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Garfors has been interviewed and quoted for various reasons by media from a range of countries, and he has written some freelance articles too. Here is a selection of links to articles, interviews, etc. on radio, TV and in newspapers and magazines. Most deal with travelling or his books, older ones are typically related to his work with NRK, IDAG or NMTV. 2026 January 31: I sesong med Marte og Kåre Magnus , NRK P1, Norway January 12: GMN, TV 2, Norway January 9: Dagsnytt 18 , NRK, Norway 2025 December 8: GMN, TV 2, Norway November 14: Den stille majoriteten , Norway November 13: NRK Vestland i dag , Norway November 6: VG , Norway October 21: Firdaposten , Norway September 26: Kapital , Norway August 24: Tog 24 , Norway August 9: NRK , Norway July 5: Aftenposten , Norway June 28: Porten , Norway June 21: Sogn Avis , Norway June 20: NRK Sogn og Fjordane, NRK, Norway June 10: P1+, NRK, Norway May 27: Drivkraft , NRK P2, Norway April 10: Studio 2, NRK, Norway April 9: Studio 2, NRK, Norway April 8: Studio 2, NRK, Norway April 7: Studio 2, NRK, Norway March 31: Globusrulett , NRK March 31: GMN, TV 2, Norway February 9: Firda , Norway January 9: Aftenposten , Norway 2024 December 20: VG, Norway December 9: Firdaposten, Norway December 4: Aftenposten , Norway November 13: Sogn Avis, Norway November 1: Sogn Avis, Norway October 23: Aftenposten, Norway September 28: Aftenposten, Norway August 7: Sogn Avis, Norway July 28: Gudbrandsdølen, Norway July 8: Aftenposten, Norway June 19: Tønsberg & Færder, Norway June 17: Senest, Norway June 13: Forbrukerrådet, Norway June 12: Nyheder24, Denmark May 17: Way2Go, Norway February 18: The Sun , UK February 14: The Express , UK February 2: The Mirror , UK January 31: CNN , USA January 16: Condé Nast Traveller , UAE January 16: Zawya , UAE January 16: Arabian Business , UAE January 11: Aftenposten , Norway January 10: The Mirror , UK January 9: Skift , USA Jnuary 9: BW Hotelier , India 2023 December 1: Aftenposten , Norway November 29: NowThisNews , USA November 6: The Mirror , UK November 6: Daily Star , UK October 15: Aftenposten , Norway October 4: 198 Land med Einar Tørnquist , Norway September 24: Bø blad , Norway September 27: Bok 365 , Norway September 22: GMN, TV 2, Norway September 16: Aftenposten , Norway September 9: Hallingdølen, Norway August 27: Aftenposten, Norway August 22: Hallingdølen, Norway August 2: CNN , USA July 19: NomadMania , Int'l June 23: TV 2 , Norway June 22: TV 2 , Norway May 27: Forbes , Hungary May 23: Aftenposten , Norway May 7: Utoszo , Hungary April 10: Konyves Magazin , Hungary April 10: 24 , Hungary April 10: Hir Navigator , Hungary April 9: F21 , Hungary January 6: The Bookseller , UK 2022 Decemer 16: Zero to Travel , USA December 15: Dagens Næringsliv , Norway December 4: The Radio Vagabond , Denmark November 24: Financial Review , Australia November 22: Bergens Tidende , Norway November 16: Bergens Tidende , Norway October 28: TV 2 , Norway June 11: Strilen , Norway June 4: Klassekampen , Norway June 2: Bergens Tidende , Norway May 23: Kampanje , Norway April 4: Holm , NRK P1+, Norway January 1: Stavanger Aftenblad , Norway 2021 June 5: Dagbladet , Norway May 31: GMN, TV 2, Norway May 29: Dagsavisen, Norway May 22: Bergensavisen, Norway May 2: Helgemorgon, NRK P2, Norway April 30: Bok 365 , Norway April 29: NRK P1 Sørlandssendingen, Norway April 28: NRK P1 Sørlandssendingen, Norway April 28: Bokstaver , Norway April 27: Nordhordaland , Norway April 24: TV 2 Nyhetskanalen, Norway April 23: Opp , Norway April 22: NRK P1 Sogn og Fjordane, Norway April 22: Dagsrevyen, NRK , Norway April 21: NRK P1 Møre og Romsdal, Norway April 21: GMN, TV 2 , Norway April 21: Vesterålen Online , Norway April 21: Aftenposten , Norway April 15: Basecamp Explorer , Svalbard, Norway April 13: Fremover , Norway March 30: NRK , Norway January 25: Good Morning Norway , TV 2, Norway January 22: Stanghelle på fredag, NRK P1+ , Norway January 14: Ida & Helge tar kvelden , NRK P1, Norway January 13: Aftenposten , Norway January 5: Good Morning Norway , TV 2, Norway 2020 September 15: The Rising Youth , India August 5: Dagsnytt 18 , NRK1 and NRK P2, Norway August 1: San Francisco Chronicle , USA August 1: Ytring , NRK, Norway June 30: VG , Norway June 26: Fremover, Norway June 17: NRK , Norway June 9: Ekko, NRK P2, Norway May 13: Jyllands-Posten , Denmark May 10: Fremover , Norway May 4: NRK P1 Sogn og Fjordane , Norway May 4: Nidaros , Norway May 2: Bodøposten . Norway May 1: Firda , Norway May 1: Laagendalsposten , Norway April 30: Fremover , Norway April 30: Haugesund avis , Norway April 30: Hallingdølen, Norway April 30: Radio 102 , Norway April 29: Bodø.nu , Norway April 27: Art of Humans , Norway April 27: Bok 365 , Norway April 23: CNN , USA April 10: Framtida , Norway March 6: VG , Norway March 6: Appetitt , Norway February 21: Financial Review , Australia February 16: Aftenposten , Norway February 13: The National , UAE February 10: Sunnmørsposten, Norway February 10: Aftenposten , Norway January 31: Langrenn , Norway January 18: The Guardian , UK January 10: GMN , TV 2, Norway January 8: Byavisa Tønsberg, Norway January 8: Holm, NRK P1+, Norway January 6: Travel News , Norway 200+ Press Clippings before 2020

