See all Posts in the Wanderlust – A Travel Blog Series
Just what you need—one more club, right?
I first learned of the Travelers Century Club (TCC) in the late 1980s. I worked for a consulting firm in a job that required 100 percent travel that was primarily domestic. One of my well-traveled compatriots told me about a club that had only one requirement to join: Visit 100 countries or more.
Sign me up! I had already visited 39 countries when I spent a year as a vagabond circumnavigating the globe after college. I set a big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG) to reach the 100-country mark, join the TCC and attend one of their meetings. I imagined their meetings must be filled with interesting people. Spoiler alert—I was right.
If you are an international man of mystery, traveling to 100 countries might be easy. But for most of us, travel is challenging in terms of both time and money, especially if you want to raise a family. When our kids were small, travel was a huge luxury. It wasn’t until they were big enough to carry their own stuff that I made some real headway toward my goal.
About the Club
Bert Hemphill, owner of the luxury travel service provider Hemphill Travel Service, started the TCC in 1954 in Los Angeles. His tour director, Russell Davidson, handled its administration. In 1960, 43 people submitted their qualification list of 100 countries and the club was off and running.
By 1980, there were 300 members, and today, there are more than 1,500 scattered worldwide. They have an all-volunteer board, a quarterly newsletter, The Centurian, and 29 local chapters across the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia/Pacific. The initiation fee is $100 and annual dues are $75 ($85 outside of the US).
The most common question I hear about traveling to 100 countries is: “How many countries are there?” My response is that it depends on how you define a country.
Many people consider the 193 United Nations member states a pretty good list. But wait. Is Vatican City a country? Yes, albeit a small one, and while it has permanent observer status, it is not a member of the United Nations. So, 194?
But what about Gaza, Puerto Rico, Solomon Islands, the Western Sahara, Hong Kong, Tibet or the British Virgin Islands? Kaliningrad is Russian but not connected to Russia, so what do we make of that? Can you name a single country on the continent of Antarctica? Hint: There aren’t any. But surely it counts for something if you have been there.
Taiwan believes they are a country. We believe they are a country. China thinks they aren’t. Who gets to decide?
The Travelers’ Century Club has compiled an official list of 330 countries, territories and places. Some of these places are not countries in their own right, but they have been included because they are geographically, ethnically or politically distinct and are of significant interest as destinations to serious travelers.
And what counts as being there? I once took a river cruise on the Danube River, which meandered in and out of Croatia but didn’t stop. At one point, Croatia was on my left. Croatia was on my right. Above me was the Croatian sky. Below me was Croatian water. Was I in Croatia?
Unfortunately, no. Even the shortest visit counts—a port-of-call or a fuel stop, but according to the TCC, one must disembark from one’s aircraft, ship or vehicle and set foot in the territory. So, I had to make another European trip to add Croatia to my list. Darn.
Now that we have added Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico to your list, you may be further along than you thought. Perhaps it is time to set your own big, hairy, audacious goal and join another club.
(Dan Keyport is a CCLN board member and former Chaska business owner, now retired. His home base for international travel has been Chaska for over 30 years.)
