Vienna has launched a campaign in the UK to persuade visitors to put away their selfie sticks and take fewer photos while in the city.
Its Unhashtag Vienna campaign will run in public spaces in London, as well as on social media, until the end of November, with the message ‘See Vienna – not #Vienna. Enjoy the city behind you pics!’
For the launch of the campaign, the Upper Belvedere gallery in Vienna obscured one of its most famous painting, Klimt’s Kiss, with a large red hashtag for three days earlier this month.
The idea was to discourage visitors from constantly posting images on the photo-sharing website Instagram.
"We decided to take part in the campaign because as a museum we find ourselves right at the heart of this tug of war between digital communications and art," said Belvedere Director Stella Rollig. "While we permit photography in our exhibition spaces and welcome contributions on social media, we still want to create an environment where our visitors can experience the artworks in peace. Striking the right balance is a challenge we face every day."
Vienna Tourist Board MD Norbert Kettner said the campaign wasn’t about ‘finger wagging’, but rather about encouraging visitors to adopt a more mindful approach to ‘experiencing individual moments and attractions, with fewer selfies and ‘a little more discernment’.
"Our campaign shouldn’t be seen as us railing against social media. After all, we use it extensively ourselves in our tourism marketing activities to spread our own messages – including in this campaign," he added. "What we are trying to do is use a healthy dose of humour to draw attention to Vienna’s relationship with social media, while putting the focus on experiences and moments of enjoyment."
Upon arrival at Vienna airport, visitors will be greeted with the words "Welcome to Vienna. Not #Vienna," in the baggage reclaim hall. They will also be able to borrow free instant cameras, limited to just 10 shots, at the tourist information in Albertinaplatz to give their smartphones a break for the rest of November.
