In this article, we will look at the 40 least visited countries in the world. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Least Visited Countries in the World.
The tourism industry is multifaceted. It is contingent on several other industries, including transport, accommodation, and more. According to a report by the United Nations Tourism, the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a 2.6 billion decrease in international arrivals all over the globe between 2020 and 2022 combined. The travel restrictions posed to control the spread of the pandemic also resulted in a 62% dip in export revenues generated by international tourism in 2020, which was the highest number ever recorded. 2021 saw another 59% decrease in international tourism export revenues as compared to the 2019 statistics. Although these numbers bounced back in 2022, they still remained 34% lower than the pre-pandemic statistics. The three-year timeline between 2020 and 2022 saw a $2.6 trillion total loss in export revenues from tourism. However, the tourism industry is recovering from the shocks of the pandemic. International tourist arrivals have bounced back to 88% of their pre-pandemic levels between January and December, 2023. To learn more about tourism, you can look at the Top 15 Countries for Dental Tourism and the 35 Best Destinations in the World for Cultural Tourism.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Travel
The COVID-19 pandemic had adverse effects on the global travel and tourism industry. The World Tourism Barometer put together by the United Nations World Travel Organization, showed that international tourist arrivals worldwide decreased over 80% between March and December, 2022.
Another report by the World Tourism and Travel Council showed that the share of travel and tourism’s total contribution to GDP went from 10.4% in 2019 to 7.6% in 2020. It eventually went up to 9.2% in 2023 amidst more flexible travel restrictions and is anticipated to touch the 11.6% mark by 2033. The restrictions set in place to counter the spread of COVID-19 also affected the number of travel and tourism jobs around the world. The numbers fell to 271 million in 2020, as opposed to 334 million in 2019. Despite a gradual annual increase, the total number of jobs was still 13% lower in 2021, as compared to 2019.
Is the Travel and Tourism Industry Bouncing Back in 2024?
The travel and tourism industry experienced major setbacks due to the pandemic but is set to make a complete recovery in 2024. According to statistics from the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals are highly likely to increase by 2% in 2024, as compared to 2019. The first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of 2024 reported that international tourism made an 88% recovery to its pre-pandemic levels in 2023, with around 1.3 billion international travelers leading this change. The performance in Asia and the Pacific was mixed. South Asia already went back to 87% of its pre-pandemic international tourism levels in 2023, while North-East Asia went to about 55%. The Asian markets coming out of hibernation and resuming their tourism-related activities are a primary cause of this recovery, as well as improved air connectivity between countries.
Tourism recovery in Africa increased to around 96% of its pre-pandemic levels in 2023. Europe and the Americas recovered 94% and 90% of their tourism rates in 2023, respectively. However, recovery in the Middle East was the most promising, leading its pre-pandemic levels by 22% in 2023. You can also look at 35 Most Visited Countries in the World: 2024 Rankings.
Key Players in the Travel and Tourism Industry
The travel and tourism industry is driven by several key players that ensure the provision of adequate travel, accommodation, and other services to travelers. The most prominent of these include Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB), Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR), and Qatar Airways.
Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) has ushered in a new age of short-term rentals in competition with hotels and lodges. The company released its fourth-quarter and complete-year results for 2023 on February 13, reporting $2.22 billion in revenue, up 16.61% year over year and ahead of market estimates by $53.47 million. The results also marked the company’s highest Q4 ever, with the total revenue increasing by 17% year-over-year. These results exceeded the company’s expectations by totaling 99 million in Nights and Experiences Booked, with a 12% increase year-over-year. Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky said in the company's Q4 2023 earnings call:
"I am excited to share our results with you. We wrapped 2023 with another strong quarter. We had 99 million Nights and Experiences Booked in Q4, marking our highest fourth quarter ever. Revenue of $2.2 billion grew 70% year-over-year. Net loss was $249 million. But when excluding nonrecurring tax items, adjusted net income was $489 million, representing an adjusted net income margin of 22%. For the full year, our free cash flow was $3.8 billion, our highest ever. Because of our strong cash flow and balance sheet, we repurchased $2.25 billion of our shares during 2023. And I’m excited to announce that today, our Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase authorization of up to $6 billion of our Class A common stock."
Another prominent player in the travel and tourism industry is Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR), offering tourists its hospitality services. On March 26, Bloomberg reported that the company is planning to expand its footprint into Africa. The continent has seen an increase in the demand of luxury hotel rooms and suites over the past years, leading Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) to double its operations in the region. A majority of the planned constructions will be luxurious and upscale. The decision also came after a positive output from JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge that the company built in Kenya last year. Even though individual rooms in this lodge average more than $3,000 a night in costs, there are about 138 hotels in the Marriott chain under construction in Africa.
A key industry driving global tourism is transportation, and Qatar Airways is one of the most notable airlines in the world. On March 15, Zawyareported that the company announced its codeshare partnership with Aer Lingus, providing travelers with increased access to destinations across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The partnership will also improve connectivity and facilitate air travel for travelers to destinations in Africa, Australia, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and New Zealand. On March 26, Nasdaq reported that Qatar Airways has become the first airline in the world to announce an AI assistant on its airport premises. This “digital human in aviation,” is named Sama 2.0. The AI assistant will help clear passenger queries and allow them to book flights seamlessly. It would also assist the airline in providing essential travel information about on-board series and other airline-related topics. Sama 2.0 is a second generation AI, and is relatively more human-like than its first version. Not only does it have realistic expressions, but it also imitates human breathing.
