Instagram couple leave social media after asking followers to pay for vacation

They are crowdfunding to cover costs of a tandem bike ride to Africa

A German couple who faced backlash for asking their followers to crowdfund €10,000 (£8,866) to cover the costs of their upcoming vacation have announced they are going to “step away from social media”.

Earlier this month, Catalin Onc and Elena Engelhardt, who share the Instagram account Another Beautiful Day, announced that they would be taking a tandem cycling trip to Africa and needed help from their more than 42,000 followers to cover costs.

According to the couple, who created a GoFundMe page, donations would “go towards the bike and gear, food and accommodation (when needed), internet and SIM cards in every country to keep you up to date, insurance and emergencies.”

“We could write a long text about mental health or global warming,” the couple wrote. “We could tell you about following your dreams, or how important stepping out of your comfort zone is. We could tell you how beautiful travelling is, and it’s benefits, or the fact that most news don’t match reality. But we’re going to show you!”

However, following widespread criticism from their followers, who accused the couple of freeloading and told them to get a job, Onc said on Monday he would be stepping away from social media to go “on a walk”.

“With this post, I will step away from social media for a little while,” he wrote, adding that he’d previously announced he would soon be doing “the hardest thing I’ve ever done mentally and physically”.

According to the influencer, who shared an up-close photo of his “look within” face tattoo, he will walk as long as he “possibly can” without “sleep, social media or distractions”.

The couple's latest announcement has done little to lessen the backlash, with many people still suggesting they get jobs instead.

“Try walking to a job interview,” one person wrote.

Another said: “Didn’t get any donations so they got to walk to Africa now instead.”

“If the hardest thing you have ever done is go for a walk, then I can imagine how earning a living like the rest of us must be so hard for you,” someone else wrote.

Onc and Engelhardt’s GoFundMe page has raised just €322 of its €10,000 goal.