One of Italy’s most popular ski resorts was forced to introduce emergency measures to prevent an onslaught of visitors after more than 10,000 unexpected daytrippers flocked to the mountains for selfies.

About 250 tour buses travelled to Roccaraso, in the Apennine Mountains, from Naples and nearby towns last Sunday after an influencer posted reports about news of heavy snowfalls.

Most of the travellers said they had booked their trip after seeing videos posted by Rita De Crescenzo who has more than 1.7 million followers on TikTok.

The wave of visitors created mayhem in the town’s restaurants, ski lifts, car parks and lavatories, adding a new dimension to the overtourism usually associated with Italy’s major cities such as Rome, Florence and Venice.

Day trippers clogged the roads, jammed the town’s ski slopes and left piles of rubbish behind on Sunday, causing fury from many of Roccaraso’s 1,500 residents. The visitors were seen in videos shared on social media queuing to board buses after leaving behind discarded barbecues and makeshift sleds.