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Largest Countries with Little Tourism

Name the most populous countries that received fewer than 1 million international visitors in the year 2023.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization
Population as of January 1, 2023
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: September 27, 2024
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First submittedOctober 19, 2017
Times taken52,407
Average score70.0%
Rating4.63
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Population
Continent
Country
225 m
Africa
Nigeria
170 m
Asia
Bangladesh
104 m
Africa
D. R. Congo
50.0 m
Africa
Sudan
40.9 m
Asia
Afghanistan
38.8 m
Asia
Yemen
38.0 m
Europe
Ukraine
36.2 m
Africa
Angola
33.1 m
Africa
Mozambique
30.8 m
Africa
Madagascar
Population
Continent
Country
28.3 m
South America
Venezuela
28.0 m
Africa
Cameroon
26.4 m
Asia
North Korea
25.7 m
Africa
Niger
23.4 m
Africa
Mali
22.8 m
Africa
Burkina Faso
20.8 m
Africa
Malawi
20.4 m
Africa
Zambia
18.8 m
Africa
Chad
18.0 m
Africa
Somalia
44 Comments
+48
Level 83
Oct 19, 2017
I was quite surprised by Madagascar's appearance. I assumed it was quite touristy for some reason.
+5
Level 61
Feb 14, 2018
That surprised me too but it be because it is so expensive to fly to. At least is is from America.
+8
Level 60
Feb 14, 2018
Same here! Madagascar amazed me the most of anywhere I've been. It has a relatively low population. Probably related to the coup in 2009.
+10
Level 56
Jan 25, 2020
I has an extremely high human population giving the carrying capacity of the land. Upwards of 95% of the forest has been cleared since the 1950s and poor agricultural practices have all but destroyed the topsoil in most of the country unfortunately
+3
Level 83
Jun 4, 2024
Ok, sure. But that's neither here nor there. For the purposes of the quiz and determining the tourist-to-population ratio, we're only really interested in whether the population is high or low. And perhaps same for population density.

The reasons why that might be the case are entirely irrelevant to this quiz and discussion.

+3
Level 72
Jan 7, 2025
I think rjoal was responding to geographic's comment "It has a relatively low population".
+2
Level 60
Mar 20, 2020
Same here, but expensive and not many very popular tourists destinations.
+24
Level 92
Oct 19, 2017
So people don't go to visit the middle of the Sahara Desert in large numbers, eh? Shocking.
+2
Level 27
Apr 26, 2018
Lol
+11
Level 75
Feb 7, 2021
I bet a lot more go to the Sahara and the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro than go to the war-torn failed states that are given due to lack of info.

This isn't a very fulfilling quiz TBH, since the major countries you expect to see on the list can't be included on the list. Not much that can be done about it, that's just how it is...

+34
Level 88
Oct 20, 2017
And at one point, the tourist ministry (which issues required permits) told me I was the only tourist currently in Equatorial Guinea. (It does have foreign oilfield workers, though.)
+3
Level 80
Mar 21, 2020
What? The only tourist in Equatorial Guinea? A country with over a million inhabitants and a land area slightly larger than that of Massachusetts?
+5
Level 76
Oct 25, 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Equatorial_Guinea

First sentence: "Equatorial Guinea is known for human rights abuses."

+3
Level 67
Apr 27, 2024
Sure, but the only tourist is still quite remarkable. I mean I don't think there are 0 tourist in countries like Yemen or Afghanistan right now. So 0 in Equatorial Guinea seems off.
+10
Level 88
Sep 27, 2024
Seven years ago, when you arrived, you were immediately force-transported to the ministry to get your permit, signed by the minister himself, and where I was told I was the only one, since "the Slovakian guy left yesterday." Getting a tourist visa was near-impossible in those days, except for Americans, for whom Rex Tillerson (Exxon chairman, running EG's oilfields) negotiated a visa exemption. I've heard they opened up somewhat last year, however.
+8
Level 81
Feb 14, 2018
I went to Moldova expecting to like it there but... gotta admit it was boring as heck. Drove around Chisinau several nights looking for something, anything, to do and often all I would find were some guys sitting outside a gas station in plastic chairs. But Belarus wasn't that bad. I know it's the 2nd hardest place in Europe to get a visa to (after Russia), but I enjoyed my time there. Pretty sad that they can't even beat Somalia, Yemen, Syria or Iraq...
+2
Level 57
Feb 14, 2018
If you arrive and depart from the Minsk Airport and have travel insurance that covers Belarus, it's possible to stay there for five days without a visa. I think you can stay longer if you are a citizen of certain countries (mostly former CIS and Middle East). Also, the last I checked, there were no border formalities whatsoever between Belarus and Russia, so I don't think the visa regime can be the major cause for a low number of tourists.
+3
Level 84
Jan 24, 2020
Just a note that "no border formalities" in this case means that foreigners generally aren't allowed to cross the border between Belarus and Russia (except flying apparently if you have both valid visas), because you absolutely need a stamp when entering and exiting each country.
+3
Level 40
Feb 14, 2018
I went to Belarus few months ago and didn't need a visa to enter the country (remained less the 5 days limit for visa-less entry)...The only administrative demand from the country's administration was to register to their national health insurance for the duration of my stay, registration at Minsk airport. Otherwise, I must say I also enjoyed my stay there.
+2
Level 81
Feb 15, 2018
I wanted to stay longer than 5 days and was coming by car.
+3
Level 67
Feb 14, 2018
On the latest date, there are more than 1M tourist a year in Madagascar, which I happen to live. Although it's not a lot for a 30M people country, it's definitely bigger than what is written here.

