The Least Visited Countries In The World

Off The Radar

Some locations receive all the attention. Too much, perhaps, with overtourism causing problems in attractive towns and nations. Meanwhile, some areas go unnoticed despite having a wealth of natural beauty, culture, or history, either because they are difficult to access or do not appear on many travelers' wish lists.

The most recent UN Tourism statistics, based on visitor counts in 2022, has revealed some of the world's most disliked nations, providing adventurous travelers with new trip ideas. Before embarking on a journey, make sure to consult travel guidelines and official advice.

Guyana

The country's distinct combination of Caribbean culture, colonial-era architecture, and diversified flora and fauna distinguishes it from all other South American nations. Its most well-known feature is Kaieteur Falls, the world's tallest single-drop waterfall and a great area to see indigenous bird species such the Guianan cock-of-the-rock (shown). Georgetown has its own charms, combining British and Dutch heritage with a modern Caribbean flair.

Djibouti

This often-overlooked country in the Horn of Africa flies under the radar of even the most committed Africa enthusiasts, but it deserves to be better known. Few other destinations can boast such a diverse range of sceneries, from volcanic crater lakes and enormous, craggy canyons to bubbling hot springs and limestone rock chimneys dotting lonely, otherworldly plains, which drew around 145,000 visitors in 2022.

Djibouti

In 1888, French colonialists founded Djibouti City, which is now a dynamic, cosmopolitan metropolis that reflects the country's African, Arabic, and Asian traditions. But it is Djibouti's landscapes that truly stand out, like salt-rich Lac Assal (left), Africa's lowest point encircled by the imposing shadows of volcanoes, and the otherworldly plains of Lac Abbe. When traveling around Djibouti, travel warnings recommend staying away from the border with Eritrea and keeping watchful against crime and terrorist risks.

Cook Islands

This collection of 15 Polynesian islands is as near to heaven as you can get, with turquoise waters and white-sand beaches framing lush, tropical interiors, and no hotel may be erected taller than the tallest coconut tree. It has the same time zone as Hawaii and has political ties to New Zealand and other South Pacific countries. Around 121,000 tourists arrived in 2022, which is significant given the islands' population of only 20,200 people.

Burkina Faso

This West African country won independence in 1960 and was known as Upper Volta before changing its name to Burkina Faso, which means 'land of honest people', in 1984. It is home to several cultural gems, including the Grand Mosque in Bobo Dioulasso (pictured), a unique edifice built of whitewashed mud with logs sticking out at an angle, and the Loropeni ruins, the country's first UNESCO World Heritage site.

Liechtenstein

It may seem unexpected to find a European country on a list of the world's least-visited countries, but the pocket-sized principality of Liechtenstein deserves a position after attracting just 101,000 tourists in 2022 - an increase over previous years. It is barely 62 square miles (161 square kilometers) in size and is one of the world's only two 'double-landlocked' countries - those surrounded solely by landlocked countries - together with Uzbekistan.

Papua New Guinea

Although Papua New Guinea is now a single nation, its islands are home to hundreds of diverse ethnicities, cultures, and customs. More than 800 languages are spoken across the nation, and significant cultural highlights include the Sepik Crocodile Festival (pictured), which honors the fresh and saltwater crocodiles that inhabit these waterways, and the Enga Cultural Festival, which aims to conserve the little-known Enga way of life. Look out for wildlife, including 38 species of birds of paradise and the world's tiniest parrot.

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Vanuatu

This Y-shaped archipelago of islands in the South Pacific has never been a magnet for mass travel, and rebuilding tourist infrastructure after Cyclone Pam's devastation in 2015 has been a protracted process. Still, around 65,000 tourists visited its 80 islands in 2022, primarily via flights from Australia or New Zealand, but there are links from Fiji and New Caledonia for island-hopping expeditions.

Samoa

Samoa is one of the closest nations to the International Date Line, therefore it is one of the first to welcome the new day; yet, American Samoa, which is only 137 miles (220 kilometers) away, is one of the last. In December 2011, the islands moved the calendar forward a day to correspond with trading partners in Australia and New Zealand, prompting inhabitants in the capital Apia (pictured) to gather around the town clock to applaud when midnight hit.

Tonga

Tonga has a rich political history, historically controlled by monarchs who reigned over vast swathes of South Pacific territory, and is unique among its neighbours in that it has never abandoned Indigenous government, resulting in a flourishing native culture today. It was called 'The Friendly Islands' by explorer Captain James Cook and is located on the migration route of humpback whales.