The 10 least visited countries – from Montserrat to Micronesia – are remote, welcoming and well worth the journey
- Most of the 10 destinations are island nations, offering empty tropical beaches, surf breaks and world-class diving and fishing
- Remote and difficult to get to, all are well worth the journey for the scenery, the warm welcome, and the peace and quiet
France generally gets more annual visitors than any other country (80 million-plus, at the last count), followed by Spain and the United States. But what about nations where visitor arrivals barely scrape past four figures?
With one exception, the top – or bottom – 10 least-visited nations (excluding those closed to visitors because of conflict or other political ructions) are all on remote islands. And each has something exceptional to offer beyond the obvious bragging rights.
1. Tuvalu
Annual visitors: 3,700, according to United Nations World Tourism Organisation figures
7.1095° S, 177.6493° E
“Tuvalu found a special place in my heart,” he says. “I have rarely seen such a social and actively engaging culture anywhere in the world. The people get together at every opportunity and value social activities over staring into a phone. I visited all nine utterly idyllic islands, which is nearly unheard of among visitors.
