US Edition
The world's least visited countries – have you been to any of them?
Not every nation can be a France or a Spain – but which countries see the fewest visitors? We took a look at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation's (UNWTO) stats for 2018...
Europe – Liechtenstein: 87,000 (up from 79,000 in 2017)
Europe's second least visited country, with an estimated 87,000 arrivals in 2018, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), is Liechtenstein. That's a rise of seven per cent on 2017. So what are we all missing? This German-speaking sliver between Austria and Switzerland has astounding mountain scenery, apt for hiking, mountain biking and winter sports, and Vaduz Castle, a 12th century fortress. The eponymous capital has a fine contemporary art gallery – and a postal museum.
Can I visit? Yes. See liechtenstein.li
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Credit: Liechtenstein Tourist Board
Europe – Moldova: 160,000 (up from 145,000)
Moldova received around 160,000 visitors in 2018, making it Europe's third least visited nation. This former Soviet Republic sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, whose capital is Chișinău (kee-shi-now), has medieval fortresses, Roman fortifications, and Orheuil Vechi, an archaeological site with excavations showing buildings dating from the Paleolithic era.
Can I visit? Yes. Visit moldova.md/en/turism, which also boasts that the Republic has 142 wineries surrounded by vineyards.
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Credit: AP
Europe – San Marino: 84,000 (up from 78,000)
Our continent's least visited nation is San Marino. Around 84,000 went in 2018 to the mountainous microstate surrounded by Italian territory. What are the draws? Its historic centre, which dates back to the 13th century and features towers, walls, gates and bastions, as well as 19th-century neoclassical basilica and piazza, was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008, along with Mount Titano, upon which it sits.
Can I visit? Yes. Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini is a 40-minute drive away.
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Credit: AP
Asia – Bhutan: 274,000 (up from 255,000)
Bhutan received 274,000 tourists in 2018, a record number and up from just 14,000 in 2012.
The country that measures output by Gross National Happiness - more than 90 per cent of the population say they are content - has much to offer. The Paro and Punaka valleys are home to verdant hills, crystal-clear rivers, towering mountains and a patchwork of fields where crops are still tended by plough, oxen and scythe.
Its low visitor numbers may be due to difficulty of access – just a handful of pilots are qualified to land at its precipitously located airport, and tourist visas are notoriously expensive – as well as a relatively undeveloped infrastructure.
Can I visit? Yes, but British nationals require a visa to enter and exit; visit tourism.gov.bt for more information.
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Credit: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Asia – Mongolia: 529,000 (up from 469,000)
This is the least crowded country on Earth, as well as one of the least visited. Three times bigger than France, Mongolia’s population is less than a 20th of the UK’s – and one in three people live in the nation’s sole city, the capital Ulaan Baatar. The enormous landlocked country of green steppe, vast flat plains, intricately braided rivers, electric-blue highland lakes, snow-licked mountains, dense pine forests and shifting desert, welcomed just 6,000 UK tourists (out of a total of 529,000) in 2018.
Can I visit? Yes, but you will need a visa.
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Credit: AP
Asia – Timor-Leste: 75,000 (up from 74,000)
The least visited nation in Asia (excluding Afghanistan, which you really don't want to visit). The eastern half of the island of Timor is surrounded by coral reefs, while the interior is cloaked in primeval mountainous forest, making it prime ground for adventurous divers, snorkellers and trekkers. It also has a wealth of colonial buildings from the Portuguese era, and the Ile Kere Kere caves contain fascinating paintings, which have been dated at more than 13,000 years old.
Can I visit? Yes although the Foreign Office says that "crime continues to be a problem in East Timor, including gang-related violence, robbery (in some cases armed), assault and attacks on vehicles."
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Credit: AP
Asia – Brunei: 278,000 (up from 259,000)
This little country on the island of Borneo is home to lush rainforest, including in the Ulu Temburong National Park, where longboats and proboscis monkeys are among the things to be seen. It is also home to some astonishing Islamic architecture, including the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque.
Can I visit? Yes – but note that the nation's Sharia criminal code, according to the British Foreign Office, "sets out severe corporal penalties and punishments, including death, for a variety of offences and in some cases will apply to non-Muslims." Visit bruneitourism.travel.
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Credit: AP
Oceania – Kiribati: 6,000 in 2017
This nation is comprised of 33 coral atolls stretching along the equator. Second World War battles were fought along the shores of its capital South Tarawa – but today its principle draws for tourists include fishing, diving and private islands.
Can I visit? Yes – although it is a very long way from anywhere. Visit kiribatitourism.gov.ki for more information.
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Credit: AP
Oceania - Tuvalu: 2,000 in 2017
This South Pacific state, the least visited on Earth, has no armed forces, a low terror threat and little crime, and there are no political parties with politics being based on personal, family and island loyalties. Most people probably hadn't heard of it before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid a visit a few years ago. It is a Parliamentary Democracy and a Commonwealth Realm – Queen Elizabeth II is Head of State.
Can I visit? Yes. Visit timelesstuvalu.com
Many other Pacific nations receive just a few thousand foreign visitors each year, including Marshall Islands (6,000), Solomon Islands (28,000), Micronesia (45,000), Tonga (62,000), Vanuatu (116,000), Palau (116,000), New Caledonia (120,000), Papua New Guinea (143,000), Samoa (164,000) and Cook Islands (169,000).
