We’ve had staycations in the UK, coolcations in colder holiday spots and babymoons taking over the travel trend landscape.
But now a new craze has entered: trying to finish the alphabet.
Travellers around the world are attempting to travel to at least one country starting with each letter of the alphabet, from Australia to Zambia.
There is a catch, though: there are currently no sovereign states that begin with the letter ‘X’ in English.
Many are taking to social media to share their progress on the trend.
One Instagram user, UK–based Helena whose username is @the_freedom_traveler, posted about her travels saying: ‘Just a girl trying to finish the alphabet one country at a time.
‘At this point, travelling has turned into a very specific mission and honestly… I’m too far in to stop now.
‘Some letters are thriving, some are struggling, and a few are clearly being dramatic. Tell me… which are you missing?’
Kick off the new alphabet travel trend with a holiday to Austria
Viewers were quick to take to the comments to share their thoughts on the challenge, with one writing: ‘Ooh you’re getting close!!’
She clearly inspired others to do the same, with one saying ‘This is so cool’ and another adding: ‘Nice!!! I’ll do this too.’
Plenty of other users have attempted the challenge too, with many referring to it as a ‘mission’.
Instagrammer @the_flyaway_girl posted: ‘Which letters of the alphabet are you missing?
‘It looks like I need to be planning trips to Oman, Qatar, Vietnam (or Vanuatu) and maybe Zambia or Zimbabwe. I’m not sure how one would achieve X though.
‘While I don’t really country count (I know how many I’ve been to, but I’m not looking to “check every country off” or anything), this was definitely a fun way to see where I’ve visited.’
One commented: ‘Alphabet challenges always unearth surprising trip ideas – Oman and Vietnam just moved up my list.
‘Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are the kind of places I keep daydreaming about.’
At the end of the list, for Z, try the Victoria Falls, conveniently located on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe
Travellers are clearly being inspired to push their boundaries, venturing to places in order to tick off an extra country on the list.
It comes after a study by electrical retail giant Currys showed there’s a growing number of tourists whose biggest passion has become ticking off as many countries as they can in their lifetime – with many setting their sights on the milestone number of 100.
A poll by the website in 2022 showed 94 per cent of travellers believe an airport stopover without leaving the premises does not count – while the majority don’t count leaving the airport for a sandwich, either.
The Daily Mail last weekend spoke to Brits travelling the world to tick off as many countries as possible.
Is an A–Z possible?
While by no means an exhaustive list, the Daily Mail has compiled a starting point of all the letters – to help you get started on the challenge…
A – Austria
B – Belgium
C – Croatia
D – Denmark
E – Ecuador
F – France
G – Germany
H – Hungary
I – Iceland
J – Jamaica
K – Kyrgyzstan
L – Latvia
M – Maldives
N – Nepal
O – Oman
P – Peru
Q – Qatar
R – Romania
S – Seychelles
T – Taiwan
U – Uruguay
V – Vatican City
W – Wales
X – …there are none!
Y – Yemen
Z – Zambia
Neil Hughes, a Welshman who lives in Essex, is not your typical travel blogger – the 61-year-old retiree runs his Do Not Go Gently Travel Blog, paying homage to his late wife and seeing as much of the world as possible.
Meanwhile, Ashleigh Lawrence, 37, who is British-Australian and lives on the Gold Coast, is another such traveller.
The World Poker Tour presenter, who came second on the Amazing Race Australia globe-trotting TV show, is currently on 83 countries – and counting.
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Have you completed the ‘traveller’s alphabet’? Meet the holidaymakers trying to tick off every letter – with one proving impossible
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