The world’s most unloved countries you should really want to visit
Off the radar
Some destinations get all the love. Too much, perhaps, with overtourism creating issues in popular cities and countries. Meanwhile other places fly under the radar despite an abundance of natural beauty, culture or history, whether because they’re hard to reach or simply aren’t on many travellers’ wish lists. The latest UN Tourism data, based on 2022 visitor numbers, has revealed some of the world’s most unloved countries, offering intrepid travellers some fresh travel inspiration. Be sure to check travel guidance and government recommendations before considering a trip.
Read on to discover our countdown of some of the least-visited countries in the world…
Kid Dog Travel/Shutterstock
Guyana
Guyana has long been South America’s least-visited country, with a population of just 818,000, few flights to get there and dense Amazon rainforest making it a challenging place to explore even after you arrive. But that looks set to change, as more airlines – including British Airways from London; American Airlines from Miami and New York; and United Airlines from Houston – have begun flying to capital Georgetown in recent years. So much so that 2023 was its best-ever year for visitors, with just over 319,000 people arriving on its shores.
Wang LiQiang/Shutterstock
Guyana
The country’s unique blend of Caribbean culture, colonial-era architecture and diverse flora and fauna set it apart from any other South American nation. Its best-known attraction is Kaieteur Falls, the largest single-drop waterfall in the world, and a good place to spot endemic bird species including the distinctive Guianan cock-of-the-rock (pictured). Georgetown has its merits too, bringing together British and Dutch history with a modern Caribbean-influenced twist.
Endless Traveller/Shutterstock
Djibouti
This often-overlooked country on the Horn of Africa barely registers on the radar of even the most devoted Africa fans, but it deserves to be better known. Few other places can lay claim to such an array of different landscapes, from volcanic crater lakes and vast, rugged canyons to bubbling hot springs and limestone rock chimneys dotting desolate, other-worldly plains, which were enough to attract about 145,000 travellers in 2022.
Love this? Follow our Facebook page for more travel facts and inspiration
Djibouti
French colonialists established Djibouti City in 1888, and it’s now a vibrant, multicultural capital that showcases the country’s mix of African, Arabic and Asian influences. But it’s Djibouti’s landscapes that really stand out, including salt-rich Lac Assal (pictured), the lowest point in Africa and surrounded by the looming shadows of volcanoes; and the other-worldly plains of Lac Abbe. Travel advisories suggest steering clear of the border area with Eritrea and remaining vigilant against the threats of crime and terrorism when travelling around Djibouti.
Przemyslaw Skibinski/Shutterstock
Cook Islands
This cluster of 15 Polynesian islands are as close to paradise as you can get, with turquoise seas and white-sand shores fringing lush, tropical interiors, and where no hotel can ever be built higher than the tallest coconut tree. It’s on the same time zone as Hawaii, and has political links to New Zealand, along with its fellow South Pacific nations. Around 121,000 visitors touched down here in 2022, impressive given the islands’ population stands at just 20,200 people.
ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock
Cook Islands
Rarotonga is the largest island in the archipelago, home to its only airport and the highest peaks including Te Rua Manga (pictured). There are no traffic lights here, though it’s easy to get around as there’s only one ring-road on the island and a choice of just two bus routes: clockwise or anti-clockwise. Along with nearby Aitutaki, expect accommodation right on the water’s edge, with boat trips, fishing and diving in the water, or hiking, quad-biking and cycling inland, plus cultural festivals including the Te Maeva Nui Festival which celebrates the islands’ independence.
Pascal Mannaerts/Alamy Stock Photo
Burkina Faso
Moving from the east of Africa to the west, the small landlocked nation of Burkina Faso brought in 116,000 visitors in 2022, though both the UK and US governments advise tourists to avoid the country due to political instability and the risk of kidnapping. The former French colony is known for exporting gold and cotton, which makes up the lion’s share of its economy.
Explore seven of the best things to do in Sierra Leone
Burkina Faso
This west African country gained independence in 1960 and was then known as Upper Volta, but changed its name to Burkina Faso – which means ‘land of honest people’ – in 1984. It’s home to plenty of cultural highlights including the Grand Mosque at Bobo Dioulasso (pictured), a striking structure that’s actually made of whitewashed mud with logs sticking out at an angle, and the Loropeni ruins; the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Liechtenstein
It might seem surprising to see a European nation on a list of the world’s least-visited countries, yet the pocket-sized principality of Liechtenstein merits a spot as it brought in just 101,000 tourists in 2022 – although that’s actually an improvement on previous years. It’s just 62 square miles (161sq km) and is one of only two ‘double-landlocked’ countries – those that are surrounded only by landlocked countries – in the world, with the other being Uzbekistan.
