What is MTP?
MTP (Most Traveled People) is a club for travelers who aspire to go "Everywhere."
Where is "Everywhere"?
Currently, the MTP Master List is 1500 items long. These items are UN countries (often divided into regions, states or provinces), territories, dependencies, island groups, isolated islands, and enclaves and exclaves.
When did MTP start?
MTP was founded in 2005 to create a community and standards body for extreme travelers. A lack of standards had existed since the year 2000, when Guinness declared itself unable to continue to judge the Most Traveled category. Guinness requested that a legitimate 3rd party organization pick up this task, so MTP was born.
How was MTP's original Master List developed?
MTP's original Master List of 573 countries and territories was created in 2005 by combining and rationalizing the 4 most commonly-used lists of the time (TCC, Guinness, DXCC, and John Todd lists). This was to respect the existing lists, and to create the most opportunities for travelers. Here is a summary of each of the original 4 lists:
The Travelers Century club (TCC) is an American organization with approximately 2,000 paid members, founded in California in the 1950's, and whose members included many top travelers of the late 20th Century, such as John Todd, Parke Thompson, and John Clouse. The TCC was also the primary inspiration for MTP Founder Charles Veley to expand his travel horizons. The TCC list currently stands at 330 regions, and was 324 at the time of MTP's founding. The TCC is also known for its lenient visit standards, as it considers itself a social club first and foremost, so allows airport transfers and other ways to count visits which most other clubs do not. These days, the TCC list is often used as a next step for travelers who have visited 193 UN Countries.
Up until the year 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records maintained a category "Most Traveled Person" in their Travel and Transport section. They adjudicated the record themselves, using their own list of 264 regions, including 14 regions not on the TCC list. The most recent record-holder in that category was John Clouse, who visited all but two of the regions (he missed Paracel Islands and Bouvet).
The DXCC, or "Ham Radio List," is maintained by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League), and the current list of 340 locations can be viewed HERE. Ham radio operators build equipment to make radio contact with any point in the world – an exceptional skillset before the rise of the internet. As such, their list is based on geographical distances as well as political factors, and therefore contains more remote islands than other lists. DXCC roughly translates to "Ham Radio Century Club," recognizing operators who have contacted more than 100 entities on the list. A list of upcoming trips, or DXpeditions," is HERE.
In 1994, John Todd documented his travels in his book "Race for the World," promoting himself as the most traveled person of his time. His breakdown of world regions included some locations (like "Ovamboland" in Namibia), which were not on the other 3 lists. Although these additions were mostly self-serving for Todd, they were included in the original MTP list of 573 to ensure thoroughness.
What Happened Next?
Since its origination in 2005, the MTP Master List has expanded to 1500 locations, through user vote, direct division by Charles Veley, and most recently, through the incorporation of all 1301 regions of Nomad Mania.
Why isn't Las Vegas, London or Cancun on the Master List?
MTP's Master List is a division of all land area on Earth into geographically or politically separate areas. Every destination fits into one of those areas. E.g. Cancun is in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Las Vegas is in Nevada, USA. London is in Greater London, UK. Quintana Roo, Nevada, and Greater London are the relevant MTP list items.
What if I'm not interested in traveling to Somalia, or Mellish Reef, or other dangerous or obscure places?
MTP's Master List includes all land area on Earth, without regard to geopolitical conditions. However, if you are interested in cultural value, consider trying to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS). These are the sites which the UN has designated "having outstanding universal natural or cultural value." MTP maintains a WHS checklist and rankings in addition to the MTP Master List.
I'm a mountain climber (or sailor, or golfer, or restaurant connoisseur, etc.). How can MTP help me?
MTP can create any kind of traveler collectible system. Currently, we track visits to MTP locations (and therefore UN Countries, ISO Countries and TCC regions) and World Heritage Sites, as well as the world's top Beaches, Hotels, Restaurants, Golf Courses, and SCUBA Dive Sites.
Our Steering Committee decides which lists to include. If there is a travel category you feel should be recognized with a checklist and a leaderboard, email us, and nominate the topic.
What if I haven't traveled to many places?
You are still very welcome at MTP! The important thing is that you are interested in travel, in geography, and in life experiences around the world. As long as you truly aspire to be well-traveled, you can be among the Most-Traveled.
I'm only trying to visit all 193 UN Countries, but I can't check the boxes on that list. What's going on?
When you fill in your MTP locations list, we automatically calculate any associated UN country. This saves you work, and also helps prevent double-counting and inaccuracies. We also automatically fill your TCC and UN+ checklists for you.
How can anyone really define "Most Traveled?"
MTP uses the phrase "Most Traveled" to mean pure geographic coverage of the land on Earth. There is no further subjective criteria. This is because different people have different travel goals, and different travel styles. For example, some people choose to spend substantially in order to travel in luxury, while others take great pride in their resourcefulness and see authenticity in their frugality. Some strive only to eat local dishes, to use local transportation, to find local romance, etc. - and count their successes in their own individual ways. While such experiences are certainly core to everyone's travel experience, they are individually subjective. And as such, MTP does not try to objectify or quantify them.
MTP asks, simply: "Were you there? Was it legal? And can you prove it?"
What proof of visits to an MTP location is required?
Some form of proof of travel is necessary to prevent fraudulent claims. Although there is no single type of proof which covers each type of visit, there are several ways in which a traveler can sufficiently demonstrate that he has been to a country or territory.
