An influencer with over 200,000 followers on social media believes Lincoln is underrated and an “unexpected Christmas gem”.
American content creator Candace Salters moved to London when she was 18. Five years ago, she launched Candace Abroad – a travel blog, including things to do both in London and beyond – across the UK and Europe - with itinerary focused content on her website, Instagram and TikTok.
Destination Lincolnshire worked with Candace to arrange a festive press trip, providing a jam-packed itinerary for spending time in Lincoln during winter. It gave Candace a fresh new perspective on her first ever visit to the city…and she already plans to come back!
Candace has introduced Lincoln to tens of thousands of potential international visitors, with her reel gaining 28,000 views within the first 48 hours of being posted. The views continued to rise, soaring to over 59,000.
“Hidden gem”
Candace said: “I think as a city, Lincoln is underrated. Places like York get a lot of coverage, but the first thing I thought as I was walking over to my hotel, and along the cobbled streets, is ‘hidden gem’.
“It’s extremely walkable and has quintessential city vibes.
“In terms of a Christmas destination, it’s breathtaking around the Cathedral and Castle Square, and you can have a pint outside on the cobbled streets, and right next to it is a Christmas trail.
“It’s an unexpected Christmas escape I didn’t know existed and an unexpected Christmas gem.
“A lot of the audience sentiment I got from the content was people who hadn’t heard of Lincoln, who now want to visit and will add it to their Christmas bucket list.”
After arriving in Lincoln and enjoying a lovely first impression of the city, Candace had a complimentary dinner at The Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill. It is situated on the fifth floor of the DoubleTree Hilton by Lincoln, where she stayed overnight.
Candace said: “I found the hospitality really great, and the meal was nice. The rooms were brilliant and overlooked the riverside.
“It was a super convenient location for exploring and I’d definitely recommend it as a place to stay.”
Candace’s Lincoln experience
Candace’s visit to Lincoln and her detailed itinerary were curated by Destination Lincolnshire’s PR & Marketing Executive, Arianne Davey.
Her itinerary the next day included breakfast at the hotel, a gifted high tea at Stokes’ High Bridge Café and meal at Seven Districts Coffee (formerly Cask Kitchen), a complimentary drink at Thor’s Tipi, and access to Lincoln Castle’s Illuminated Wall Walk.
Candace said she enjoyed the “best scones I’ve ever had” at Stokes, saying: “They were so warm, fresh and delicious.
“The cream and jam were really nice but biting into the scone, I was thinking ‘oh my goodness, wow’. It’s worth going to Lincoln just for the scones and the building is really interesting.”
Candace also immersed herself in the Lincoln Christmas Lights Trail and visited The Lincoln Imporium shop on Steep Hill.
“One of the number one highlights was a new business called The Lincoln Imporium,” Candace said.
“I didn’t know much about it and going there, learning about the history, the Lincoln Imp, and seeing all the shops along the cobbled streets, was amazing.
“Walking along the illuminated castle walls was magical. From an American perspective, seeing something so historic modernised with a Christmas Light Trail and market stalls was brilliant.
“There are also lots of lovely pubs, and boutiques perfect for holiday shopping.”
She added: “I think every single place in the UK has something that makes it special. Lincoln’s medieval Imp legend and history you can’t get anywhere else.
“One of the best parts of travel is doing something in a destination you couldn’t do anywhere else and it’s beautiful to discover.
“There’s always a top five when it comes to UK destinations to visit and Lincoln has everything you would be looking for, but on a smaller, manageable, scale, in a good way, and with the amazing Midlands hospitality.
“Before I went to Lincoln, I didn’t know what to expect and wondered why it was overlooked. After, I thought ‘wow, why is this overlooked?’ – it’s a quintessential English city break for Christmas”.
“I’d recommend people to visit to Lincoln”
Candace also praised the “very good” train connection to London and believes it makes Lincoln “more accessible than some other more known UK city destinations”.
She said: “In 1 hour, 40 minutes on the train, you can be in the perfect English city and explore a destination that will both surprise and delight you.
“It’s so close to London where Christmas can be insanely busy, so you can have a quieter charming Christmas experience.
“Lincoln encapsulates perfectly what a hidden gem is and is one of my top UK cities that I’d recommend people to visit.
“I think the East Midlands is overlooked. People talk about being from up north or down south, and I definitely want to explore it further. I’d love to come back to Lincoln with family and friends when they visit me in the UK.”
Working with Destination Lincolnshire
Candace was full of praise for her collaboration with Destination Lincolnshire, adding: “Personally, I am very passionate about sharing what is beyond the surface of a tourist destination, especially outside of London that people may not know.
“I care really deeply about showcasing these destinations. I was really excited chatting to Arianne about bringing the campaign to life.
“For smaller DMOs, working with content creators can be daunting with things such as budget, but I always try to find a middle ground to work with as I want them to see the benefits of influencer marketing.
“I loved getting the itinerary Arianne put together. It was brilliant and realistic, and I loved bringing it to life.
“I was excited to show the impact that doing a campaign with an influencer can bring.”
Destination Lincolnshire’s PR & Marketing Executive Arianne Davey said: “Working with Candace on this press trip, was a great addition to our Christmas in Lincoln campaign.
“It has been fantastic to read the comments and receive feedback that many of Candace’s followers have never been to Lincoln and are really keen to visit, having seen Candace’s reel and itinerary for spending a weekend break in the city.
“Investing in this type of marketing is experimental, allowing us to explore new marketing channels and reach completely new audiences, with the aim being to build brand awareness of Visit Lincoln, as well as awareness of the destination and everything that’s so great about our city – particularly during the festive period during this press trip.
“We feel that Candace’s content showed Lincoln off in an authentic way and showcased some of our fantastic visitor attractions and businesses in Lincoln.
“We hope to explore further opportunities within the remit of creator marketing and partnerships in future campaigns.”