If you eat Dubai chocolate, pose in front of the Burj Khalifa or watch football at the Etihad, you are supporting one of the largest displacements of people in world history. In Sudan, more than 15 million people have been forced to flee. Millions more are experiencing extreme famine. Today the war has lasted for a thousand days, marked by systematic torture, rape, and killing of Sudanese women, men, and children. The perpetrators largely belong to the completely ruthless militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF), financed by the United Arab Emirates. At the same time, the guerrilla group is to a large extent legitimized as a party in a so-called civil war against the Sudanese Armed Forces, and several Western countries are calling for negotiations between the parties. But this is no civil war. The militia is led by charismatic Hemedti, the former vice president of Sudan. Together with President Al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces he managed to secure a place i a transitional government in 2019. It was all a show for appearances; his plan was always to take over all of Sudan, and Hemedti laid the groundwork for a coup that was carried out on 15 April 2023. The vice president wanted to become the sole ruler and gain full control over Sudan’s vast gold and oil reserves. The Sudanese army is not democratically elected either, but it enjoys broader support among the population. The army has by no means achieved heroic status, yet most people believe that a Sudanese institution is nonetheless the best guarantee for a path toward democracy. Hemedti’s plan went badly. In March 2025, the army regained control of the capital, Khartoum, and the RSF was forced to retreat to Darfur in the southwest to lick its wounds and take revenge on the defenseless locals, after two years of brutality proved to be futile. Sudanese people in Khartoum, elsewhere in the country and around the world celebrated Hemedti’s expulsion. The RSF did not, however, remain idle. With the help of enormous quantities of airlifted weapons from the Emirates, the militia rebuilt its forces. Even though the tyrannical group from Chad failed to take over the neighboring country, Western governments continue to try to legitimize the terrorists by inviting them to negotiations. Some even argue for dividing the African giant into two. In the Middle East, ISIS raped and murdered thousands of civilians through several years from 2013. The terrorists were condemned by the international community and eventually nearly eliminated. No one wanted to negotiate with a group that ignored all rules of conduct, mocked other religions, showed utter contempt for international law, and liquidated tens of thousands of innocents. The RSF behaves in the same way, only in an even more horrific manner and on a far larger scale. Rape is routinely used as a weapon, before women, men, children and even babies are tortured and killed. Observers report that victims have repeatedly been lined up and shot one by one in the head while the other prisoners watch and wait their turn. When that is no longer “fun,” people are buried alive in mass graves. Entire hospitals have been razed to the ground, including all medical staff and patients. In addition, terrified women have desperately contacted imams via social media to ask forgiveness for taking their own lives, preferring suicide to being raped and killed. Sudan is one of the world’s most hospitable and welcoming countries; I have been there several times. It even has more pyramids than Egypt, but the country is worse at marketing itself. In 2022, I met Jacqui Kunz, who had then lived in Khartoum for a decade. The following year she was displaced, along with far too many others. All she managed to bring with her were the clothes she was wearing and the contents of her handbag. Her apartment in Khartoum has most likely been destroyed, her belongings are probably gone - there are no witnesses - and it is not safe to return. With no functioning police force, gang mentality prevails. Only Larry, one of the cats, was rescued by a neighbor and brought to Cairo. We are now married, and she lives with me in Oslo. With Finnish-Irish-American roots, she does not look like a displaced person. But the aftereffects remain, she still struggles with nightmares and depression. And Jacqui, after all, had a strong passport and somewhere to go. Behind the scenes, the United Arab Emirates have been present all along, acting as overzealous buyers of precious metals and black gold. Dubai’s gold market is world famous, but how much gold does actually comes from the Emirates? Nothing.  Its reputation as a gold nation, even as the world’s second-largest gold exporter, is manufactured. The responsibility for the war lies with the gold-hungry nation in the Middle East, as research by, among others, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, and U.S. authorities clearly shows. At the same time, the powerful Emirates minimize their role, following advice from world-class communications consultants. Still, there is no escaping the fact that when you stay at the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, make calls via Etisalat, fill up with fuel from ADNOC or fly luxury long-haul with Emirates, you are complicit in the rape of children, the burning alive of innocents, the deliberate running over of people and the blocking of humanitarian aid. Silently consenting to genocide and the displacement of millions of civilians is hardly something to boast about to one’s grandchildren. Participating in protests and boycotting Emirati products is likely a far better strategy for a clear conscience.

