( CNN ) -- Irreverent ? Obscene ? Glorious ? While some parts of the world are instituting bikini bans and campaigning for travelers to cover up , elsewhere , travelers are encouraging others to take it off on social media for everyone to see . What began as a spontaneous idea and Instagram post has sparked a stream of travelers to send in fun , topless photos -- taken from the back -- to be featured on the social media channels of the Topless Tour , which began as an Instagram project . Judging from the enthusiastic response and growing number of participants , there 's something about posing topless that heightens the feeling of liberation and adventure while traveling . Japan 's 'anti-loneliness cafe ' goes viral . How it started . The Topless Tour was started two years ago by friends Olivia Edginton , 20 , Lydia Buckler , 21 , and Ingvild Marstein Olsen , 20 , students at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in London . After taking an impromptu topless dip in a cold lake in Olsen 's hometown in Norway , the three friends wanted to capture the moment of freedom . `` It simply just happened , no planning involved , '' Edginton wrote in an e-mail . They continued to travel and post similar photos throughout Europe and New York , all featuring themselves in topless poses against dramatic backgrounds . Then they called for others to send in their topless photos from around the world . From Idaho to Cape Town to Thailand , the mildly salacious images poured in . Among the more amazing submissions : a woman bungee jumping topless in the Swiss Alps . More to come . The Topless Tour currently has nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram . That number is increasing quickly as the trio and a growing community continue to document their travels with bare backs . Although the topless photos come predominantly from women , many men have submitted as well . `` We never imagined it would have such global reach and appreciation , '' Edginton said . `` It was always just something we would hope would catch on , never really thinking it would happen . '' For the trio leading the Tour , the best part of the experience has been hearing people 's stories from all over the globe , and how the project has helped people `` feel themselves again , be proud of who they are and love their beautiful bodies , '' said Edginton . `` One of our followers recently said these lovely words : 'All that pressure and judging went away . And so did my shirt . I felt free , happy , and me . ' `` How to take good Instagram photos when you travel . Correction : We incorrectly described an Instagram post as a woman skydiving , rather than bungee jumping . This has now been fixed .
Three students in UK start topless travel photo trend . Travelers send in topless photos from around the world . The Topless Tour has nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram .