Globetrotting gran becomes internet sensation
An 80 year old globetrotting granny has become an unexpected social media sensation after photos of her travel adventures on Facebook, went viral. Lena Toksanbaeva travelled to London for the first time at 79, her first trip out of her native Kazakhstan. The travel bug bit hard, and Lena who was previously afraid of getting on a plane, embraced her new found sense of adventure and has now travelled to Thailand, France, Spain and Disneyland Paris. Her granddaughter shared photos of her travels on Facebook and Lena’s positive spirit has inspired social media fans around the world.
Visit Holland has launched a new video marketing series, expanding on their current #ThisIsHolland campaign. A series of 15 short films will be released with the aim of giving tourists the ‘real’ feeling of what it’s like to just ‘be’ in Holland’. Viewers can enjoy a morning coffee, a taste of the local cuisine or the feeling of falling in love, Holland style, with these new beautifully directed films. The films have been created from the desire for the content to extend further than an ordinary campaign lifespan.
Controversially, Ryanair has likened the mayor of Copenhagen to Marie Antoinette in a witty response to the official banning of staff from using the low-cost airline. Civic workers in the Danish capital should use airlines that do not practice ‘social dumping’, mayor Frank Jensen said earlier this week. And in typical fashion, the Dublin-based airline has responded with a humorous take on the whole affair on Twitter.
And finally, they may be more used to tropical destinations but the bank holiday weekend saw the Beckham clan head to Cambridge for their latest family holiday. Snaps were posted across their various social media accounts with David documenting trying his hand at punting on the River Cam and Brooklyn posting a photo of meeting Professor Stephen Hawking. With the former football star’s recent birthday celebrations in Marrakech resulting in a wave of publicity for the luxury hotel that hosted the A-listers, we’re poised to witness the crowds flocking to Cambridge to emulate Becks and co on a more realistic budget.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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