In order to compile a list of the 40 least visited countries in the world, we have taken data from the United Nations World Travel Organization. The data taken is from 2019, primarily because global travel statistics after the year have been atypical due to lockdowns and travel restrictions. The countries in this list are ranked in descending order of the number of total visitors they had in 2019.
40 Least Visited Countries in the World
40. Grenada
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 526
Grenada ranks 40th on our list of the 40 least visited countries in the world, with 526 visitors in 2019.
39. Madagascar
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 486
Madagascar is a pear-shaped island country located in Africa’s southeastern coast. Madagascar received 486 visitors in 2019, its highest-ever number since 1994.
38. Trinidad and Tobago
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 482
482 individuals arrived in Trinidad and Tobago in 2019, down from 508 in 2018.
37. The Democratic Republic of Congo
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 479
The Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 37th on our list of 40 least visited countries in the world. The country is located in Central Africa, and is the second-largest country in the region by area.
36. New Caledonia
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 474
New Caledonia hosted 474 total arrivals in 2019, down from 576 in 2018.
35. Seychelles
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 428
428 people visited Seychelles in 2019, putting it at the 35th spot on our list.
34. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 399
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines hosted 399 total arrivals, of which 84 were overnight visitors.
33. Monaco
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 363
Known for its low taxes and wealthy people, Monaco hosted 363 total arrivals in 2019.
32. Benin
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 337
337 people visited Benin in 2019, putting it at the 32nd place on our list of the 40 least visited countries in the world.
31. Bangladesh
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 323
Bangladesh received 323 visitors in 2019, up from 267 in 2018.
30. Dominica
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 322
Dominica is a mountainous Caribbean island nation. The country had 322 total visitors in 2019, and 90 of them were overnight visitors.
29. Bhutan
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 316
Bhutan’s trajectory for the total number of visitors began going up after 2010, touching its highest point in 2019 at 316 visitors.
28. Guyana
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 315
Guyana is a country in South America but is much more connected to the Caribbean in its cultural roots. It received its highest-ever number of visitors since 1994 in 2019: 315.
27. French Polynesia
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 282
The total arrivals in French Polynesia in 2019 was 282, its highest-ever count since 1994.
26. Vanuatu
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 256
Vanuatu is located in the South Pacific Ocean, and comprises about 80 islands stretching over 1,300 kilometers. 256 individuals visited the country in 2019, down from 350 in 2018.
25. Angola
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 218
Angola had 218 visitors in 2019, which is the exact number it received in 2018 as well.
24. Mali
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 217
217 people visited Mali in 2019, putting it 24th on our list of 40 least visited countries in the world.
23. Papua New Guinea
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 211
211 people visited Papua New Guinea in 2019, up from 195 in 2018.
22. Niger
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 192
Niger ranks 22nd on our list with 192 visitors. It is a landlocked country located in West Africa, and has a population of about 25.25 million as of 2021, according to estimates by the World Bank.
21. Samoa
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 181
Samoa had 181 total arrivals in 2019, of which 172 were overnight visitors.
20. Moldova
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 174
Moldova’s visitors dropped to 29 in 2020 after touching the 174 mark in 2019 and is yet to reach it again.
19. Cook Islands
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 172
Located in the South Pacific, the Cook Islands hosted 172 visitors in 2019.
18. Djibouti
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 167
Djibouti is located in East Africa, on what is called the “Horn of Africa.” It ranks 18th on our list with 167 visitors in 2019.
17. Burkina Faso
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 143
143 people visited Burkina Faso in 2019, ranking it 17th on our list of 40 least visited countries in the world.
16. Liechtenstein
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 98
Liechtenstein hosted 98 visitors in 2019, up from 85 in 2018.
15. Palau
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 94
Palau ties with Tonga, hosting 94 visitors before COVID-19 reduced it to 12 in 2020.
14. Tonga
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 94
Tonga is a tiny Polynesian kingdom made up of more than 170 South Pacific islands, most of which lay uninhabited. 94 people visited Tonga in 2019, ranking it 14th on our list.
13. Central African Republic
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 87
The Central African Republic had 87 visitors in 2019, down from 109 in 2018.
12. Timor Leste
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 81
With 81 visitors in 2019, Timor Leste ranks 12th on our list of 40 least visited countries in the world.
11. Chad
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 79
Chad had 79 visitors in 2019, up from 81 in 2018. The country ranks 11th on our list of the 40 least visited countries in the world.
10. Sierra Leone
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 71
Out of 71 total arrivals, Sierra Leone had 63 overnight visitors in 2019.
9. American Samoa
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 59
American Samoa is located in the South Pacific Ocean. As the name indicates, the region is the unincorporated territory of the United States. It had 59 total arrivals in 2019, seven more than 2018.
8. Guinea Bissau
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 52
The number of visitors to Guinea Bissau in 2019 was 52, down from 55 in 2018.
7. Comoros
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 45
Comoros had 45 visitors in 2019, its highest number since 1994.
6. Sao Tome and Principe
Number of Total Arrivals in 2019: 35
Sao Tome and Principe ranks sixth on our list of 40 least visited countries in the world, with 35 visitors in 2019.
