Travelers' Century Club seeks new destinations

A club for well-travelled Canadians could provide untapped potential for travel agents looking to book exotic or niche destinations.

Established in Los Angeles in 1954, the Travelers’ Century Club serves as a meeting place for travellers who have visited 100 or more countries in their journeys; while the TCC has counted Canadians amongst its membership for many years, the club officially came to Canada in 2010, currently boasting Eastern and Western Canada chapters (based in Toronto and Calgary respectively) representing a total of 80 members across the country.

Rick Shaver, president of the club’s Eastern Canada chapter, told PAX that as members continue to check off their respective travel bucket lists, members’ dream destinations move from the popular to the obscure. His own world travels began in 1981 with a trip to Romania as a member of the World University Games committee, most recently exploring the Middle East with visits to Oman and the UAE for a total of 113 countries.

“It’s an opportunity for agents to practice their craft at the highest degree,” he said. “Our members will want to go places that others won’t.”

The list of members’ desired destinations varies, Shaver said, allowing for a wide range of niche bookings; while some members may be completing an exploration of Asia, Shaver said that his own checklist includes trips to Lichenstein and San Marino, the remaining European countries he has yet to visit. A taste for the unique is the common factor amongst club members, Shaver told PAX, adding that some members have established long-term booking relationships with agents offering lesser-known destinations to a client base eager to travel off the beaten path.

“They’re looking for really exotic stuff,” he said, “the types of places you wouldn’t usually see advertised. If I was an agent with exotic locations to sell, there may be an opportunity there.”

More information on the club can be found at www.travelerscenturyclub.org or agents can email Shaver directly at RShaver@thehiveinc.com.