A&S alum Dillon DeCoteau is most likely the first person from Trinidad and Tobago to visit every UN-recognized sovereign country — all 193 of them. It’s an achievement that’s been 15 years in the making.
He crossed off the final country on his list, Sudan, in April 2025, and his accomplishment has been officially verified by the international travel-tracking organization NomadMania.
“It was a great feeling to have accomplished this despite all the distractions and negative experiences,” says DeCoteau, who earned his honours bachelor of science in 1999 as a member of University College.
DeCoteau waited months to secure a visa for Sudan, which is currently experiencing a civil war. When he finally landed, his visit was brief and carefully managed. Although he couldn’t see much of the country, he wasn’t discouraged — reaching Sudan still marked the completion of his mission.
“Every country has positives and negatives, which you have no control over,” DeCoteau says. “You have to just go with the flow.”
DeCoteau — a pension compliance consultant at the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) — began his globe-spanning journey in 2010. He had accumulated more than one million Aeroplan points and decided to visit six countries in a business class trip across Asia and Australia.
“Before that trip was even done, I was online planning my next trip,” DeCoteau says. “I went from a six-country trip to a 10-country trip the following year.”
He began taking three trips a year, timing them around public holidays like Christmas, Labour Day and Easter. To plan each trip, he looks at a map and selects a region of the world with a handful of countries he hasn’t visited yet.
For DeCoteau, much of the joy of globetrotting comes from the travel itself — the pleasure of being in transit or flying business class. He’s driven by the anticipation of that next passport stamp and crossing one more country off his bucket list.
“Some people hate the airport experience, but I enjoy it,” he says.
The trips themselves are short and action-packed. After eating breakfast, DeCoteau is rarely back at his hotel before midnight.
“This allows me to see as much of the sights as possible in a short timeframe.”
DeCoteau enjoys meeting and chatting with new people, who are often amazed by his travels. He says Canada is viewed favorably almost everywhere he goes.
“I get to see how fortunate I am living in Canada compared to people in other countries who don't have the same luxuries we have,” he says.
High and lows of travelling the world
Out of all 193 countries, DeCoteau’s favourites are Andorra, San Marino and Azerbaijan. The first two stunned him with their beautiful mountain views, and Azerbaijan amazed him with its cleanliness and infrastructure.
“In Azerbaijan, I was impressed by the way everything is set up,” DeCoteau says. “There are even amusement parks in the cities, free for locals.”
Many of DeCoteau’s favourite trips have been to countries that are often classified as risky tourist destinations, like Afghanistan, where he met some of the friendliest people on his travels. DeCoteau says he wants to see these places for himself, so that his own experiences — not social media or TV — can shape his worldview.
“Some of my best experiences have been in countries I was told to avoid,” DeCoteau says. “I’ve learned never to let any preconceived notion of a place, a people or a culture, dictate whether I visit or not.”
Still, the risks are real, and DeCoteau does thorough research before any trip. Even with all of his careful planning, he has run into difficulties. Most of his scariest moments have been in Africa and involved bribe shakedowns.
“I look back at those experiences now and I can talk and laugh about them. But at the time, they were very discouraging,” he says. “The ordinary people in these countries are kind. It’s those in positions of authority — army, police, immigration — who can sometimes create problems.”
From Toronto, to everywhere
DeCoteau is still based in Toronto, where he settled after finishing high school in Trinidad and Tobago, joining his aunt, who sponsored him. He went on to study actuarial sciences and economics at U of T.
“I had an apartment in Toronto, and I didn’t want to uproot myself again,” he says. “Applying to the actuarial science program at U of T was a no-brainer.”
Receiving the Bryson Scholarship in Actuarial Science in his third year made it possible for DeCoteau to quit his part-time job and focus on his studies. In his fourth year, he interviewed for a job at Towers Perrin (now Willis Towers Watson) and got the position before eventually leaving for FSRA, where he has been for 23 years.
“Actuarial science is about assessing risk and making decisions based on uncertainty. There’s not a concrete answer, so you have to be prepared for any situation,” DeCoteau says. “My travel mirrors this constantly. When travelling, unexpected situations such as delays, cancellations or logistical challenges require quick, practical decisions.”
DeCoteau shows no signs of slowing down. He wants to eventually visit every place considered a “country,” as well as revisit some of his favourites to gain a fuller appreciation of everything they have to offer. His next stops include Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. So far, he has been to 220 of the roughly 250 countries and territories recognized across major travel lists.
DeCoteau hopes that others can learn from his story that perseverance is the key to achieving your goals.