Tourism, a significant driver of economic growth and cultural exchange, varies considerably from one country to another. While globally renowned sites like the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon draw millions of tourists each year, there are countries that are rarely sought as destinations by global tourists. Breaking down the most recent tourism data provides fascinating insights into the least visited countries globally, revealing lesser-known locales that offer unique travel experiences. According to World Tourism Organization data, some countries draw a strikingly low number of tourists each year. Island nations in the Pacific Ocean make up a considerable portion of these, with Tuvalu recording the fewest number of tourist visits of only approximately 3.7k. Interestingly, the majority of these least visited countries are extraordinarily rich in culture and natural beauty but may lack international awareness or have challenges such as logistical difficulties in reaching the location or lack of touristic infrastructure. Key findings from the data include:
Taking the lead among the least visited nations globally is the petite Pacific Ocean island nation called Tuvalu. It welcomed only around 3,700 tourists, the fewest across all countries worldwide. Concentrating on the Pacific region, the next notable nations are Marshall Islands with 6,100 visitors, Niue with 10,200 tourists, and Kiribati receiving 12,000 tourists. Micronesia, another Pacific group of islands, saw approximately 18,000 visitors. The Caribbean island of Montserrat, with its active volcano and unique biodiversity, experienced over 19,300 visitors. Meanwhile, Solomon Islands, a South Pacific archipelago known for its WWII-era relics and scenic beaches drew in 29,000 tourists. In the African continent, Sao Tome and Principe, an island nation off Central Africa, saw a modest number of about 34,900 visitors. Comoros, a volcanic archipelago off Africa’s East coast, had 45,000 visitors. Wrapping up the list is Guinea Bissau, in West Africa, known for its wildlife and national parks, welcoming 52,000 visitors. Though not all of these least visited countries are obscure or inaccessible, low tourist counts can largely be attributed to factors like remoteness, limited touristic infrastructure, and less international exposure. Top 10 Least Visited Countries (Number of Tourist Visits):
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
6.4M
#127
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.4M
#95
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
58.6K
#11
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
8.2M
#134
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
218.0K
#27
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
166.0K
#20
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.0M
#57
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
11.1M
#146
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.9M
#80
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.0M
#83
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
9.5M
#143
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
31.9M
#168
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.2M
#101
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
7.3M
#130
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
11.1M
#145
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
323.0K
#33
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
966.0K
#54
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
11.8M
#148
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
9.3M
#141
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.7M
#77
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
337.0K
#34
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
805.0K
#48
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
316.0K
#31
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.2M
#65
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.2M
#62
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
6.4M
#126
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
895.0K
#51
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.4M
#115
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
12.6M
#150
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
143.0K
#19
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
6.6M
#128
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.0M
#56
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
32.4M
#169
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
758.0K
#47
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.3M
#94
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
87.0K
#15
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
81.0K
#13
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
5.4M
#122
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
162.5M
#185
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.4M
#112
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
45.0K
#9
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
172.0K
#21
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.4M
#103
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
60.0M
#179
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.3M
#111
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.3M
#68
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.1M
#109
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
33.1M
#170
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
322.0K
#32
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
7.6M
#131
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.1M
#89
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
13.0M
#152
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.6M
#100
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
6.1M
#124
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.2M
#64
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
812.0K
#49
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