We complain about the influx of tourists to Norway - but soon they will arrive with moving trucks instead of suitcases. Cool nights in July are becoming increasingly difficult to find. The world is getting brutally hot, with temperatures in Spain and Greece more and more often creeping towards the 50s. In New York, public cooling centers have been established in museums, cinemas and shopping malls in recent summers, while tarpaulins hang over sidewalks to provide shade. Not everyone can afford indoor winters in the summer. A steadily rising number of people are fleeing the explosive heat, and the Norwegian tourism industry is rejoicing. We have been working on this for a long time. Not just through shiny campaigns to lure tourists to cold rivers, chilly rivers and glaciers that may be singing their last verse. Norway has also made a solid contribution to global warming – because we are pumping up more and more oil and gas. We happen to be among the worst in the world when it comes to climate emissions per capita. We just don't know it, because oil-related emissions are not included in the statistics since the black gold is extracted outside our country, on the Norwegian continental shelf, before most of it is burned as fuel elsewhere. Pollution is raising temperatures so much that newspaper readers traveling south are getting advice on how to stay alive in Crete, the Costa del Sol, and the Riviera. There's not much to brag about after vacations in the South anymore. But who cares? Because incredibly, we are in the process of turning the tourist flow northwards. Not many people believed that before the turn of the millennium. Unfortunately, Norway is not available for everyone. The increase in the number of cold-hungry SAS passengers from Italy, Spain and France is dramatic from last year, something which drives prices up and excludes people who have thinner wallets. They have to sweat, or jump into a local sea. The climate crisis is not for everyone. In the Western world, some people buy their way out of the devil's grip. Through plane tickets to colder regions, construction of swimming pools, or purchasing air-conditioners. Besides, we still get hod of everything, even if the goods cost more, are less accessible, or are harder to find. For example, if bananas can no longer grow in the Guatemalan heat, we'll just rather import them from China. I traveled to 21 countries along the equator and the polar circles in my latest book, looking for answers about how climate change is affecting ordinary people. I spoke to those who live where it's really burning - literally. The married couple Sharlem and Mami are farmers in the village of Boya 3 in the Congolese rainforest. Over a year of extreme flooding has reduced their family's annual harvest from 20 to 8 sacks. A catastrophy for the parents of nine children. On the other side of the Atlantic, mathematics professor Eduardo is also troubled by a problem of the opposite nature. For two years in a row, many of the tributaries of the Amazon have dried up completely, forcing indigenous people into modern cities and a lifestyle they neither know nor want. Dry riverbeds, access to drinking water, food, medicine, and transportation are all but disappearing. Common transport on the Amazon River. There are not enough helicopters in Brazil to help everyone. Even the main river is shrinking significantly, but with an up to 90 meters deep main course, it is not yet a full crisis for those who live near it. But not even here seasons come when they should. "Everything's going straight to hell!" Eduardo despairs. And it's not his fault. Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo account for 1.2 and 0.009 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, respectively. The latter country is home to 110 million people and is the same size as all of these countries combined: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. No country emits fewer greenhouse gases per capita. But every single Congolese feels the climate crisis firsthand. There is no running water, electricity or access to fans in the rainforest villages, and the nearest shop is usually far away. Despite the fires in Los Angeles and the asphalt melting around the Mediterranean, we as Westerners, who have caused almost all CO2 emissions, can buy ourselves out of the effects of climate change. The fact that we hardly need to see nor experience the crisis is anything but deserved. As if that weren't enough, we still enjoy pleasant summer temperatures, in the land of the Northern Lights. We are proud to see foreign celebrities and the world's richest people vacationing in the Sogne Fjord or on the Lofoten Archipelago. They ensure that international magazines with a high gloss factor publish both boastful selfies and paparazzi photos of beautiful, made-up people - in even more beautiful, and totally make-up free, nature. Ironically, it is coolcation that is making Norway hot. Suddenly, the tourism industry may also overheat. The potential for mass tourism is great, and we should consider containment measures. Because do not imagine that tourists will be satisfied with a vacation week or two under the midnight sun in the long term, when the heat waves at home develop into long-term extreme conditions. It is only a matter of time before it will be congested with northbound moving-vans, with enormous demand and pressure on space, resources and infrastructure. Our nature is wild, beautiful and relatively cool. The monopoly on living in it will not last forever. The threat is unlikely to go away because we are not addressing the underlying causes of climate change. It simply does not hurt enough for us to understand, or want to understand, the seriousness of it. I fear Eduardo is right . The course we have set out on is leading straight to hell. This opinion piece originally featured on the website of Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation .

Don't stay at home out of concern for the climate.   Climate hysteria has literally taken off, just like the airplanes we are shamed for using. Not unexpectedly, it is neither constructive nor effective to project shame. It doesn’t work either when it comes to body shape, dialect, choice of life partner or whether or not to put pineapple on pizza. Maybe time to retire flying shame too? Not least because we should actually fly more for the sake of the climate. It doesn't sound particularly logical, but let me try to explain:   The elephant in the room when it comes to our climate is the world's defense sector. Climate emissions related to the operation of all military forces are exempt from the Kyoto and Paris agreements. A gigantic loophole. The argument is that such information can reveal military secrets and the relative strengths between the great military powers. Estimates vary, but we are talking about between 6 and 13.5 per cent of the world's emissions. We have just left the most peaceful era in modern history, the first 22 years of this century. Since then, it has exploded in Ukraine, Sudan and Palestine. The first year of the war around the Dnipro river, for example, led to 155 million tonnes of new greenhouse gases. This is 48 per cent of the increase in global emissions from the previous year. In addition, there will be pollution related to reconstructing Ukraine after the war.   Fear of The Russian Bear has simultaneously lead to rearmament in large parts of the world, including on the Russian-friendly side. Never has more money been spent on bombs and grenades. 2,5 trillion USD is 50 per cent more than the entire Norwegian oil fund .   The need for reconciliation between nations, people and cultures is precarious and we must work hard and actively to get the world back to pre-Putin aggressive levels. Calls for ever-larger defense budgets must become history as soon as possible. There will be a time after the KGB dictator too. Unfortunately, it is not enough to just put pressure on authorities. Many countries are led by strong men with big egos and a high degree of control over their people. It's time to harness consumer power to the extreme. You and I must take responsibility and book longer and fewer flights, not more.   We have to travel more outside the western bubble we live in, a safe playground blessed with well-functioning infrastructure, good forms of governance, high average salaries, long holidays and strong passports to understand other cultures, to see ourselves from the outside, to form friendships, to counter hostility, to build trade cooperation and to lower our shoulders.   In 2020, it would have been enough to build bridges to achieve this. After years of warmongering on steroids, we must first clear footpaths, repair village roads and plan motorways. Better communication and closer friendships across borders will help lower the level of conflict between us and the unknown, the slightly scary countries we don't actually know much about. Inside the bubble, in the Western world, we are pretty satisfied and well reconciled. Instead of making NATO increasingly threatening to those who are not allowed to join, or imposing our values on others through soft power, we as ordinary citizens must take responsibility and reach out to like-minded people in Congo, Kiribati or Russia. Once there, even shy Norwegian need to build courage to make contact with those who live there. Because if we don't participate in conversations and activities together with locals, our trips are reduced to pure observational stays that will lead to nothing but extra likes on Instagram or TikTok -  from people at home. Interaction, cooperation and solidarity are essential, and cannot be outsourced to politicians and others who don’t pay for their own journeys.   As a bonus, each long-distance kilometer pollutes far less than if there is a short time between departure and arrival. Aviation fuel burns faster uphill. But by all means, while we wait for electric jumbo jets, planes still emit exhaust and cause misery. About as much as the internet does, but only half of the textile industry, a quarter of the emissions from meat production or as little as a seventh of the world's military powers. Airline passengers also pay environmental fees that cyber trolls, bargain hunters, meat eaters or snipers do not.   I am not focusing on non-travel-related emissions to clear my conscience. The essential thing is to contribute to change across the board; to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and raise awareness within all industries.   If the world's politicians put down an international ban on flying tomorrow, we will eliminate a measly 2 percent of climate emissions. If we instead cut 20–40 per cent within meat production, defence, fashion, factory production, Facebook usage and flying, then the CO2 amounts will be reduced ten to twenty times as much. When we do travel by plane, it should be longhaul to build friendships in far-flung countries. Then we would rather stimulate local hotel and restaurant owners in Bujumbura than billionaires who own chains in Berlin. Traveling off the beaten track is better in so many ways than a dozen weekend trips a year to New York, Paris and London. And in between the exotic destinations, we may just as well eat at eminent restaurants and take advantage of innovative accommodation options at home instead of going on weekend trips to western cities. This commentary was first published in Norwegian for Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK.

