Go Jonny go! Social media role sets him free to roam
INFLUENCER’S EXPLOITS IN BERLIN
A NOTTINGHAM-BORN social media influencer has revealed how his role in front of the camera liberated him from office routines he had grown to hate.
Jonny Whitlam, 34, works as a tour guide in Berlin, where he has lived for the past 14 years. He began sharing videos on the city’s history and many places of interest a year ago, gaining more than 80,000 followers on Instagram and Tiktok.
Born in West Bridgford, Jonny grew up in Farnsfield. Visiting the German capital for what was supposed to be a few days after graduating from Newcastle University with a degree in politics, he ended up moving there for good after the city captured his imagination.
But he didn’t find his dream role overnight. Jonny said: “I had done office jobs for a few years in the tourism industry, but I had got to a point where I was counting down the years to retirement, which was well over 30 years.
“I thought to myself, I can’t be stuck inside, so I decided to quit my job because I was unhappy and grumpy all the time.
“I then started being a freelance tour guide and since I’m quite handy with a camera and photography has always been a hobby, I decided to step up to videos.”
Jonny made a list of 500 places in Berlin that “have a story” as the basis of a video series. He posted his first two on Instagram in February last year, gaining an impressive 16,000 views.
He said: “That’s a lot of eyes to have on you, but it’s fun so I just kept going. You obviously get the odd negative comment from the know-it-alls, but there will always be someone trying to ruin your day so you just have to ignore them.
“The weirdest thing is that I get recognised in the city centre and it feels like a little pat on the back, it’s lovely.”
Jonny says his favourite travel tip recently has been using CHATGPT to plan his itineraries.
The artificial intelligence chatbot can give you unique recommendations on what to visit next, says the travel expert.
“I was very impressed with what it came out with when I tried it with Berlin as that way, I could test it to see how good it is,” he said.
“It’s not always perfect at organising things but it gives you the main starting points and some you haven’t heard of as well.”
He is now planning a football history tour focused on Berlin to coincide with Euro 2024, which Germany is hosting.