969.0K
#55
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.3M
#102
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
217.9M
#187
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
300.0K
#29
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
640.0K
#45
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
7.7M
#133
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
39.6M
#174
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
34.0M
#171
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
526.0K
#42
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.7M
#76
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.6M
#99
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
52.0K
#10
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
315.0K
#30
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
938.0K
#53
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.3M
#93
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
55.9M
#178
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
61.4M
#180
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.2M
#91
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
17.9M
#160
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
16.1M
#157
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
9.1M
#140
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
11.0M
#144
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.9M
#118
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
95.4M
#182
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.1M
#88
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.2M
#110
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
31.9M
#167
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
5.4M
#121
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
8.5M
#138
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.0M
#87
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
12.0K
#4
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
8.6M
#139
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
8.5M
#137
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.8M
#117
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
8.3M
#136
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.9M
#82
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.1M
#60
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
98.1K
#18
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
6.2M
#125
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.0M
#58
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
39.4M
#173
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
486.0K
#40
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
35.0M
#172
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.7M
#78
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
217.0K
#26
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.5M
#106
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
6.1K
#2
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
919.0K
#52
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.4M
#69
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
97.4M
#183
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
18.0K
#5
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
174.0K
#22
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
363.0K
#35
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
637.0K
#44
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.5M
#98
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
19.3K
#6
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
13.1M
#153
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.0M
#86
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.4M
#113
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.7M
#75
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.2M
#61
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
20.1M
#163
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
474.0K
#38
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.9M
#108
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.5M
#70
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
192.0K
#24
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
10.2K
#3
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
756.0K
#46
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
487.0K
#41
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
5.9M
#123
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.5M
#105
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
94.0K
#17
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.8M
#107
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.5M
#97
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
211.0K
#25
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.4M
#114
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
5.3M
#120
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
8.3M
#135
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
88.5M
#181
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
17.3M
#158
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.9M
#119
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.1M
#90
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
601.0K
#43
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
12.8M
#151
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
24.4M
#165
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.6M
#74
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.1M
#59
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.2M
#63
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
404.0K
#36
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
181.0K
#23
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.9M
#81
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
34.9K
#8
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
20.3M
#164
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.8M
#79
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
428.0K
#37
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
