Lee Abbamonte

Last updated
Lee Abbamonte
Lee Abbamonte at South Pole.jpg
Born (1978-08-29) August 29, 1978 (age 46)
Alma mater University of Maryland, College Park
Occupation(s) Travel blogger, speaker

Lee Abbamonte FRGS (born August 29, 1978) is an American travel blogger, on-air travel personality and entrepreneur [1] who has been to all 193 United Nations member states, [2] the North Pole [3] and the South Pole. [4] [5]

Contents

Early life

Lee Abbamonte was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut [6] and raised in Trumbull, Connecticut. [7] [8] He graduated in 2000 from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he received a degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business. [9] Abbamonte earned his MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management (now part of Arizona State University) in 2010. [10]

After college, Abbamonte worked on Wall Street, spending time at Cantor Fitzgerald at the original One World Trade Center, [11] [12] Intercontinental Exchange, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch. [13]

Travel career

By 2006, Abbamonte had visited more than 100 countries. [13] In that year he launched his travel blog LeeAbbamonte.com [14] and decided to make an effort to visit every country in the world, completing the goal in 2011 at the age of 32. [2] He is currently regarded as one of the world's most well-traveled people [15] and one of a handful of people to visit every country and both geographic poles. [16]

Abbamonte has appeared on television hundreds of times, including as an expert on CNN, [17] FOX Business, [15] Fox News, [18] Bloomberg, [19] Fox 5 New York, [20] and Travel Channel. [21] He has been featured, quoted or written about in dozens of publications including USA Today, [22] BBC, [23] Bravo, [5] Chicago Tribune, [24] Forbes, [25] New York, [1] Slate, [26] Condé Nast Traveler, [27] ABC News, [28] The Washington Post, [29] Martha Stewart Weddings, [30] The Huffington Post, [31] and U.S. News & World Report. [32]

As a speaker, Abbamonte has appeared at The New York Times Travel Show, [33] South by Southwest, [34] Public Relations Society of America Travel and Tourism Conference, [35] Travel Bloggers Exchange, [36] the Travel & Adventure Show, [37] and New York Trav Fest, [38] among others. [39]

Abbamonte is a member of the Travelers' Century Club [40] and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. [9] During an interview on the Frommers Radio Travel Show, Arthur Frommer called him the "Marco Polo of the 21st Century." [41]

Interest in sports

Abbamonte is a professed sports fan, having written and spoken about his love of all sports. His favorite teams are the New York Yankees, New York Giants, Maryland Terrapins men's basketball, Miami Hurricanes football, Arsenal F.C., FC Barcelona, and the now-defunct Hartford Whalers. [8] [42]

Abbamonte made his television debut in 2006, appearing on the ESPN sports trivia show Stump the Schwab. [43]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradley International Airport</span> Airport near Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA), it is the second-largest airport in New England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts</span> Canadian headquartered international hotel chain

Four Seasons Hotels Limited, trading as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is a Canadian luxury hotel and resort company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Four Seasons currently operates more than 100 hotels and resorts worldwide. Since 2007, Bill Gates and Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal have been majority owners of the company. As of January 2022, Cascade Investment owns 71.25% and Kingdom Holding Company owns 23.75% of the hotel and resort company.

Condé Nast is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast (1873–1942) and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Travelers Companies</span> American insurance company

The Travelers Companies, Inc., commonly known as Travelers, is an American insurance company. It is the second-largest writer of U.S. commercial property casualty insurance, and the sixth-largest writer of U.S. personal insurance through independent agents. Travelers is incorporated in Minnesota, with headquarters in New York City, and its largest office in Hartford, Connecticut. It has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since June 8, 2009.

<i>Condé Nast Traveler</i> American travel magazine (founded 1987)

Condé Nast Traveler is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasper Conran</span> British fashion designer

Jasper Alexander Thirlby Conran is a British designer. He has worked on collections of womenswear and for the home, as well as productions for the stage in ballet, opera and theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayak (company)</span> Travel metasearch engine owned and operated by Booking Holdings

Kayak is a metasearch engine for travel services, including airline flights, hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages. It is owned and operated by Booking Holdings.

