This has been the most transformative year for NomadMania since its founding in 2012. You are welcome to view the reviews of all previous years: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. Now, let’s dive into the 2023 review to see how it went and what we have managed to achieve.
There are simply too many things to cover if we delve into all the details. Therefore, in this article, we’ll try to focus on the most prominent milestones that occurred each month. In the meantime, you are always welcome to explore our Newsletters Archive and blog.
Let’s go!
January – What is a Visit Guidelines
After conducting two polls on what and what not should be considered a visit, we are getting much closer to codifying universal rules for probably the most discussed topic in the global travel community: What is considered a ‘Visit.’ Read our updated guidelines here to see what YOU voted for.
February – Vision and Mission of NomadMania
Our Committee spent countless hours discussing and polishing the main statements of NomadMania, which form the compass of our community. As a result, we have established the following values, which constantly remind us of what we stand for.
Our Vision is to be a leading global community that encourages people to discover the diversity of the world and create a positive impact through travel.
Our Mission is to connect independent travellers, inspiring them to go beyond the ordinary and obvious through deep, meaningful, and sustainable exploration.
March – Conference in Panama
In March, we conducted a conference, which is held every two years in one of the most interesting places on Earth, gathering a few dozen of NomadMania’s closest friends. This time, it happened in the Panamanian islands of Bocas del Toro. Read the review here.
April – New Managing Partner, Orest Zub
Our good friend and a prominent Ukrainian blogger, Orest Zub, joined NomadMania as the Managing Partner with the goal of helping NomadMania grow and develop. Many of the developments you’ve seen this year are the result of Orest’s initiative and hard work.
Watch the video in which our founder, Harry Mitsidis, interviews Orest just as he stepped in:
May – Updated Responsive Platform
You’ve probably noticed that the NomadMania website is now much more user-friendly. This improvement is the result of our transition to a new, updated responsive platform. We’ve also introduced a blog and now publish useful travel materials every few days.
June – Relaunched Patreon
As you know, NomadMania is a non-profit organisation. Our operations are limited and largely dependent on donations from the community we serve. We invite you to join our updated Patreon program, where you can receive great benefits in return, including some cool profile badges.
July – SLOW list introduction
Despite various travel lists, places to visit, and even a sort of competitive (gamification) environment, NomadMania stands for quality over quantity. Therefore, we have introduced a new list that aims to encourage traveling SLOWly and exploring more of any given country.
Check it out and fill in the data about how many days you stayed in each particular country, if you haven’t already done so.
August – 50k Registration and Friendship Feature
After a decade on the web, we have finally crossed the milestone of 50,000 registrations. This feels like quite an achievement for us. However, we dream of NomadMania connecting and serving millions of travellers all over the world.
To foster this goal, we introduced the ‘Add a Friend‘ feature, which aims to create more meaningful connections between our users and elevate the relationships within our community to a completely new level.
September – Book Hotel NomadMania
Our founder, Harry Mitsidis, published a book titled ‘Welcome to the Hotel NomadMania,’ which is a unique blend of adventure across more than 20 global locations and a mystery reminiscent of an Agatha Christie tale.The story features fictional versions of real travellers within a lively community, adding a fun and personal touch to the narrative. You can order the book here:
October – Ukraine Tour and Travel Awards
For the first time in our history, we conducted the NomadMania Travel Awards Ceremony live. This unique event was held in an underground bunker in Lviv, Ukraine, and was quite a spectacle. Watch the video and see this year’s winners here.
Additionally, we organised a tour to the war-torn Eastern Ukraine, becoming the first group of international travellers to do so. You can read the trip report here.
The next NomadMania Travel Awards 2024 will be held on November 17th in Bangkok, as a part of the Extraordinary Travel Festival. For full details and to book your tickets, click here.
November – Introducing of DARE
By the end of the year, our tech team was fully operational, and we accelerated the updating of tech features on our website. Introducing the DARE (Distinctive Alternative Remote Extremes) list is one of the coolest features we rolled out this year.
This will definitely keep even the most active travellers on Earth busy. Enjoy.
December – General Review and Other Stuff
Looking back at 2023, we can be truly proud. NomadMania has evolved significantly compared to a year ago, especially at the operational level.
Our team is working tirelessly to enrich your travel experiences, and it’s worth highlighting the contributions of every member.
- Orest Zub 🇺🇦 (Managing Partner): Leads business strategies and oversees operational aspects.
- Daniel Zagrodzki 🇵🇱 (IT Consultant / Developer): Enhances and maintains the IT infrastructure, ensuring seamless operation.
- Thomas Buechler 🇨🇭 (Head of the Verification Committee): Ensures the travel record data on our users’ profiles is correct.
- Ruth Oyindamola Folarin 🇿🇦 (Secretary / Content Manager): Manages administrative duties and oversees content management and social media.
- Kasia Szaniawska 🇵🇱 (PR / Communications): Directs public relations and communication strategies, engaging audiences effectively.
- Yaroslav Ingulskyi 🇺🇦 (Frontend IT / Web Developer): Develops and optimises the user interface and user experience of the website.
- William Obinyah Tetteh 🇬🇭 (Admin Associate): Handles all things Series and authentications, plus additional support.
- Viktoriia Ovcharenko 🇺🇦 (Software Developer): Contributes to software development, focusing on innovative solutions and enhancements.
- Oleksandr Honcharov 🇺🇦 (Software Developer): Specialises in software development, contributing to the technical advancement of projects.
Even though we strive to operate like a structured company with defined processes and clear responsibilities, we never forget why NomadMania was started in the first place, thanks to our founder, Harry Mitsidis. He is always around somewhere, upholding the ‘true travel values’ at the heart of our organisation.
The recent review of the Mental Health and Travel Poll serves as further proof of this commitment.
Another thing what we’ve been doing more actively this year are tours. Among them are: Panama, Bratislava, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan etc.
Nothing beats an event where a group of travellers from different countries visits a unique destination together, creating lifelong memories. This is what traveling is all about, isn’t it?
New Year’s Gift
To make this year even more memorable, we have a special gift for you: a map showcasing the places you visited during a particular year. Now, you can visually see the places you explored within one year.
Please note, this feature is only possible when you update your Trips data. So, head over to here and fill in your trips for the 2023 year to see your updated map.
Enjoy and Happy New Year. Our 2024 will start with Visiting Every County topic. So, stay tuned.