Norway’s pension fund is the biggest sovereign wealth fund in the world with a value of 2 trillion US dollars. The dividends of 2024 were around half that, whereas USAID’s annual budget is 4%, or a 25th, of that at $40 billion. Using some of that money to take over USAID would make perfect sense, as well as help citizens of the world. Witnessing the corrupt Elon-Donald presidency fire 14,000 people from USAID and shutting down most of its work is exceptionally sad and depressing. Not only will this cause thousands or millions of deaths and throw many more people into poverty every year, the shameful, egocentric and coward pullout will also greatly damage the already strained relations between rich, poor and developing countries. Not to mention how this may be the real start of the death of the USA as a country. Throwing the important and influencial programme instilled by JFK in 1961 into the dumpster is plain stupid and puts the narrow-minded amateurism currently at work in the White House on full display. Why would you voluntarily give up on one of the most successful programmes of soft power, that as a bonus boosts your own economy through jobs and purchases? Oh well; selfish, narcissistic and arrogant imbeciles will imbecile. And just for the record, I don’t think the mere 49 per cent of American voters that last year, allegedly, voted for the current president wanted to gravely undermine their own country. Be careful who you vote for. So, what about us? Either the rest of the world buys a lot of popcorn to watch this atrocity in real time, or we act swiftly to try limit the damage that is about to hit our sisters and brothers of all races, faiths and ages outside of the western bubble we are so lucky to be living within. Not only do we have stable or semi-stable governments, decent wages, good infrastructure, freedom of speech and strong passports that enable us to roam the world, we have also accumulated a lot of wealth that we cannot in good faith keep to ourselves. Let Fascistan, the country formerly known as the United States of America, create a lot of noise while others take responsibility and act. Norway has the means to do this alone, or to at least take the lead. Other participants should include the EU, Japan, Korea, South Africa, the UK and Canada. But it has to happen fast, before the abrupt end to the many benefits of USAID really start biting. Or before China, or even Russia, rises to the occasion. I am sure Xi Jinping has already eyed the opportunity and sent envoys all over the place. With no opposition or competition he can act fast. Can we?    Jens Stoltenberg ran NATO for 10 years. Earlier this week he returned to the Norwegian Administration as Minister of Finance. The labour party politician has also been Norway’s prime minister twice and is better connected in the Western world than pretty much anyone. How about you start off with a blast, Mr. Stoltenberg? Make NORWAID the new USAID. We have an obligation to share our good fortunes and work together.     Gunnar Garfors is a Norwegian author. The 49 year old has travelled to every country in the world twice througout the last 25 years and he believes in building bridges between countries, cultures and people.

The country with the most islands in the world is neither Indonesia nor Australia. All the top three are in fact Nordic, but you may recently have been lied to about which country has the most, thanks to inaccurate posts on social media. In these Sweden usually comes up on top with its 267 570 islands, 62 percent of which are in lakes. That is a lot of islands! But no cigar, gold medal or celebration song. Neighbouring Norway is home to a whopping 320 249 islands, over 88 percent of which are at sea. Not surprisingly perhaps as Norway has the second longest coastline in the world, only beaten by enormous Canada. Out of the the 357 municipalities in Norway, Nærøysund just south of the Arctic circle, can boast about the highest number of islands with around 7 000.  Vega, a few kilometers to the north, follows suit with over 6 500 whereas Vikna north of Trondheim and Smøla south west of the city have around 6 000 each. On average, each municipality in the country has almost 900 islands, the same as Malaysia. A third of the worlds million or so islands are in fact Norwegian! Avid island chasers do certainly not need think twice about where to travel for their kicks as Nordic neighbour Finland takes bronze with 178 947 islands, 55 percent of which are in lakes. That means that the three neighbouring countries, that share a three-way border east of Tromsø in the Arctic, are home to 766 766 islands. That is almost 80 percent of all islands on the planet! No wonder that we may come across as a bit strange, then, with only 29 people per island on average. I love islands and the excitement of visiting new ones, I just had no idea that the rest of the world has so few of them. Another reason to come visit, perhaps? Coincidentally Norway and Finland have almost exactly the same number of inhabitants. Finland narrowly beats Norway with 5 623 329 vs. 5 623 071 people, according to Worldometer. That is a difference of 258. An island is defined as a piece of land completely surrounded by water, and smaller than a continent. The Norwegian Mapping Authority does however operate with a size related distinction between an island and an islet or skerry. The agency claims that an island must be over 10 square meters big, whereas an islet is smaller than that, which typically also means that it is uninhabitable with little or no vegetation. Norwegian Mapping Authority counts 239 057 islands and 81 192 islets, whereas most other countries define all pieces of land surrounded by water as islands. In some languages, different words are used depending on size, size and elevation, or by whether the piece of land is ever fully submerged by the tides at times or not. To be fair, we gotta compare apples with apples, not apples with motorcyles. In cases where counts vary, Wikipedia uses the highest reliably sourced figure. A bit surprising, perhaps, that the worlds biggest country Russia is beaten by as many as 24 countries. Size doesn't always matter. 30 countries claim to have over a thousand islands, they are all listed below. Norway              320 249 Sweden              267 570 Finland               178 947 Canada                52 455 Chile                     43 471 USA                       18 617 Indonesia            17 508 Japan                   14 125 Australia                 8 222 Philippines             7 641 China                       7 226 United Kingdom    6 346 Greece                    6 000 Cuba                        4 195 Laos 4 000 North Korea 3 579 South Korea            3 358 Vietnam 3 000 Estonia                    2 355 Iceland 2 000 France                     1 900            Thailand                 1 430 India                        1 382 Mexico                    1 356 Russia                     1 338 Saudi Arabia 1 285 Croatia 1 246 Brazil 1 200 Maldives 1 192 Egypt 1 048 Sources: Wikipedia, « List of countries by number of islands », retrieved 09 June 2025. Staurset, Kjersti Baust, 24 November 2011, « Lengre kyst og flere øyer », Store norske leksikon, retrieved 06 June 2025 ( pdf ). Worldometer, « Countries in the world by population (2025) », retrieved 06 June 2025.

