Extraordinary Travel Festival III Update IV– Ian Cumming - Travel Massive & Orest Zub - NomadMania

Extraordinary Travel Festival III Update IV– Ian Cumming - Travel Massive & Orest Zub - NomadMania

Author: Ric Gazarian May 15, 2026 Duration: 48:55
Join the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok, October 22-25, 2026. Use code BANGKOK to save on your ticket. One of the goals of the Extraordinary Travel Festival is to bring the leaders of the travel industry together. Why? We want to make your travels richer and more meaningful. Hearing from these thought leaders keeps you abreast of changes and benefits that can help you. We have founders and leaders like Matt Gray of Pangea, Stefan Krasowski of Every Passport Stamp, and Orest Zub of NomadMania and Ian Cumming of Travel Massive with the last two who are joining me on the podcast today. Orest Zub one of the leaders of NomadMania will be partnering once again with the Extraordinary Travel Festival. During this conversation we speak about updates to the NM regions and their expansion. NomadMania will be hosting the NM Travel Awards in person Sunday evening on October 25 at the ETF. It will be an amazing and fun evening. In addition, Orest will be hosting a panel with some NM power users and how to best benefit from this amazing resource. And there is still time to join the NM event in Brazil in June. Ian Cumming is the founder of Travel Massive, a network of 80,000 travel insiders and avid travelers. It is both an online an in-person network. Travel Massive will be partnering with ETF for its third time - that includes hosting the Travel Massive ETF happy hour meet up on Thursday, October 22. Ian will be hosting a great panel of travel tech experts including Matt Gray of Pangea, Keith Van of seats.aero, and Joel Olseon 193er and multi-year tech insider. Travel Massive will be hosting their own event, Travel Massive Asia Conference, in August in Vietnam. I attended last year and will be returning. Remember to join us in Bangkok at the ETF, please use code BANGKOK to save on your ticket. (ETF alumni contact me directly to get your special discount.) The event will be October 22-25, 2026 in Bangkok. On Travel Content Creation Day, we will be screening two travel documentaries ... you will see The Impossible Journey with Thor Pedersen, and What Age Were You Born with Johnny and Maura Ward. All three will be there in person for the Q&A. I was in Bangkok while Orest was in Brazil and Ian was in Tasmania, please listen in and enjoy. Extraordinary Travel Festival III Update IV– Ian Cumming - Travel Massive & Orest Zub - NomadMania

The journey to visit every country on the map is a pursuit that defines a life, blending obsession, logistics, and profound personal discovery. Counting Countries, hosted by Ric Gazarian, explores this rarefied world through conversations with the travelers who are doing it. This isn't a typical travel podcast about tips or destinations; it's about the human stories behind the stamps. Each episode delves into the motivations, the decades-long itineraries, the close calls, and the unexpected moments of connection that happen along the way. Listeners hear firsthand accounts of what it truly costs-financially, emotionally, physically-to chase this singular goal. The podcast naturally examines the shifting definitions of travel and countryhood, the ethical considerations of crossing borders for a list, and the quiet reflections that come from a lifetime of movement. Gazarian guides these discussions with the insight of someone who understands the quest, creating a space for honest talk about an endeavor fewer people have completed than have gone to space. It’s about the texture of the world, one border at a time, and the unique perspective gained from seeing all of it. Tune in for intimate narratives that go far beyond passport counts, revealing the deeper meaning of a global life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Counting Countries
Podcast Episodes
Yooshita Fathi … Breaking Stereotypes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:01
Yooshita has traveled to 108 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. A giant Happy New Year to all of you country counters! We are back today with a new episode after a small break. Over the past year, you've li…
The Maverick Show ... Hosted By Matt Bowles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:45
Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Well not really. Today I am sharing an interview of me hosted by Matt Bowles who hosts the Maverick Show Podcast. Matt and I had great conversation and wanted to share it with my li…
Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #11 - Charles Veley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:16
Hey now! This is it, the last episode before the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok. Still a little time left to join. Use code BANGKOK. My special guest is speaker and sponsor Charles Veley, founder of the Most Tr…
Phillips Connor … IBZ To SIN Via GGR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:21
Phillips has traveled to every country in the world Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Today, we are speaking with Phillips Connor. I had the pleasure of meeting PC in Singapore with a group of extreme travelers and…
Andy Hicks ... Recatalogging DNA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:02:35
Andy Hicks Counting Countries has traveled to 120 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Today, we are speaking with Andy Hicks. I have had the pleasure of meeting Andy at the first ETF in Armenia and the TCC m…
Luisa Yu … The Black Sheep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:02
Luisa Yu has traveled to every country in the world Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am excited to have Luisa Yu on the podcast. She is well known and beloved member to many in the community. For those not in the…
Jason Wang … No Poop Left Behind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:24
Jason Wang has traveled to 175 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am happy to introduce to you Jason Wang, an avid traveler, foodie, and photographer. Not only is he Chasing 193, but he also chasing the 7…