Liechtenstein
Fairy-tale castles and captivating countryside are the main attractions in tiny Liechtenstein. The capital is watched over by the 700-year-old Schloss Vaduz (pictured), once built as a fortress to defend the city and now the official residence of the prince. Outside Vaduz, it’s all about hiking. There are more than 30 trails through the mountains offering a front-row seat to stunning scenery and shimmering lakes.
Check out some surprising sights you won’t believe are in Europe
Ron van der Stappen/Shutterstock
Papua New Guinea
This Pacific nation makes up the eastern half of the island of New Guinea – the second-largest island in the world, shared with the Indonesian states of Papua and West Papua – along with 600 offshore islands. Its remote location and rugged, jungle-filled terrain have long been a draw for intrepid explorers, though just 69,000 visitors made it as far as these islands in 2022. It’s worth checking the latest travel advisories before venturing too far off the beaten path, as some areas are off-limits to tourists.
Ron van der Stappen/Shutterstock
Papua New Guinea
It might be one nation now, but the islands of Papua New Guinea are made up of hundreds of distinct communities, cultures and customs. More than 800 languages are spoken across the country and key cultural highlights include the Sepik Crocodile Festival (pictured), paying tribute to the fresh and saltwater crocs that roam these waters; and the Enga Cultural Festival, which seeks to preserve the little-known Enga way of life. Look out for wildlife too, with 38 species of birds of paradise and the world’s smallest parrot.
Martin Valigursky/Shutterstock
Vanuatu
This Y-shaped archipelago of islands in the South Pacific has never been a magnet for mass tourism, and has faced a long road to recovery to rebuild tourist infrastructure following the devastation wrought by Cyclone Pam in 2015. Still, some 65,000 visitors ventured to its 80 islands in 2022, mostly via flights from Australia or New Zealand, though there are connections from Fiji and New Caledonia for island-hopping adventures.
Martin Valigursky/Shutterstock
Vanuatu
From hiking to the top of an active volcano at Mount Yasur to diving down as far as the depths of the seabed to explore Second World War shipwrecks such as the SS President Coolidge, there’s plenty to explore in Vanuatu. Capital Port Vila (pictured) is a good base for visiting museums, volcanoes and the famously verdant coastline laced with pale-sand beaches.
Martin Valigursky/Shutterstock
Samoa
Sticking with the South Pacific, the 10 islands that make up Samoa offer another little slice of paradise about as far from any mainland as you can get. Only four of its islands are inhabited, namely Upolu, Savai’i, Apolima and Manono. Upolu is the most populous and has the greatest variety of activities and accommodation, making it an easy entry point for the 51,000 visitors who landed here in 2022.
Michala Hendrychova/Shutterstock
Samoa
Samoa is one of the closest nations to the International Date Line and thus one of the first to greet the new day – though just 137 miles (220km) away, American Samoa is one of the last. The islands actually jumped forward a day in December 2011 when they reset the calendar to align with trade partners in Australia and New Zealand, leading residents in capital Apia (pictured) to gather around the town clock to cheer as it struck midnight.
Michal Durinik/Shutterstock
Tonga
Reset your watch to ‘Tonga time’ when you step off the aeroplane in Fua’amotu International Airport, a half-hour drive from capital Nuku’alofa, gateway to the 170 islands that make up this laid-back Polynesian archipelago. They are split into three groups around Tongatapu in the south, the central region of Ha’apai, and the northern islands of Vava’u, along with a few outlying isles scattered across the sea. Given the distances involved, it’s not surprising that just 22,000 tourists made the journey here in 2022, less than a quarter of the numbers seen before the pandemic.
Imagine Earth Photography/Shutterstock
Tonga
Tonga has a rich political history, once ruled by kings who presided over a huge swathe of South Pacific territory and unique among its neighbouring nations in that it has never lost its Indigenous governance, giving rise to a thriving local culture today. It was once dubbed ‘The Friendly Islands’ by explorer Captain James Cook, and sits on the path of migrating humpback whales (best seen from July to October).
Bhutan
The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan – which famously measures its domestic wealth based on gross national happiness, rather than purely economic success – has long been a holy grail for adventurous travellers. When it first opened to tourism in 1974, just 274 people crossed its borders but by 2022, that had risen to 21,000 – still tiny by global tourism standards.