The least-visited country in the world. There are many unknown countries in the world that most of us have never heard about, let alone visited. But which ones are least-visited? Several incomplete lists exist online, unfortunately most exclude the countries that are in fact among the least-visited, as no department or organization in them provide statistics. And why would they - if virtually no one visits a place, why pay someone to count? I have visited all 198 countries in the world - twice. The second time to research the number of tourists from a variety of sources on the ground. My book Elsewhere about the world's least-visited countries before the pademic is available in Norwegian , English and Hungarian . But I have now updated my research for 2024 and can proudly present a complete list of tourist numbers to every country in the world with special insight on the 20 least-visited ones. If you want to go on a unique trip that almost no one has done before you, keep on reading. The least-visited country in the world may not be the one you would think. Remoteness, visa regulations, governments, available travel information and how many visitors I see on my travels give me a certain idea, but what do the incomplete statistics say. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has a pretty good overview. Quite a few countries are still left out, which means that the information must be found elsewhere. I have gathered numbers on the remaining ones from various sources, such as newspaper articles or interviews with immigration officers, transport companies, airports, statistical bureaus or hoteliers. Do note that no such statistics will ever be entirely accurate. Some countries only measure tourists arriving by air, others only track boat arrivals and yet others base their info on information from hotels. Some people on business even say that they are in a country as a tourist to avoid extra bureaucracy. And how can you accurately count tourists in i.e. the Schengen zone where border controls aren't usually performed? I have still used the best available statistics available, sometimes projected based on the most recent numbers I could find. Should you find any errors or more updated figures, please let me know and I will update accordingly. A run-through of the 20 least-visited countries of the world follows below. 9 of them are in Africa, 6 in Oceania, 4 in Asia and 1 in North America. The most visited of those has 21,000 foreign tourists a year, the least visited less than ten. That is way behind number one, France, with 100 million annual foreign visitors. At the bottom you can find how your country rates, in a complete list with all 198 countries. São Tomé and Príncipe - 21,000 tourists per year Fun fact: No other country has a shorter part of the equator running through its land with 888 meters. The line crosses Rolas, a small island in the south east. Why so few? It may take a while to get to the African island nation . On my first trip to the country I travelled by cargo ship from Gabon. It took 40 hours. Less patient people may fly from four African countries or Portugal. Why you may still want to visit Expect stunning beaches that are great for both surfing and swimming. The needle-shaped volcanic plug peak Pico Cão Grande spectacularly rises 663 meters from the middle of the jungle and screams for a selfie with you. The Comoros - 20,297 tourists Fun fact: The Comoros supplies 80% of the world's ylang-ylang flowers which are used in many perfumes, including in world-famous Chanel No. 5. This has given the country the nickname "Perfume Isles". The world smells better thanks to the Comoros. Why so few? Have you even heard about the country? The islands also have a reputation for malaria carrying mosquitoes, is among the world's poorest countries and have few hotels. Why you may still want to visit Great seafood, incredible beaches that are hardly used by anyone, very friendly people, vibrating markets and a beautiful coastline. Most tourists only visit Grande Comore, the main island, also venturing to the two smaller ones, Mohéli and Anjouan, is highly recommended. Tonga - 20,000 tourists Fun fact: Partly thanks to the famous Tongan meat feasts, the country is the world's heaviest with an obesity rate of 70.5%. On the West Coast of Norway there is randomly a beer brewery called Tonga, the owners have promised free beers to the first Tongans that pay them a visit. Why so few? This is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world and the kingdom is located in relatively rural parts of the southeast Pacific. Why you may still want to visit The main island is surrounded by coral reefs, and some places you can see "geysirs" formed through sea water being pushed by waves into blow holes. The diving and snorkeling is brilliant, you can even swim with whales around the northernmost islands. Somalia - 12,200 tourists Fun fact: Somalia has the longest coastline of mainland Africa at 3333 kilometers long. Only the African island country of Madagascar can boast a longer coastline with 6000 kilometers. Why so few? The reputation of Somalia is extremelly close to rock bottom due to years of terrorist attacks by muslim extremists, an abundance of machine gun carrying security guards and sharia law. Why you may still want to visit The people are extremely welcoming, despite the hardships. They are super positive too. The most famous guide company is even called Visit Mogadishu, probably the scariest name in the tourism industry. Somaliland in the north is an unrecognized country, but formally still part of Somalia and is the safest region to visit. Turkmenistan - 12,000 tourists Fun fact: The country is reputed to be the second strangest in the world. After, of course, North Korea. The capital Ashgabat does for instance have a Guinness World Record for its over 600 buildings in white marble, the most of any city. To not tarnish the high-rise wonders black cars are outlawed downtown. Why so few? Getting a visa is also a bit like playing the lottery, you will be randomly denied without explanation. Some people have applied 5-6 times before being let in, others are still trying. Why you may still want to visit The burning crater in Darvaza nicknamed “The Door to Hell” in the middle of the Karakum desert is perhaps its biggest tourist attraction. It is surreal and well worth the 3-4 hours long drive, just be sure to stay overnight for the best photos. Do stock up on food and vodka before you go, the only options are tents or under the stars. Yemen - 10,000 tourists Fun fact: Lunch is the main meal of the day, not dinner, so do not get surprised of the portion sizes served