No, Your Instagram ‘Influence’ Is Not as Good as Cash, Club Owner Says

A small-business owner on an island in the Philippines has become a local hero for pushing back at the growing number of international travelers who introduce themselves as “influencers” as a way to get free food, drinks and lodging. In recent years it has also drawn a large number of travelers who believe that their vacations should be free so long as they make Instagram stories, according to several local business owners. Last week, Gianlucca Casaccia, 40, the manager and co-owner of the White Banana Beach Club, decided it was time to take action after opening his inbox and finding yet another message containing the phrase: “I am an influencer.”

Source: www.nytimes.com