More people have been to space than have visited every country in the world, but this number, and the Country Counting community is growing exponentially.

Originally a game for the wealthy, the aim of country counting is simple – visit every country in the world and prove that you've done it for a place on the leader tables. Social media and the digital nomad lifestyle have made country counting more accessible, with influencers able to travel while earning money from their content. This in turn has opened this once exclusive club to a more diverse set of travellers.  

There's Rach and Marty, the female duo who have just five countries left to go, Jessica Nabongo, the first black woman to travel to every country in the world, and then there's Thor, the modern day Viking trying to reach every country without flying, a new, greener take on the challenge.

Gina Morello, a newbie to the country counting community, who completed her 195 in the COVID era explains “it takes many years to climb the ranks of the list, but women are slowly catching up to the men on the travel club leader boards. It is a long, slow process, but it is a transformation of the hobby occurring now. This process is not apparent in a single snapshot of the rankings of the travellers, which is simply a view of past activity. One would need to examine the movement of the list over time to measure this phenomenon.”

But what happens when you visit every country in the world? The group Nomad Mania has divided our planet into 1,301 regions and Most Travelled People (MTP) has broken the land area of earth down into 995 distinct regions, including countries, states, territories, islands and enclaves. MTP claims that 'for many, adding to their MTP totals and turning their personal map from red to green is their life's work. No one has ever completed the list.'

With some destinations like Yemen and Syria harder to reach, 'that's where we come in' explains James Willcox of adventure tour company Untamed Borders. 'We often help country counters reach destinations that are hard to organise themselves. Some of my favourite examples would be tours of Iraq, Libya and Syria and then more unknown areas of the world like Balochistan or Puntland on the Horn of Africa”.

But it's not all fun and games. The world of country counting is serious and those who are suspected of breaking the rules are often shunned by the rest of the community. There is a continuous debate around what visiting a country really means, and how the world should be divided up. There was even a court case earlier this year, involving one woman who claimed to be the first to visit every country in the world – was she, or was she just the first to record it on the internet?

About Untamed Borders

Since first operating pioneering tours to Afghanistan in 2007, Untamed Borders have continued to offer bespoke trips and small group adventures to some of the world's most interesting and inaccessible places. Specialising in cultural, trekking, marathon and skiing trips, Untamed Borders offer some of the most unique itineraries in the travel market today.

Operating in the Middle East, East Africa, Central Asia and the Caucasus, Untamed Borders takes over 250 guests a year to unusual and largely unvisited areas of the world. Travelling in small groups and using local guides, the Untamed Borders mission is to add positive benefit to the countries and communities they visit.

Untamed Borders Media   

Untamed Borders continue to provide access and support for film crews, journalists, photographers, brands and other professionals to some of the world's most inaccessible places. In addition to logistical expertise, Untamed Borders provide risk assessments, consultation and management of all sizes of productions and projects. Previous clients include ITN Productions, National Geographic, The North Face, Arc'teryx, Lonely Planet and Newsweek.

For more information or further interviews with Country Counters please contact: elise@untamedborders.com