In pictures: the world’s most beautiful currencies, from Bhutan to Belize
Bhutan
Bhutan is the world’s only carbon-negative country thanks to its vast forests, which cover 70% of the country’s land. It’s a trend-setter in sustainability in other ways too, charging tourists a sustainable development fee – which has fluctuated in price up to $200 (£157) a day, but was reduced to $100 (£79) per day in 2023 – to ensure that landmarks such as the Paro Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest, pictured) monastery and the cross-country Trans-Bhutan Trail can be explored responsibly.
Sao Tome and Principe
The two-island nation of Sao Tome and Principe is Africa’s second-smallest country and has visitor numbers matching its size: just 15,100 in 2021, around half of its typical tourist arrivals. There are flights to Sao Tome from Portugal – from which the country gained independence in 1975 – and then one service a day to even-smaller Principe. It’s renowned as one of the safest spots in west Africa, though its remoteness means accommodation and living costs can be surprisingly expensive.
Sao Tome and Principe
The islands are in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea and smaller Principe – together with surrounding islets – is a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to a rich array of endemic plants and wildlife. Travellers might find rare orchids, reed frogs and vibrantly coloured birds in the tropical and rainforest, interspersed with mountains and volcanic peaks.
Maxim Tupikov/Shutterstock
North Korea
The world’s most secretive state holds an enduring fascination for many travellers keen to see what life is like behind its doors, even though Western governments including the UK and US advise against all travel due to its political instability. After closing itself off completely to tourism in January 2020, the spring of 2024 saw tourists beginning to trickle back in, meaning the prospect of a return to its pre-pandemic numbers of around 10,000 a year – mainly from China – could be on the cards.
Oleg Znamenskiy/Shutterstock
North Korea
Anyone crossing the border into North Korea must travel on an organised tour and it’s worth noting that journalists and travellers with an American or South Korean passport won’t be allowed to enter. Capital Pyongyang is the first stop to explore the state’s take on world events – the Victorious Fatherland Revolutionary Museum offers a different perspective on the Korean War, for instance – while the Kumsusan Memorial Palace (pictured) is a popular pilgrimage for those wishing to pay respect to their former leaders.
Robert Szymanski/Shutterstock
Kiribati
It would be hard to get much more remote than Kiribati – pronounced ‘Kiribas’ – an island nation in the Micronesia region of the Pacific Ocean. Its 33 atolls and islands straddle the equator and sit just above sea level, making them highly vulnerable to climate change. They clocked up just 2,000 visitors in 2022, primarily to capital Tarawa, where around half the population lives, though scuba divers might venture further to explore the waters around Christmas Island and Fanning Island as well.
Kiribati
As well as being one of the world’s least-visited countries, Kiribati is also one of its least-developed, with tiny atolls covered in coconut palms, making coconut a significant staple in islanders’ diets along with breadfruit, pandan and giant swamp taro. The archipelago is spread across three main areas: the Gilbert Islands, Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands. Until time zones were adjusted in 1994, these used to span the International Date Line, meaning a 23-hour time difference within the same country.
Rafayil Abbasov/Shutterstock
Nauru
A teeny number of tourists make it to the tiny country of Nauru – perhaps as low as 200 people per year in recent times, according to The Telegraph, though the figures are so small it’s tricky to verify. It’s unsurprising that it’s so under the radar, because this is the world’s smallest island nation at just eight square miles (21sq km) and the third smallest country overall, after Vatican City and Monaco.
Robert Szymanski/Shutterstock
Nauru
The remote Pacific island nation has been ruled by various countries, finally gaining independence in 1968. The late Queen Elizabeth II is among few who have been, as the Commonwealth member was a stop on her 1982 South Pacific tour. While much of the island centre has been affected by phosphate mining, the coast remains a beguiling mix of white sandy beaches backed by palm trees and ringed by coral reefs.
Tuvalu
Officially the world’s least-visited country, the nine-island nation of Tuvalu attracts so few visitors it barely moves the needle on the tourism barometer, with fewer than 1,000 tourists in 2022. It was once united with modern-day Kiribati as former British colony the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, until achieving independence in 1978. Tuvalu is under severe threat from rising sea levels with low-lying islands predicted to be under high-tide levels by 2050, prompting the Australian government to offer sanctuary to climate refugees.
Tuvalu
If you’re one of the very few travellers to reach the shores of Tuvalu, you’ll find a network of tiny coral islands spread across a 420-mile (676km) chain in the South Pacific. Visitors can explore the Funafuti Marine Conservation Area, see intriguing Second World War history sites, tour the islands by motorbike or witness traditional cultural ceremonies at the local maneapa (town hall).
Now explore the world’s most remote towns where people still live…