The categories of proof below can be used in combination (or, occasionally, alone) as proof of a visit. Travelers should keep in mind the general rule: “The more proof, the better.”
In descending order of sufficiency,
- Passport entry stamp (required where offered, either within passport, or on separate paper, as in cases of Israel, North Korea, etc.). A visa which supports the entry stamp should be present where required. Note: A visa without accompanying entry stamp is not proof of travel. A visa alone is only proof of purchasing a visa.
- Airline, rail, or boat ticket stubs showing travel both to and from the target.
- Credit card records showing meals or lodging within the target.
- Signed Affidavit or Certificate of Travel from a ship Captain or other authority.
- Signed and Witnessed Affidavit of Travel from the traveler himself.
- Photograph of traveler within the territory, including local sign or icon where possible. E.g. “Welcome to Tristan da Cunha,” “Geographic South Pole,” “Republic of Abkhazia”*
In cases of incomplete proof due to fire, theft, etc., an oral interview administered by an interviewer with travel experience in the claimed region may suffice.
*Photographic evidence is not normally acceptable alone, as it is easily doctored; it should be accompanied by other supporting proof.
How does MTP define a "visit"?
For MTP locations (and therefore UN Countries, TCC regions) a visit shall be as follows*:
- Across borders where immigration is regulated, official entry must be made through immigration/passport control.
- Across borders where passport control does not exist or is unregulated, such as between states within a country, or between countries under a common border agreement, such as the EU, the traveler must stand with both feet on land fully within those borders. This includes landing on islands. Sailing through territorial waters alone does not count, nor does flying through territorial airspace.
- In the case of islands where landing is prohibited by law due to wildlife concerns or other natural heritage status, it is acceptable to touch a portion of the island above the waterline (whether while swimming or from a boat) in lieu of landing.
*There is no minimum time requirement for a visit. Once a visit has been achieved according to rules 1-3 above, no further qualitative criteria is required (although establishment of proof is necessary if a competitive claim of travel will be made).
Does an airport transfer count as a visit?
For MTP, the short answer is 'no.'
Some travel clubs define "visit" very broadly, to include airplane fuel stops, airport transits, and surreptitious or illegal border crossings. Such arrivals are problematic for several reasons.
First and foremost, from a legal standpoint, they are not valid. Without passing through immigration, across borders where passport control exists, a person has not legally arrived in a country. Even if someone were to enjoy an extended time in a country via illegal entry, acceptance of this as a standard would be an encouragement of illegal behavior, something this club is unwilling to do.
Second, airport transits without immigration entry and surreptitious border crossings are difficult to prove. For example, photography at border areas, customs control areas, on airport tarmacs and within airports is often illegal. Airport transits offer no entry stamp and require no visa. Airline ticket stubs do not show stopovers en route to a final destination. Border areas often have neutral zones without clear markings in between.
Thirdly, time spent in an airport transit lounge, or furtively dashing across a remote border area and back again, does not meet the common sense test for visits. While such actions may involve great planning and effort, in the end they cannot be construed as a proper visit in the spirit of international discovery and brotherhood.
Does driving or riding in a car through a region count as a visit?
Yes, presuming you were awake during the transit. although it is expected that one would stop to step out of the car to take a selfie near a landmark such as a roadsign.
Does riding on a train through a region count as a visit?
Yes, presuming you were awake during the transit, during daylight hours. After dark, it is a requirement to stand down from the train during the station stops to take a selfie with the station sign.
Does sailing near an island count the same as landing on the island?
No. You must be on the main body of the island above the waterline.
Does flying through a country's airspace count as a visit?
No.
What are the visit requirements for other list types?
1. Hotels: You must have spent the night as a registered guest in the hotel. Stopping to have a drink or to take a picture in the lobby does not count.
2. Restaurants: You must have eaten a meal in the restaurant. Quick drinks at the bar or selfies without a meal do not count.
3. WHS: You must have visited near enough the WHS marker to be notified by the MTP App. A selfie near a UNESCO-inscribed sign also helps
4. Beaches: You must have stood on the beach itself (and hopefully taken a selfie). Swimming in the water is not required.
5. Golf Courses: You must have played at least 9 holes of golf as a registered member or guest on the course.
6. Scuba Dive Sites: You must have actually dived or snorkeled at the site. Simply sailing nearby doesn't count.
What happens if someone is lying, and checks more boxes than they've actually traveled?
Normally, another member will notice and report the offending member, who may claim to have been to many extraordinarily difficult places, but has never been met or heard of before by other top members of the community. MTP Admin will contact the offending member and ask for more details, including proof, of the difficult claims, and will usually suspend the account in the meantime. If no satisfactory proof is forthcoming, the account is deleted.
Is MTP free to join?
Yes!
Is there any non-monetary way to contribute to MTP?
There is always more to do at MTP. If you have superior attention to detail, then there are many areas where you can help. Just contact us and tell us you're interested, and we'll find a way for you to volunteer.
What happened to the old MTP logo?
We've changed our logo over the years, but here are the old logos below
I have an MTP question, suggestion, or technical problem. What do I do?
We love to hear from our users! Here's how you can reach us:
- Use the Contact Form
- On the app, go to Settings > Contact us
- Send email directly to admin@mtp.travel
If you have a technical issue, please send screenshots!