Tom Frankenburg finds it difficult to be in Malta on the holiday he should have enjoyed with his girlfriend, but the past months taught him not to mope over such things and appreciate what he has.
People of the world – unite
“It’s as difficult as any break-up. It’s quite hard to be in Malta when I should have been here with her… But, I am lucky. The people I’ve met taught me to really appreciate what I have,” the 22-year-old from Nottingham said a few hours after landing yesterday.
Mr Frankenburg and his cause – to do something nice – spiralled to fame when a video he created went viral. In the video, available on YouTube, he tells more than 100,000 viewers that he and his girlfriend had broken up after nine months.
Before the painful split he had spent some £1,000 (about €1,245) on a holiday for two to Malta – a destination they chose because they had never been to the island and were attracted by its history and beaches.
When he learned he could not be refunded, he got a bright idea – to donate his holiday to a couple who really deserved it.
Some 2,000 people applied and, after sifting through all their emails, Mr Frankenburg picked a young couple who had been mugged close to their own home.
The man was left in a coma and was hospitalised for three months. But they are trying to move on and learn from the terrible trauma.
The holiday, from July 3 to July 10, includes return flights to Malta from East Midlands Airport, a stay at a four-star hotel and car rental.
Mr Frankenburg even chipped in towards the £35 charges for changing the names on the plane tickets.
And as his good deed bounced back: the Malta Tourism Authority, ThisisMalta.TV and Air Malta have joined forces to give him and a friend a holiday.
As well as free flights and accommodation, he will also get the chance to go backstage at tonight’s MTV concert.
“I am very excited to meet the stars,” he said enthusiastically. Mr Frankenburg is meant to leave Malta on July 3 – the day the couple who won his holiday arrive.
He is now trying to extend his stay at The Westin Dragonara Resort by a day so he can meet them on the island.
Before ending the brief interview with The Times, he urged people to visit the link http://tinyurl.com/bt7de6u and donate money so that he could give a holiday to another four people who deserve a break.
“People of the world, unite,” the young man says.
“Do something nice.”