Aman Resorts is the trading entity of Aman Group Sarl, a Swiss-headquartered multinational hospitality company. Founded by Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha in 1988, the company operates 35 properties in 20 countries. Vladislav Doronin is the chief executive officer, chairman, and owner.

Artisans of Leisure is a luxury travel company offering private cultural tours in international destinations. The company offers tours in 70 countries on six continents.

Adventure Life is an American adventure travel company offering private tailormade trips, small group tours, and expedition voyages throughout the world. From their beginnings as a Latin America specialist in South America and Central America land tours, they have grown to now offer trips around the globe including less conventional destinations such as Africa, the Arctic, Antarctica and Alaska.

Tauck is an operator of guided tours and cruises and is based in Wilton, Connecticut. Founded in 1925, the company offers guided land journeys, small-ship ocean cruises, European river cruises, safaris, and family travel experiences. These tours take place in 70 countries and on all seven continents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Yorkshire</span>

Tourism in Yorkshire generates more than £9 billion per annum and supporting almost 225,000 jobs. During 2007 recorded 92 million day visitors and 12.8 million that stayed at least one night in the region. By 2015, the value of tourism was in excess of £7 billion. Yorkshire is around 6,000 square miles (16,000 km2) in size. The official tourism body for the region was Welcome to Yorkshire until it became insolvent in 2022. As of December 2023, Local Visitor Economy Partnerships to manage tourism have been announced for Hull and East Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mark Hotel</span> Luxury hotel in Manhattan, New York

The Mark Hotel is a luxury hotel, situated at 25 East 77th Street, at Madison Avenue, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. Originally constructed in 1927 in the Renaissance Revival style, the building was purchased by Izak Senbahar of Alexico Group and Simon Elias in 2006 and the building's interiors were reimagined by French designer Jacques Grange in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travelers' Century Club</span> Nonprofit organization

The Travelers' Century Club, or TCC, is a club for people who have visited 100 or more of the world's countries and territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassandra De Pecol</span> American author, traveler, activist, and speaker

Cassandra De Pecol is an American author, traveler, activist, and speaker. In 2017, she set Guinness World Records in two categories: "Fastest time to visit all sovereign countries" and "Fastest time to visit all sovereign countries—Female". Both records were broken in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Ward (travel blogger)</span> Northern Irish travel blogger (born 1983)

Johnny Ward is a Northern Irish entrepreneur, adventurer, philanthropist and travel blogger known for visiting every country in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Parrish (adventurer)</span> American adventurer and technical manager

Donald Maltby Parrish Jr., better known as Don Parrish, is an American adventurer and former technical manager at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He is best known for his worldwide travels.

Jessica Nambowa Damarie Nassaka Nabongo is a Ugandan-American travel blogger and author who gained public attention in 2019 after having visited every country in the world. Her assertion she was the first Black woman to have done so was disputed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Desert (company)</span> British tour operator

White Desert Ltd. is a British tour operator conducting expeditions to Antarctica. As of 2021, it is the only company to offer a commercial private jet service to the continent. Its Whichaway Camp is described by multiple publications as Antarctica's first and only hotel.