AND I advise everybody to come and visit here! Its a wondeful and unique place.

+4
Level 70
Feb 14, 2018
You are preaching to the converted, my sister has been there many times as part of her job with the World Bank. She says it is extremely beautiful and loves going there. CAR on the other hand, (scatology centre).
+2
Level ∞
Jan 23, 2020
Madagascar had 257,000 visitors in 2018 according to the UNWTO. Keep in mind that it's an island, which probably explains why such an interesting country is on this list.
+2
Level 62
Sep 12, 2024
Found a Malagasy JP-er!
+4
Level 81
Feb 14, 2018
Can't help but wonder if Borat did anything to keep Kazakhstan off this list.
+4
Level 84
Jan 24, 2020
Kazakhstan has a relatively low population and lots of business trips going on, and visa free regime was expanded recently.
+2
Level 61
Feb 14, 2018
Awesome, I'm flying to Bangladesh on March 4th!
+2
Level 70
Feb 16, 2018
I hope you see some other tourist.
+1
Level 55
Jan 2, 2019
Last month I've been there for 9 days and I can't talk about say Indians, but I saw perhaps 8 Western-looking people - more than I expected. But considering the 100000 Bangladeshis I could have met in the streets, it certainly is not much...
+2
Level 71
Jan 23, 2021
Exciting! It's somewhat disappointing to see it so low. I know it's not a country that gets a lot of positive publicity, and it certainly isn't the most ideal or exciting place to visit, but there are some areas that are truly beautiful, especially in the countryside. There are also plenty of historical sites to visit, and it's certainly much safer to visit than many of the other countries on this list.

(To be fair though, population probably has a lot to do with it. I'm guessing Bangladesh would fare better than many countries on this list if it were based on absolute numbers of tourists)

+3
Level 80
Feb 15, 2018
Yes, the definition of "visitor" would be helpful. But thanks at least for making this one per capita, as I wish more quizzes were.
+9
Level 79
Jan 24, 2020
To Quizmaster. Ok my wife is Indian (I am ethnically English) which may make a difference but you must go to India. The chances of gastric problems are tiny if you take the right precautions. Dont drink any water except sealed bottled. Dont eat fruit, be sensible where you eat and dont have ice in drinks. Get the right shots and you will be fine. India is a fantastic place to visit. I go two or three times a year all over the country both in the big cities and the country. It is super safe and full of interest and charm and you will find little difficulty finding someone who speaks English. Also the infrastructure, cleanliness etc has improved dramatically since my first visit in the 90s. I dont know about US citizens but as a Brit I can get a multiple entry tourist visa online in 2 days for minimal cost
+1
Level 62
Oct 2, 2024
Longshot that you'll answer since this was 4 years ago, but why wouldn't you recommend to eat their fruit?
+1
Level 55
Jan 12, 2025
You shouldn't eat (raw) fruit in India because it was likely washed in non-potable water. Indians can eat it because their digestive system is adjusted to the bacteria, but foreigners shouldn't. You also shouldn't consume raw vegetables and tap water (incl. ice cubes). This is the case for all countries which don't have potable water, which is most of Asia, Africa, and South America.
+2
Level 44
May 4, 2020
It's sad seeing Pakistan not having much tourists even though we have many tourist spots
+2
Level 40
May 17, 2020
haha I came in all confident, ready to list all of the countries on the no data list.
+2
Level 73
Nov 30, 2022
This must be the closest call I've had on this website. I finished the quiz with 1 second left. It's a good thing that for once I didn't make a typo.
+3
Level 68
Sep 27, 2024
South Sudan had over a million tourists?
+4
Level 74
Sep 27, 2024
Too small to make the list probably
+1
Level 72
Sep 28, 2024
The URL seems to be lying about what this quiz is... would have been more interesting, too
+2
Level 69
Sep 29, 2024
Could you add a column with the amount of tourists for each country? Just out of curiosity.
+2
Level 79
Jan 7, 2025
It’d be cool to see a visitors per capita list of countries. It’s probably overwhelmed by Oceania, though.
+2
Level 65
Jan 7, 2025
I think Vatican dwarfs every other country, though it's obviously helped by Italy holding all the infrastructure. Fewer than 1000 residents while millions visit it every year.
+2
Level 72
Jan 8, 2025
Amazed that Iraq and Myanmar aren't on this list.