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Credit: GETTY
The Caribbean – Montserrat: 9,000
The least visited island in the Caribbean. This British Overseas Territory is probably best known for the rather active Soufrière Hills Volcano, which covered Plymouth, the island's former capital, with debris and ash when it erupted in the 1990s. Now, the island's appeal lies in snorkelling, diving, and small town living. Visit in March for a real surprise. The island is known as "The Emerald Isle" after the Irish settlers who came in the 17th century and its biggest annual event is St Patrick's Day (March 17).
Can I visit? Yes. See the latest Foreign Office advice here.
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Credit: Alamy
The Caribbean – Anguilla: 55,000 (down from 68,000)
It's hard to choose among the Caribbean's most idyllic islands, but Anguilla could well be among them. Difficult access - you can't fly there direct from Britain - keep visitor numbers low; just 55,000 went in 2018. In the peak winter months, Anguilla is a bolt-hole of choice for well-heeled Americans, including lots of celebrities.
Can I visit? Yes. Read our expert guide for more information.
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Credit: AP
South America – French Guiana: 224,000 in 2017
The least visited destination in South America, ahead of Guyana (287,000) and Suriname (278,000), is this French Overseas Territory. Its capital Cayenne is recognisably French in its café-culture and its cuisine but Vietnamese and Chinese food are also on offer. The town is photogenic, with many wooden buildings still standing.
Can I visit? Yes – read our full expert guide
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Credit: AP
Central America – Belize: 489,000 (up from 427,000)
The least explored country in Central America is English-speaking Belize. Top attractions include the peaceful and preened island of Ambergris Caye; the 200-mile-long barrier reef – often ranked just below the Red Sea and Great Barrier Reef as a dive experience; the Mayan site of Caracol; the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary; and low-key, laid-back Caye Caulker.
Can I visit? Of course.
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Africa – Sao Tome & Principe: 8,000
Africa's least visited country, though the UNWTO's stats for Africa are a little sparse (the figure of 8,000 relates to 2010), this nation of two islands, 225km from Gabon, is oil and cocoa rich, but tourist arrivals are virtually non-existent.
One recent visitor was John Gimlette. "It’s easy to see how you might overlook it," he wrote for Telegraph Travel. "When I first spotted it on a relief map of the Atlantic, it looked like two needles rising off the ocean floor, each with a tiny island perched on top. São Tomé is roughly the size of Anglesey, while Príncipe compares to the Isle of Wight. Separated by 99 miles of ocean, they are, in cartological terms, a pair of free-floating full-stops. Closer up, they’re harder to ignore. From the air, they look improbably dramatic. Having risen 3,000m (9,840ft) off the seabed, parts of them carry on rising another 2,000m (6,560ft). There’s nothing undulating about these mountains. They’re like great blue fangs, covered in a rich velvet of forest and cloud. One of these peaks – on Príncipe – is so sheer that, until recently, it was thought it had only ever been climbed twice in 31 million years. It’s ridiculous to describe anywhere as a Lost World now, but this one got seriously mislaid."
Can I visit? Yes. Rainbow Tours offers itineraries rainbowtours.co.uk/country/sao-tome-principe-holidays
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Credit: AP
Africa – Comoros: 36,000 (up from 28,000)
This cluster of islands near Madagascar and the coastline of Mozambique has majestic volcanic scenery, some of the world's best undiscovered coral reefs for divers, and forests home to lemurs and Livingstone's fruit bats. Languages include Comoran - related to Swahili - French and Arabic. Just 36,000 visited in 2018.
Can I visit? Yes. But you'll need to fly via Kenya and the neighbouring island of Mayotte.
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Credit: Alamy
Africa – Sierra Leone: 57,000 (up from 51,00)
Just 57,000 people visited Sierra Leone in 2018. What does it have to offer? “Amazing beaches, idyllic villages and smiling people,” says Gunnar Garfors, who has visited every single country on Earth and rates it among his 12 favourites.
It’s also an unlikely option for cycle tourism - the West Africa Cycle Challenge takes riders from Bo, Sierra Leone, to Monrovia, Liberia, raising money for the charity Street Child along the way.
Can I visit? Yes.
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Credit: Alamy
Africa – Djibouti: 51,000
Djibouti is a tea-loving nation where women outnumber men, and is home to the greatest tourism slogan we've ever come across: "Djibeauty". For more fun facts, follow this link.
Can I visit? Yes, but the Foreign Office advises against staying too close to the border with Eritrea.
Other rarely seen African countries include Guinea (35,000), Guinea-Bissau (44,000), Democratic Republic of the Congo (81,000), Chad (87,000), Central African Republic (121,000) and Burundi (299,000).
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Middle East – Kuwait: 203,000
The least visited country in the Middle East (Afghanistan has fewer visitors – 49,000 – but is classified under "South Asia" by UNWTO, while there are now reliable recent statistics for Syria or Iraq), this slice of land between Iraq and Iran was invaded by Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime in 1990, ultimately leading to the first Gulf War. Today it is a much more peaceful place, home to around 6,000 British nationals, and most of the 5,000 or so Britons who visit each year experience no problems. Attractions include a fine collection of Islamic art, the recognisable golf-ball like globes of the Kuwait Towers, and the Dhow harbour.
Can I visit? Yes – British nationals travelling by air can get a free 30-day entry permit/tourist visa on arrival. For more information, see visit-kuwait.com
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Credit: AP