around noon. Protein will be plentiful. Why so few? There is a humanitarian crisis in the country due to the civil war between the Houthis and the Saudi Arabia and UAE backed coalition. The island of Socotra is 350 kilometers from the mainland and virtually untouched by the war and comes with remarkable biodiversity. You may still want to think twice before going there as several jets fly in every week filled with people on guided tours. If you do join one of these, please be resepctful of the locals and the island. Both the frail infrastructure and its incredible nature is getting overwhelmed by tourists. Why you may still want to visit The Yemeni Highlands in the east of the mainland is still considered safe and you can fly to both Seiyun and Al Ghaydah from abroad to get a real Yemeni experience as opposed to the guided tours on Socotra. The hospitality of the Yemeni culture is second to none, and you will be taken very well care of. Afghanistan - 7,000 tourists Fun fact: Afghanistan has changed its national flag 20 times since independence in 1919. That is more than any other country in the world. This is due to rapid shifts in political power and national identity. In the 1970s Afghani women wore miniskirts and were among the trendiest dressed in the world. Why so few? The Taliban takeover in 2022 means that the bad guys are in charge. Local women have no rights here anymore and should neither be seen nor heard. Girls can no longer go to school after grade 6, whereas women are not even allowed to see male doctors. The country will run out of female physicians in a few years, then what? Foreign women can still visit, even the Taliban needs foreign currency. Why you may still want to visit The wild mountains, the beautiful scenery, the incredible history and the amazing people. The Silk Road ran through the country which is still full of archeological sites. Haiti - 6,600 tourists Fun fact: Only the USA has been independent longer than Haiti among the 23 countries in North America. Haitians have since named a local traditional soup made from pumkin, beef and vegetables "independence soup" as an up yours to slave owners who forbade slaves to eat it as long as they were in charge. Revolutions can change the oddest things. Why so few? Gang violence has been common in the poorest country in the Western hemismphere since 2018, but it exploded in early 2024 and thousands of people fled the capital Port-au-Prince. The leader Jimmy Chérizier, better known as "Barbecue" allegedly due to his habits of setting people on fire during massacres, staged the largest jailbreak in Haitian history and has since been behind attacks around the country. A multinational force is currently trying to stabilize the Caribbean nation. Why you may still want to visit You don't really. No international airlines fly there, and the only land border to Dominican Republic is closed. The resort town Labadee on a gated peninsula on the North Coast is controlled by Royal Caribbean Cruises and could technically be considered as some sort of a loophole, but it would be like claiming to visit a country because your GPS position randomly jumped across an international border you were nearby. Federated States of Micronesia - 6,499 tourists Fun fact: The country is often confused with Micronesia – the subregion of Oceania which also includes Nauru, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Palau – so some people will claim to have visited the country even when they have not. On the main island Pohnpei you will find Nan Madol, the world's only ancient city built on a coral reef. Why so few? Only United, Nauru Airlines and oddly enough the Pacific Missionary Aviation offer international flights to and from the country. The goal of the company behind the latter airline is to glorify God and make Jesus Christ known throughout Micronesia and the Philippines, but they allegedly offer flights to anyone between Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia. Perhaps do not bring your Quran. Why you may still want to visit Micronesia will blow your mind away when it comes to diving and surfing. There is a divecamp in Pohnpei and a diving club in Chuuk but don’t expect a crowd at either. Divers in particular will have a field day, there are dozens and dozens of diveable wreckages from WWII. Marshall Islands - 6,000 tourists Fun fact: The 24 rays of the star in the national flag represent the 24 municipalities in the country. Four of them are longer than the rest, as an honour to the capital atoll and the three other administrative centers. When staying on the capital island Majuro I also woke up between Laura and Rita every morning, and you can too. Laura in the west is the best beach on the atoll while Rita is an area on the other north east side of the atoll. Why so few? Because hardly anyone knows that the world's 7th smallest country actually exists. It is located in remote northern parts of the Pacific, and includes the Bikini Atoll. So, at least you sort of heard about certain parts of the country. Why you may still want to visit There are almost 1,000 different kinds of fish around the 2,000 small low-lying islands that are clustered in 29 atolls and 5 table reefs. Combined with the super clear water you will find yourself in snorkling and diving heaven. There are only three dive shops, though, so consider bringing your own gear. Mauritania - 5,760 tourists Not so fun fact: Mauritania in North Western Africa became the last country in the world to officially abolish slavery in 1981, but 2% of the population essentially still live as slaves. A big reason for that is loyalty from those that were born into slavery and doesn't know any other way. Many were released but felt so sorry that their former masters lost their "property" that they voluntarily returned. Why so few? Around 90 percent of the country is desert, and it’s spreading. It's a good thing sand is more interesting than most people think. Only 0.5% is arable land. Why you may still want to visit "The Eye of the Sahara" or "The Blue Eye of Africa" is a 100 million year old circular formation 40 kilometers in diameter and can be found 600 kilometers from the coastline in Northern Mauritania. The Richat Structure is an erdoded geological dome with five ring-formed 80 meter deep ditches and is certainly worth a visit. The problem is that is too big to see from the ground, so you ought to hitch a baloon ride to actually see it. Or check out Google Maps . Do also bring your camera to the colourful fish market outside Nouakchott, the capital. Tuvalu - 3,136 tourists Fun fact: Most people think that Tuvalu is the least-visited country in the world, as