The 25 least visited countries in the world in 2015

 

Last updated: 09/12/2018

There are places in the world that are always crowded with tourists and are on the wish list of so many others. However, some places in the world receive very few visitors. In a report recently published by the website Business Insider, were listed the 25 least visited countries in the world in 2015.

The reasons why some countries are rarely visited vary, but the main reasons are related to location, travel logistics, costs, difficulty in obtaining a visa, problems with the governments of each country and even issues involving wars and conflicts, which end up driving away even the most adventurous of travellers.

The UN (United Nations) has a body, the World Tourism Organization, which generates reports about the tourism industry, but cites the problem of having enough and reliable information for the preparation of these documents, since there are countries that do not disclose official figures. For this reason, some numbers end up being inaccurate estimates of the data available for consultation. Some of these places can be good opportunities to include in the itinerary of future trips, as they are little explored. Others, however, with structural and governmental problems, it is better to stay away!

So, let's get to know the 25 least visited countries in 2015 and check the positive points of each of them and the reasons for receiving so few tourists? We have already stated that most of them are in Africa or Oceania.

Least visited countries in the world:

25. Dominica, Central America

(78 thousand tourists) – tie

• PROS: Beautiful and empty place, frequented even by Hollywood stars.
• CONS: It has little structure dedicated to tourism and the airports do not allow large commercial planes.

25. East Timor, Southeast Asia

(78 thousand tourists) – tie

• PROS: Luxurious hotels and great diving spots are great attractions of the place. The visa can be picked up as soon as you arrive at the airport.
• CONS: Due to the fact that it is in an isolated territory and little connected to the rest of the world, few airlines take the risk of offering flights there.

23. Central African Republic, Africa

(71 thousand tourists) – tie

• PROS: There are communities and villages of pygmies not found elsewhere in the world. In addition, it is an excellent place for those who love wildlife, as there are many elephants and gorillas.
• CONS: Civil war and religious problems have hampered tourism in the country and terrorist groups sometimes attack the main airport.

23. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Central America

(71 thousand tourists) – tie

• PROS: This former British colony offers a lot of contact with nature, with crystal clear waters and lots of green.
• CONS: The name of the country is so big that it makes it difficult for tourists to remember it.

22. Djibouti, Africa

(63 thousand tourists)

• PROS: Although it is quite dry, there are regions worth a visit where you can go diving, enjoy the volcanic formations and hike in the mountains.
• CONS: It is an almost unknown country and occupied by French troops.

21. Liechtenstein, Europe

(60 thousand tourists)

• PROS: The country's mountains can provide incredible views.
• CONS: Its neighbors Austria and Switzerland turn out to be much more attractive to tourists than tiny Liechtenstein, which has no nightlife at all.

20. Guinea, Africa

(56 thousand tourists)

• PROS: A strong point is the experience of seeing the sunset on one of its beaches.
• CONS: Although it is a beautiful country, the tourist infrastructure is not very good and the Ebola virus outbreak has further damaged the tourist industry there.

19. Tonga, Oceania

(45 thousand tourists)

• PROS: The people are hospitable, like to party, barbecue and drink.
• CONS: This tiny Polynesian island is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world. Few people know how to pronounce the name of the capital, Nuku'alofa, or the country's airport, Fua'amotu.

18. Sierra Leone, Africa

(44 thousand tourists)

• PROS: It is the country of mountain lions and with incredible landscapes. Temperatures are around 24°C to 30°C.
• CONS: Access from the country's main airport to the cities can only be done by boat. In addition, it is the country with the worst HDI (Human Development Index) in the world.

16. Federated States of Micronesia, Oceania

(35 thousand tourists) – tie

• PROS: It's a fantastic place to dive and surf.
• CONS: Only one airline flies to this country which is a collection of small islands making life difficult for tourists.

16. Mauritania, Africa

(35 thousand tourists) – tie

• PROS: Can be an attractive place for professional photographers to capture the typical beauty of the place.
• CONS: It is quite easy to understand why few tourists visit a country where 75% of the territory is desert.

15. Solomon Islands, Oceania

(24 thousand tourists)

• PROS: There are beautiful beaches, volcanoes, rainforest with waterfalls and lakes.
• CONS: It's a much lesser known territory than neighboring countries like Papua New Guinea and of course Australia.

14. Liberia, Africa

(24 thousand tourists)

• PROS: The country has beautiful beaches.
• CONS: Tourist interest has dropped as the country has been ravaged by the Ebola virus in recent times.

13. Comoros, Africa

(21 thousand tourists)

• PROS: The country offers excursions to volcanoes and diving and sailing is possible.
• CONS: Only 800,000 people live in this country which is a former French colony.

12. Afghanistan, Asia

(13 thousand tourists)

• PROS: The country's mountains provide beautiful views and the people are amazing.
• CONS: Frequent bombings and terrorist attacks have turned the country into a war zone.

11. São Tomé and Príncipe, Africa

(10 thousand tourists)

• PROS: It is a former Portuguese colony, with beautiful beaches and great for fishing.
• CONS: The difficulty of getting to the place is one of the main problems to visit the country.

10. Turkmenistan, Asia

(8,697 tourists)

• PROS: Amazing nature attractions. Inhabitants receive electricity, water and natural gas for free.
• CONS: Complicated country with international relations, following a similar line to North Korea.

9. Guinea-Bissau, Africa

(7,500 tourists)

• PROS: There are very beautiful places and the oysters are divine.
• CONS: Poor infrastructure and few airlines fly into the country.

8. Libya, Africa

(6,250 tourists)

• PROS: You can get a visa on arrival in the country.
• CONS: There is still terrorism and bombing in the country.

7. Kiribati, Oceania

(6,000 tourists)

• PROS: There are several possibilities to reach the country through airlines from nearby countries.
• CONS: Practically no one has ever heard of this paradise in the middle of the Pacific.

6.Equatorial Guinea, Africa

(5,700 tourists)

• PROS: Beautiful beaches where you can snorkel.
• CONS: The bureaucracy is massive if you're not a US citizen. Very poor tourism infrastructure. You can't take pictures unless you want to get in trouble as the country is ruled by a dictator.

5. South Sudan, Africa

(5,500 tourists)

• PROS: Hard to find any.
• CONS: Country in civil war. Photography is illegal in the country. Only 5% of the population have electricity.

4. Marshall Islands, Oceania

(4,600 tourists)

• PROS: Biological diversity is immense, with many types of fish and corals along the islands.
• CONS: Nobody knows this country exists as it is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

3. Tuvalu, Oceania

(1,200 tourists)

• PROS: Genuine, caring and very friendly people.
• CONS: Few commercial flights serve the country.

2. Somalia, Africa

(400 tourists)

• PROS: There are places considered safe and many businesses have been opened in the country.
• CONS: War, lack of government for many years, violent Muslim extremists.

1. Nauru, Oceania

(160 tourists)

• PROS: It's the least visited country in the world!
• CONS: Nobody knows this tiny country with less than 10,000 people.