Least Visited Countries 2024

Travel, whether for business or pleasure, is an integral part of modern life and a major contributor to the economies of many countries. Some of the most popular countries to visit are France, Spain, and the United States. Bangkok, Thailand, is the most-visited city globally, with about 22 million visitors a year. Paris, France, is the second-most visited city globally, with about 19.1 million international visitors annually.

Other destinations are less popular. Numerous possible reasons exist for why one country might be less popular than another. For example, many island countries in the Pacific are notably distant, which may make them quite expensive and/or time-consuming to reach. Other countries may be close but also prohibitively expensive or lacking in appealing attractions. Some may have underdeveloped tourism industries, which can make visits logistically challenging. Some are simply too small to host vast numbers of tourists. Finally, some countries may be perceived (correctly or incorrectly) as dangerous or difficult to visit (such as North Korea) or may be genuinely dangerous due to political instability or outright war (such as Somalia).

The number of visitors a country receives is not necessarily indicative of a lesser experience. With the understandable exception of countries that are legitimately dangerous, seldom-visited countries are frequently considered just as beautiful, less crowded, more unspoiled, and oftentimes cheaper than more popular tourist destinations.

Top 10 Least-Visited Countries in the World (United Nations World Tourism Organization)

The Least-Visited Country in the World: Kiribati

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the remote Pacific island country Kiribati is the least-visited country globally. Correctly pronounced "kiri-bas," this Pacific island chain is the only country in the world to touch all four hemispheres. This small island nation of 131,000 people welcomed only about 2,000 visitors in 2022. It is worth noting that this number has declined significantly since 2019 when this nation welcomed about 12,000 visitors. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, infrastructure challenges, and climate change related changes, including extreme weather events, are the primary drivers of this decline, in spite of the country’s natural attractiveness for visitors.

Kiribati’s stunning atolls and expansive marine environments are particularly popular tourist attractions. The Phoenix Islands Protected Area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the largest marine protected areas in the world with unparalleled diving and snorkeling featuring stunning coral reefs, manta rays, and whale sharks. Traditional dance performances, craft markets, and local cuisine are also in store for the visitor.

Flights to Kiribati’s Bonriki International Airport in South Tarawa are available from Fiji, Nauru, and the Marshall Islands, but service can be irregular. Travelers often face delays and the limited infrastructure typical of remote Pacific islands.

Kiribati is one of the countries that are most affected by climate change. The rising sea levels pose a significant threat to its low-lying atolls. Students in Kiribati learn to appreciate the delicate nature of the nation’s environment and learn about sustainable living and conservation efforts to protect Kiribati’s unique ecosystems for future generations.

Other Least-Visited Countries

Marshall Islands

According to the latest data available in August 2024, the Marshall Islands were the second-least visited country in 2019, welcoming just over 6,000 visitors. These volcanic islands are located in the Pacific between the Philippines and Hawaii and boast pure, white sand beaches, crystal clear water, and diverse marine life and flora (including more than 160 species of coral). The Marshalls are deep in WWII history, having first served as a Japanese base and then become the site of much nuclear testing by the U.S. military. Also, like Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands are in danger of being engulfed by rising ocean waters driven by climate change.

Niue

Located in the South Pacific, Niue is regarded as one of the world's smallest nations. The tiny island—actually a raised coral atoll—used to see about 10,000 visitors a year before the pandemic. The country struggled to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and ushered in only 610 people in the year 2021, many of whom were returning residents (Statistics Niue). One Niue tourist site highlights what the island "does not have" – crowds, long lines, traffic lights, or a frantic pace of life. Niue's available tourist activities include swimming, snorkeling and diving, kayaking, 4WD ATV tours, or simply hiking through terrain ranging from beaches to rainforests, plantations, or a vanilla farm. Travelers should be aware that there's only one flight to and from Niue per week.

Micronesia

Situated between the Marshall Islands and Palau, Micronesia is yet another Pacific island country rife with WWII relics, beaches, fishing, surfing, snorkeling and diving amid both world-class coral reefs and WWII shipwrecks, and hiking trails awash with lush, rugged natural beauty. The more urban areas of Micronesia are also known for their vibrant nightlife.

Montserrat

The first sparsely visited country to be located somewhere other than the Pacific, Montserrat is an island nation positioned in the Caribbean, directly east of Central America. Montserrat was once a popular destination—however, a volcanic eruption in 1995 devastated a large portion of the island, including its capital city, Plymouth. Subsequently, roughly 2/3 of the island's population emigrated to other countries, most notably the UK. Montserrat's volcano remains active (though it has been mostly dormant since 2010), and much of the island's southern region is still taken up by an off-limits exclusion zone.

Although multiple hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic have delayed Montserrat's rebuilding efforts, construction of a new capital city as well as the recovery of the country as a whole are underway. While most visitors currently take day trips to the island (particularly the volcano observatory), tourism is slowly ramping up again thanks to attractions including peaceful beaches, lush forest hiking complete with petroglyphs, and tours of the upper remains of Plymouth, whose lower floors are now largely buried under 30+ feet of ash and mud.