In an era defined by budget air travel and the flexibility of remote work, a growing community of enthusiasts is dedicated to visiting every country in the world. This movement is tracked through the platform Most Traveled People, which was founded by Charles Veley in 2005. The site allows members to log their journeys across regions, capital cities, and specific sites like restaurants or diving spots. Those who have officially visited every nation can apply for the prestigious title of \u201cUN Grandmaster.\u201d<\/p>\n
Achieving this elite status requires a rigorous verification process. Applicants must submit evidence of visits to 25 randomly selected countries and 25 of the most difficult-to-access nations, such as Syria, North Korea, and Kiribati. While the primary method of proof is passport entry and exit stamps, travelers can also use geotagged photographs at recognizable landmarks. For those who traveled in the pre-digital era, alternative proof or personal interviews may be conducted. Notably, simply having a layover at an airport does not qualify as a valid visit. Currently, 122 UN Grandmasters have been verified, many of whom recently gathered in Portugal to discuss their experiences.<\/p>\n
Among European destinations, Italy emerged as the clear favorite, with over 50% of the surveyed Grandmasters naming it their top choice. Italy also secured the title for having the world’s best cuisine, with Naples highlighted as a premier foodie destination, while Rome and Florence ranked highly among favorite cities. Participants praised Italy for its diverse regional cultures, wines, and culinary specialties. Following Italy, the top European countries included France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece. For those seeking off-the-beaten-path experiences, Albania and Romania were identified as the most underrated nations, while Ljubljana in Slovenia was cited as the most underrated city.<\/p>\n
Outside of Europe, Japan ranked second among the most favored countries, while Iran claimed the top spot. One respondent noted that Iran is often obscured by political headlines, yet it remains home to one of the world\u2019s oldest civilizations. Travelers praised the country for its profound history\u2014ranging from the Achaemenid Empire to the Silk Road\u2014and the warmth of its hospitality. Other highly-rated countries outside of Europe included China and Brazil. When asked about the most underrated nations globally, the community highlighted Iran, Yemen, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe, and Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n
The survey also highlighted favorite UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Beyond well-known landmarks like Petra and the Great Wall of China, the community pointed to lesser-known treasures such as the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia and the ancient stone palaces of Nan Madol in Micronesia. Finally, when asked for unmissable experiences, the experts repeatedly recommended Venezuela’s Canaima National Park, Bolivia\u2019s Salar de Uyuni salt flats, and the remote landscapes of Antarctica.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Members of the ‘Most Traveled People’ community, who have visited every nation, share their top global travel recommendations and underrated destinations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[917,915,904,164,916],"class_list":["post-1156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-global-destinations","tag-most-traveled-people","tag-tourism","tag-travel","tag-unesco"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fastblogtheme.com\/pressnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}