71.0K
#12
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
19.1M
#162
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.0M
#84
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
16.1M
#156
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
4.7M
#116
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
29.0K
#7
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
14.8M
#155
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
17.5M
#159
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
126.2M
#184
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.0M
#85
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
7.6M
#132
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
11.8M
#147
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.4M
#96
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
11.9M
#149
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.3M
#66
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.5M
#71
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
39.9M
#175
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
81.0K
#14
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
876.0K
#50
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
94.0K
#16
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
480.0K
#39
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
9.4M
#142
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
51.7M
#177
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.6M
#73
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.7K
#1
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.5M
#72
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
13.7M
#154
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
25.3M
#166
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
40.9M
#176
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
165.5M
#186
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
3.5M
#104
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
6.7M
#129
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
256.0K
#28
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
18.0M
#161
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
1.3M
#67
Metric
Value
Rank
# of Tourist Visits
2.3M
#92
Region ↕ | # of Tourist Visits ↕ |
---|---|
Albania | 6.4M |
Algeria | 2.4M |
American Samoa | 58.6K |
Andorra | 8.2M |
Angola | 218.0K |
Anguilla | 166.0K |
Antigua and Barbuda | 1.0M |
Argentina | 11.1M |
Armenia | 1.9M |
Aruba | 2.0M |
Australia | 9.5M |
Austria | 31.9M |
Azerbaijan | 3.2M |
Bahamas | 7.3M |
Bahrain | 11.1M |
Bangladesh | 323.0K |
Barbados | 966.0K |
Belarus | 11.8M |
Belgium | 9.3M |
Belize | 1.7M |
Benin | 337.0K |
Bermuda | 805.0K |
Bhutan | 316.0K |
Bolivia | 1.2M |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1.2M |
Brazil | 6.4M |
British Virgin Islands | 895.0K |
Brunei | 4.4M |
Bulgaria | 12.6M |
Burkina Faso | 143.0K |
Cambodia | 6.6M |
Cameroon | 1.0M |
Canada | 32.4M |
Cape Verde | 758.0K |
Cayman Islands | 2.3M |
Central African Republic | 87.0K |
Chad | 81.0K |
Chile | 5.4M |
China | 162.5M |
Colombia | 4.4M |
Comoros | 45.0K |
Cook Islands | 172.0K |
Costa Rica | 3.4M |
Croatia | 60.0M |
Cuba | 4.3M |
Curacao | 1.3M |
Cyprus | 4.1M |
Denmark | 33.1M |
Dominica | 322.0K |
Dominican Republic | 7.6M |
Ecuador | 2.1M |
Egypt | 13.0M |
El Salvador | 2.6M |
Estonia | 6.1M |
Eswatini | 1.2M |
Ethiopia | 812.0K |
Fiji | 969.0K |
Finland | 3.3M |
France | 217.9M |
French Polynesia | 300.0K |
Gambia | 640.0K |
Georgia | 7.7M |
Germany | 39.6M |
Greece | 34.0M |
Grenada | 526.0K |
Guam | 1.7M |
Guatemala | 2.6M |
Guinea Bissau | 52.0K |
Guyana | 315.0K |
Haiti | 938.0K |
Honduras | 2.3M |
Hong Kong | 55.9M |
Hungary | 61.4M |
Iceland | 2.2M |
India | 17.9M |
Indonesia | 16.1M |
Iran | 9.1M |
Ireland | 11.0M |
Israel | 4.9M |
Italy | 95.4M |
Ivory Coast | 2.1M |
Jamaica | 4.2M |
Japan | 31.9M |
Jordan | 5.4M |
Kazakhstan | 8.5M |
Kenya | 2.0M |
Kiribati | 12.0K |
Kuwait | 8.6M |
Kyrgyzstan | 8.5M |
Laos | 4.8M |
Latvia | 8.3M |
Lebanon | 1.9M |
Lesotho | 1.1M |
Liechtenstein | 98.1K |
Lithuania | 6.2M |
Luxembourg | 1.0M |
Macau | 39.4M |
Madagascar | 486.0K |
Malaysia | 35.0M |
Maldives | 1.7M |
Mali | 217.0K |
Malta | 3.5M |
Marshall Islands | 6.1K |
Martinique | 919.0K |
Mauritius | 1.4M |
Mexico | 97.4M |
Micronesia | 18.0K |
Moldova | 174.0K |
Monaco | 363.0K |
Mongolia | 637.0K |
Montenegro | 2.5M |
Montserrat | 19.3K |
Morocco | 13.1M |
Mozambique | 2.0M |
Myanmar | 4.4M |
Namibia | 1.7M |
Nepal | 1.2M |
Netherlands | 20.1M |
New Caledonia | 474.0K |
New Zealand | 3.9M |
Nicaragua | 1.5M |
Niger | 192.0K |
Niue | 10.2K |
North Macedonia | 756.0K |
Northern Mariana Islands | 487.0K |
Norway | 5.9M |
Oman | 3.5M |
Palau | 94.0K |
Palestine | 3.8M |
Panama | 2.5M |
Papua New Guinea | 211.0K |
Paraguay | 4.4M |
Peru | 5.3M |
Philippines | 8.3M |
Poland | 88.5M |
Portugal | 17.3M |
Puerto Rico | 4.9M |
Qatar | 2.1M |
Reunion | 601.0K |
Romania | 12.8M |
Russia | 24.4M |
Rwanda | 1.6M |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1.1M |
Saint Lucia | 1.2M |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 404.0K |
Samoa | 181.0K |
San Marino | 1.9M |
Sao Tome and Principe | 34.9K |
Saudi Arabia | 20.3M |
Serbia | 1.8M |
Seychelles | 428.0K |
Sierra Leone | 71.0K |
Singapore | 19.1M |
Sint Maarten | 2.0M |
Slovakia | 16.1M |
Slovenia | 4.7M |
Solomon Islands | 29.0K |
South Africa | 14.8M |
South Korea | 17.5M |
Spain | 126.2M |
Sri Lanka | 2.0M |
Sweden | 7.6M |
Switzerland | 11.8M |
Syria | 2.4M |
Taiwan | 11.9M |
Tajikistan | 1.3M |
Tanzania | 1.5M |
Thailand | 39.9M |
Timor Leste | 81.0K |
Togo | 876.0K |
Tonga | 94.0K |
Trinidad and Tobago | 480.0K |
Tunisia | 9.4M |
Turkey | 51.7M |
Turks and Caicos Islands | 1.6M |
Tuvalu | 3.7K |
Uganda | 1.5M |
Ukraine | 13.7M |
United Arab Emirates | 25.3M |
United Kingdom | 40.9M |
United States | 165.5M |
Uruguay | 3.5M |
Uzbekistan | 6.7M |
Vanuatu | 256.0K |
Vietnam | 18.0M |
Zambia | 1.3M |
Zimbabwe | 2.3M |