Off The Beaten Path: The 20 Least Traveled-To Places In The World
These Places Are Only For SeasonedTravelers
If you've seen all the Romes, Parises, and New Yorks of the world, you're probably wondering "What next?" There are countless places off the beaten path that offer a travel experience like no other. As a tourist in these countries, you can expect to be challenged, and potential dangers will force you to be on your toes. Here are the 20 countries that receive the fewest tourists.
1. Tuvalu
Tuvalu is an island in the South Pacific Ocean. Despite its idyllic beaches, the island isn't developed for tourism probably because it's one of the places most quickly getting swallowed by the sea. It receives barely a hundred visitors a year.
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2. Marshall Islands
Only around 10,000 people make the trek to this chain of volcanic islands in Oceania each year. The lack of tourism stems from the fact that the islands are so hard to get to.
3. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia that receives only about 15,000 tourists yearly. The reason not many people go here stems from the fact that Turkmenistan doesn't seem to want people to come. A visa is required and it's very difficult to obtain one.
4. Suriname
Despite its beautiful beaches, Suriname attracts less than 300,000 tourists each year. This might be because the country lacks tourism infrastructure, making the attractive areas difficult to get to.
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5. Angola
Despite Angola's wealth of natural beauty, it's considered a risky place to travel due to the prevalence of violent crime. Only about 200,000 tourists ventured here in 2019.
6. Solomon Islands
The chain of islands in Oceania known as the Solomons attracted only 25,000 tourists in 2023. Although the islands have much to offer tourists, the difficulty of getting there is enough to dissuade most.
7. Burkina Faso
Most governments advise against traveling to Burkina Faso due to the high risk of kidnapping and terrorism. Around 67,000 brave tourists made the trek anyway in 2020.
8. Liechtenstein
If you've never heard of Liechtenstein, don't worry, you're not alone, which is probably why the country doesn't get a lot of tourists. The small European country only receives around 55,000 tourists each year.
9. Afghanistan
Afghanistan only had about 7,000 visitors in 2023. It's considered a very dangerous place to travel to by most governments due to the high threat of terrorist attacks. However, people who are brave enough to visit have a unique experience and enjoy the traditional hospitality.
10. Somalia
Somalia is considered dangerous, with a high risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and piracy. Despite that, around 10,000 tourists visited Somalia in 2024, still a small number, but a 50 percent increase from the previous year.
11. Syria
Most governments warn against traveling to Syria due to a high risk of terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict. Although the number of tourists is slowly rising, the amount of foreign visitors remains low, at only around 45,000 a year.
12. Burundi
Though those who manage to make the trek to Burundi will be awarded with vast wildlife and beautiful natural scenery, only about 200,000 foreigners visit Burundi each year, far less than neighboring Uganda and Kenya which attract over one million annually. The threat of pickpocketing, malaria, and civil unrest is enough to keep the tourists at bay.
13. Yemen
Despite the country's many world heritage sites, the amount of tourism in Yemen has been low since the 2011 Yemen Crisis. Since then, there's been a rise in extremism which caused fear in prospective tourists.
14. Eritrea
Despite being considered a safe travel destination, the East African country of Eritrea only welcomes about 140,000 foreign visitors each year. The country has a turbulent history but its beautiful Red Sea coast and Art Deco architecture make it a fascinating spot to go to.
15. Chad
The central African country of Chad is full of striking natural scenery and wildlife. However, its dangerous security situation due to the high threat of terrorism and violent crime stops people from visiting. Only around 10,000 foreign visitors are brave enough to enter the country each year.
16. Central African Republic
Civil unrest, violent crime, and armed conflict keep tourists from traveling to Central African Republic. Only around 30,000 visitors entered the country in 2020.
Hector Argüello Canals on Unsplash
17. Malawi
Malawi has less than 200,000 tourists each year, the lowest compared to all its neighbors. The country has beautiful landscapes and unique wildlife; however, civil unrest and the high threat of armed robbery keep people from going there.
18. Mozambique
Despite its pristine beaches, Mozambique isn't a popular tourist destination, with only around 200,000 visitors each year. This is mainly due to problems at its borders like extortion and bribery.
19. Benin
The West African country of Benin had only around 300,000 tourists visit in 2020. This is largely due to the prevalence of violent crimes like carjackings and robberies.
20. Mali
Despite its rich culture and UNESCO World Heritage sites, Mali only has around 200,000 visitors each year. This is because of an increase in terrorism, robberies, and kidnappings.