References

  1. 1 2 Davis, Arianna (June 30, 2014). "Meet the Bro Who Plans Outrageous Wall Street Bachelor Parties". New York Media LLC. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 "The Best Travelled – UN Master List" Archived 2019-05-04 at the Wayback Machine , The Best Travelled Retrieved 21 February 2016
  3. "How I Made it to the North Pole". 21 April 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  4. "How I Made it to the South Pole". 21 December 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Must-Read Travel Inspiration From the Youngest American to Visit Every Country: "All Excuses Are Bogus"". Bravo Media LLC./NBC Universal. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  6. Abbamonte, Lee (13 May 2013). "Medjumbe Private Island" . Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  7. Whamond, Keith (June 5, 2007). "Trumbull native takes aim at worldly target". Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC. Connecticut Post. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  8. 1 2 Mike Siegel (19 January 2015). "Travel Tales Podcast: Lee Abbamonte" (Podcast). Event occurs at 1:25:03. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Terp Travels the World". University of Maryland Alumni Association. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  10. Buzgar, Alina (February 12, 2015). "Living the Dream: Lee Abbamonte". Thunderbird School of Global Management. Das Tor. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  11. "9/11/01 Ten Years Later". 11 September 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  12. Jennings, Ken. "I've been everywhere, man" . Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  13. 1 2 Hackley, Randall (December 11, 2007). "Sleeping in a Yurt, Retching in a Sink: Globetrotters Unite". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  14. "LeeAbbamonte.com". Lee Abbamonte. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Airlines now giving frequent flier miles for high spenders". FOX News Network LLC. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  16. "Meet the Youngest American to Visit Every Country in the World". Condé Nast. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  17. "Be a better traveler". 19 July 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  18. Fox & Friends (November 29, 2015). "How to be the perfect passenger during holiday travel". FOX News Network LLC. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  19. "How to Be a Million-Dollar Travel Blogger". Bloomberg. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  20. Morris, Alison. "Travel tips that will save you time and money". Fox Television Stations, Inc. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  21. "Skyventure Montreal". Travel Channel. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  22. Trejos, Nancy (December 27, 2014). "Why travel to Cuba?". USA Today. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  23. "Forms of identification: Lee Abbamonte". BBC. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  24. Noel, Josh. "Where is the 'perfect city'? The experts check in". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  25. Talty, Alexandra (December 29, 2014). "Seven Best Budget Travel Destinations". Forbes Media. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  26. Jennings, Ken (September 22, 2011). "The World's Most Traveled Man". The Slate Group. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  27. Abbamonte, Lee (24 August 2012). "Lord Howe Island: So Far Away, But So Worth It". Condé Nast. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  28. Chen, Amy (May 9, 2013). "Experts Share Their Go-To Business Travel Gear". ABC News Internet Ventures. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  29. Sachs, Andrea. "Tips on how to travel light without sacrificing comfort and style". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  30. Katz, Brooke Porter. "10 Travel Tips from the Youngest American to Visit Every Country in the World!". Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  31. Abbamonte, Lee (11 July 2012). "5 Tips To Visit Every Country In The World". TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  32. Weiss, Liz. "7 Top Places to Avoid Spring Break Crowds". U.S. News Travel. U.S. News & World Report LP. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  33. "Attendance Surges at 2015 New York Times Travel Show" (Press release). The New York Times Company. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  34. "Get Inspired to Travel Like a Globetrotter Meet Up". SXSW, LLC. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  35. Berardino, Angela. "PRSA Travel + Tourism Conference 2014: Key Learnings". Turner Public Relations. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  36. "Lee Abbamonte". NMX Events. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  37. "THE 13TH ANNUAL DC TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW BRINGS TOP TRAVEL EXPERTS, 1000s OF VACATION OPTIONS & INTERNATIONAL CULTURE & CUISINES TO WASHINGTON DC JANUARY 14–15, 2017". Unicomm, LLC. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  38. Herrmann, Michele. "Lee Abbamonte to Deliver NY Trav Fest's Sunday Keynote". Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  39. "TCC Int'l Meeting Speaker". 25 July 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  40. "Photos From the May 2013 New York Luncheon". The Travelers' Century Club. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  41. Arthur and Pauline Frommer (2014). "Frommers Radio Travel Show: Lee Abbamonte" (Podcast). Event occurs at 18:27. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  42. Abbamonte, Lee (17 December 2012). "Sports and Travel Just Go Together". HuffPost . Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  43. Alexander, Chico. "Shortshots Tuesday: September 26, 2006". Game Show NewsNet. Retrieved 7 March 2015.