it is number one on the incomplete UNWTO list. Just as if Darvis Patton would have won the men's 100 meter race at the World Championship in Berlin in 2009 with the time 10:34 if you ignored everyone who beat him, including Usain Bolt with his 9:58 world record. Why so few? Only Fiji Airways flies to the world's 4th smallest country. As if that isn't bad enough it only does so five times a week from two alternating airports in Fiji with a small propeller plane that carries 70 passengers, unless too much space is reserved for cargo. Oh, and at exorbitant prices. Expect to pay around 500 USD for the 2 hours 30 minutes long flight. Why you may still want to visit Tuvalu is one of a kind with very genuine and welcoming people, expect plenty of offers to ride on the back of random people’s mopeds. The runway is used for sports, walks, chilling, walking dogs and pretty much anything else as it takes up such a large part of the tiny country. Do book your accommodation ahead, though. There is only one hotel in the country and a few guesthouses. Kiribati - 2,691 tourists Fun fact: The letter “s” didn't originally exist in Kiribati, but the sound “s” certainly did. So, to pronounce “s” you write “ti” or “tu”. “Kiribati” is therefore pronounced “Kiribass”. The Kiritimati atoll in the east is the largest in the country. Thanks to the spelling rules, it is pronounced "Kirismas" which is so close to "Christmas" that it has adopted Christmas Island as its nickname. Why so few? Only Fiji Airways and Nauru Airlines fly internationally to and from both capital South Tarawa and Kiritimati, expect prices to be steep. The national tourist office doesn't really want to attract just about anyone, either. It bluntly states: "Kiribati does not offer swim up bars, fluffy towels, and cocktails. Visitors to Kiribati should expect an experience that will make them reflect on their everyday lives, it is for people who’s motivations for travel are to experience another way of life far removed from the western world." Why you may still want to visit There is so much to see! The 24th smallest country in the world controls the ocean in between the 32 atolls and one coral island which makes it the 12th largest economical zone in the world with 3.55 million square kilometers. That is 4,400 times larger than the 811 square kilometers of land. Kiribati is also the only country in the world that covers all four hemispheres (excluding territories). Equatorial Guinea - 2,400 tourists Fun fact: This is the only Spanish speaking country in Africa due to Spain's colonization if the country not only once but twice. First in 1778-1810, then again in 1844-1968. Why so few? This is among the most difficult countries to get a visa to, expect to go through agonizing bureaucratic pain to get one. US citizens could for many years travel visa-free, but that privilege was revoked a couple of years ago. The distribution of the massive oil wealth is furthermore extremely unequal, the country does not have the best track record when it comes to human rights. Why you may still want to visit Equatorial Guinea is certainly bucket list material. There is very little tourism infrastructure here, so you will have the dense rain forests and the amazing beaches all to yourself. You may want to bring your own fins and mask, though. South Sudan - 2,200 tourists Fun fact: This is the newest country in the world, after splitting from the rest of Sudan on July 9, 2011. The Dinka of South Sudan are known as the tallest people in the world, heights of over 2 meters are usual for both males and females. I have never felt as small as I did in a nightclub in Juba in 2024. Why so few? The country is essentially closed for foreigners outside the capital Juba, partly due to a stern security situation and a lack of democratic elections since independence. Corruption is rife, make sure to have all your papers in order and to not overstay your visa. Being held by police for hours in the airport upon arrival is commonplace if anthing is not in order. Most foreigners here work with NGOs or the UN. James, the receptionist in my hotel, virtually died from excessive laughter when I told him I was in Juba as a tourist. Why you may still want to visit Their evisa system actually works swiftly, you will usually get your visa in a matter of days. Eritrea - 2,000 tourists Fun fact: Eritrea does actually not have an official language. The constitution protects all Eritrean languages, including Afar, Arabic, Beja, Bilen, Kunama, Nara, Saho and Tigre. Tigrinya is still most widespread and is spoken by around half the population of approximately 4 million people. Quite a few older Eritreans actually speak Italian, due to its colonial past. Why so few? Eritrea has one of the world’s longest serving dictators, only Isaias Afwerki has served as president since independence in 1991. The country is also actually last on Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index. That says a lot, North Korea is second last. Why you may still want to visit Asmara is Art Deco heaven. Not bringing your camera will annoy you from here to eternity. The country is also very diverse, and there are many other places you should also visit, not least Massawa by the Red Sea. Leaving the capital does however require a tourist permit which you can apply for at Ministry of Tourism in the main street. Nauru - 1,160 tourists Fun fact: Nauru was the least-visited country in the world before 2015 with 200 tourists per year. That in itself triggered a lot of interest and the number of tourists skyrocketed. Ish. Why so few? Nauru is the smallest republic in the world with its 21 square kilometers and only Nauru Airlines serves the Pacific island 55 kilometers south of the equator. There is almost nothing to see or do here, and can be a bit tricky to visit due to their visa requirement. Why you may still want to visit It is the easiest country in the world to run around without leaving it. The ring road is only 19 kilometers long, so you need over two laps to complete a marathon. No need to brag about visiting, though, as virtually no one has even heard about the country. Expect “Nauru - is that upstate?” type of responses. Bronze, World's 3rd Least-visited Country North Korea - 940 tourists Not so fun fact: Sirens across the country dictate the life of its citizens, to guarantee order. The sirens blast several times a day to tell people when they should start work, take meal breaks and go to sleep. No one can wear red lipstick as it is considered a symbol of capitalism and people have 28 governmental approved hairstyles to choose from, 14 for each gender. This is to promote a uniform image. Why