who posted eight pieces of content across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The messaging centred around litter, fell safety, visiting less congested areas and wild camping guidance, the authority said.

The influencers' combined audience majority was 18-30 year olds compared with LDNPA's majority age range of 35-64 year-olds.

"The influencers we worked with were keen to share the messaging and demonstrated real care and consideration for the national park and its environment."

Last summer the LDNPA also increased multi-agency patrols, including issuing fines for parking offences and fly-camping, and worked on projects to improve shuttle bus services to popular places.

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