In the quiet wine-producing region of Azeitão, south of Lisbon, an unusual gathering took place this weekend. Around 200 members of the Most Traveled People (MTP) community met to swap stories, compare passport stamps, and celebrate a shared obsession: visiting every country on Earth. Of those present, 103 had already achieved the feat of setting foot in all 193 UN-recognised states.
A Community Born from a Guinness Snub
The MTP network was founded in 2005 by Charles Veley, a Californian who spent 350 days away from home last year. Veley had sought recognition as the world's most travelled person, but Guinness World Records had stopped awarding that title. So he built his own platform, which now counts more than 50,000 registered users. Members log their trips and compete in rankings, with the ultimate goal of becoming a grandmaster.
“The rankings help to motivate people, because they have a list to complete. That’s what happened to me,” Veley explained. But he insists the community is not about mere country-counting. “When people go to a country and only visit the capital, that is not experiencing the country.”
The group’s next major gathering is planned for Chengdu, China, next year. For now, Azeitão—a village known for its cheese and wine—served as an unlikely hub for the world’s most restless travellers.
Stories from the Road: Prison, War, and North Korea
For many members, the pursuit of every country has led them into dangerous situations. Nicolas Pasquali, an Argentinian, described the Central African Republic as the most perilous place he has visited, citing a civil war and areas controlled by the Wagner Group. He crossed the country by motorbike with help from locals. But his scariest moments came in Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“I ended up in prison in Iraq: I was accused of spying for Italy,” Pasquali said. A similar incident occurred in the DRC after a bribe demand for a visa. He has since returned to both countries without trouble.
David Langan, an Irishman who completed his country list in 2022, has a more unusual ritual: he visits a post office in every nation. Even in Mogadishu, Somalia—widely considered one of the world’s most dangerous cities—he felt safe. “You have to be security-conscious and careful. I felt safe when I was there,” he said.
Wendy Arbeit, a German-American, achieved grandmaster status last year by entering North Korea. She was part of the first tourist group allowed in after the pandemic. “It was incredible. Very safe, very clean,” she recalled. “Also very special because I was the first person to enter the country after Covid, the first non-Russian tourist.”
The Cost of Global Travel
Visiting every country is not cheap, but members argue it is more accessible than ever. “Air fares have come down and there are many ways of getting to places. It is a matter of staying in cheaper hotels or in people’s homes,” Langan said. Pasquali estimated he spent around €150,000 to complete his list, saving on accommodation and transport.
Jack Wheeler, an 82-year-old American who lives in Portugal, turned his passion into a business. For 50 years he has run a company organising expeditions. “People pay me to take them to extraordinary places around the world. That is how I do it,” he said. Wheeler completed his list in 2014 with a trip to São Tomé and Príncipe, after his wife challenged him to visit every country.
The MTP community is predominantly American and European, with strong contingents from Germany and Portugal. A growing number of members come from Asia. For them, travel is not a holiday but a lifestyle—one that requires determination, resilience, and a willingness to embrace the unknown.
As Portugal continues to attract global travellers, the country has also faced challenges in managing tourism flows. The government recently announced plans to deploy 340 extra PSP officers at airports to ease summer queues, reflecting the strain of rising visitor numbers. Meanwhile, a general strike shut transport, schools, and hospitals earlier this year over labour reforms, highlighting the tensions behind the country’s travel boom.
For the MTP members, however, Portugal was just another stop on an endless journey. As Veley put it: “We organise tours and we do rankings. The rankings help to motivate people, because they have a list to complete.”