so few? North Korea hasn't really reopened for tourism after the pandemic, except for select groups from Russia and China and even then only to a few towns and resorts in the north. Why you may still want to visit You cannot visit unless you have a Chinese or Russian passport. The country was reportedly going to open up for tourists on guided tours for all nations except the USA and South Korea in December 2024, but this has been postponed. Silver: World's 2nd Least-visited Country Libya - 600 tourists Fun fact: Libya has the 10th biggest proven oil reserves in the world, something that may help finance a revival of the country. Until 2011 the country had the only designless flag in the world, it was entirely green. Why so few? The country pretty much imploded after the fall of Muammar Gadaffi, and is now essentially split in two. Tourist visas were banned for a long time, and visa rules have since changed so foten that hardly anyone can keep track. Why you may still want to visit Few countries have as many arceological sites as Libya. The ancient city of Leptis Magna on the Mediterranean coast was for instance covered by sand until the 1920s which has ensured that it remains in better condition than most other ruins. Up to 100,000 people used to live in the 2,700 year old city which was abandonded in year 700 and later covered by the Sahara. I walked around all alone. Pure magic! Gold: World's Least-visited Country Sudan - 6 tourists With my wife Jacqui Kunz. She lived in Sudan for nine years. Fun fact: No country has more pyramids than Sudan with close to 250. Egypt has however been better at marketing their 138 pyramids. The three main ones in Giza outside Cairo are most famous. Why so few? In April 2023 the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the Sudanese army and started a war that is still going strong. The world has since witnessed one of the biggest refugee disasters in history with over 12 million displaced people and hundreds of thousands of killed civilians. United Arab Emirates has funded RSF for years and could immediately stop the war. Tourists have been banned from entering Sudan since the start of the war, but a select few have still managed to sneak into the country on boats or ships to Port Sudan or through humantarian visas from shady organizations. They were swiftly deported. Why you may still want to visit You don't. And you cannot legally. Please wait until the war has ended, the Sudanese people are already struggling with a severe lack of food and available accommodation. How touristy is your country? You live elsewhere? Do not despair, you will find a complete overview of tourism figures to all 198 countries in the world in the following list. Least-visited Country Most-visited Tourists Comment on source 1 Sudan  198 6 Interviews, 2024; projected 2 Libya 197 600 Garfors, 2017; projected, 2024 3 North Korea 196 940 Radio Free Asia, 2024; projected 2024 4 Nauru 195 1 160 Nauru immigration Jan-Dec, 2024 5 Eritrea 194 2 000 Garfors, 2017 6 South Sudan 193 2 200 Garfors, 2017  7 Equatorial Guinea 192 2 400 Garfors, 2017 8 Kiribati 191 2 691 Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration, 2023 9 Tuvalu 190 3 136 Tuvalu Central Statistics Division, 2023 10 Mauritania 189 5 760 Tourism Review, 2018; UNWTO, 2017, adjusted for tourism receipts 2023, projected, 2023 11 Marshall Islands 188 6 000 The Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative, 2019 12 Micronesia, Federated States 187 6 499 Department of Resources and Development, 2019 13 Haiti 186 6 600 UNWTO, 2021; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2023; projection for 2024 14 Afghanistan 185 7 000 Tourism Directorate of Afghanistan, 2023 15 Yemen 184 10 000 Garfors, 2017; projected with estimated Socotra numbers, 2024 16 Turkmenistan 183 12 000 State Committee of Statistics of Turkmenistan, 2019; projected due to covid related closure Jan-Mar, 2023 17 Somalia 182 12 200 Garfors, 2017  18 Tonga 181 20 000 UNWTO, 2022 19 Comoros 180 20 297 Banque Centrale des Comores, 2023 20 São Tomé and Príncipe 179 21 000 UNWTO, 2021; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2022 21 Liberia 178 24 560 UNWTO and Trading Economics tourism receipts, 2019, 2022; projected according to Guinea's figures, 2023  22 Solomon Islands 177 30 000 UNWTO, 2023 23 Chad 176 32 000 UNWTO, 2021 24 Central African Republic 175 34 600 UNWTO, 2020 25 Palau 174 40 000 UNWTO, 2023 26 Guinea-Bissau 173 41 600 UNWTO, 2019; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2021 27 Guinea  172 53 000 World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 28 Western Sahara 171 59 000 North Africa Post, 2017 29 Dominica 70 000 UNWTO, 2023 Papa New Guinea 70 000 UNWTO, 2022 Surinam 168 70 000 UNWTO, 2021 32 East Timor 80 000 UNWTO, 2023 Saint Vincent and Grenadines 80 000 UNWTO, 2023 Vanuatu 165 80 000 UNWTO, 2023 35 Burkina Faso 164 83 500 World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 36 Sierra Leone 163 88 560 Bank of Sierra Leone, Jan-Nov, 2023; projected 2023 37 Saint Kitts and Nevis 162 100 000 UNWTO, 2023 38 Bhutan 161 103 000 India Times, 2023 39 Niger 160 105 000 UNWTO, 2019; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2022; World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 ;projected, 2024 40 Liechtenstein 110 000 UNWTO, 2023 San Marino 158 110 000 UNWTO, 2019 42 Palestine 157 116 364 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Jan-Jun 2024; projected, 2024 43 Mali 156 119 000 UNWTO, 2019; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2022 44 Angola 130 000 UNWTO, 2023 Brunei 154 130 000 UNWTO, 2023 46 Djibouti 153 142 551 Djibouti National Tourist Office, 2023 47 Congo, Republic 152 158 000 World Bank, 2018; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2021 48 Grenada 151 162 000 World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 49 Samoa 150 170 000 UNWTO, 2023 50 Benin 149 192 000 World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 51 Moldova 148 195 500 Moldova Statistical Office, 2023 52 Russia 147 200 100 Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), 2022 53 Burundi 146 240 000 World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 54 Madagascar 145 260 000 UNWTO, 2023 55 Antigua and Barbuda 144 280 000 UNWTO, 2023 56 Trinidad and Tobago 143 310 000 UNWTO, 2023 57 Guyana 142 320 000 UNWTO, 2023 58 Monaco 141 340 000 Monaco economic report, 2023 59 Eswatini 140 346 250 Eswatini Tourism Authority, 2023 60 Seychelles 139 350 000 UNWTO, 2023 61 Congo, Democratic Republic 138 351 000 World Bank, 2019 62 Kosovo 137 357 717 Kosovo Agency of Statistics, 2023 63 Saint Lucia 136 380 000 UNWTO, 2023 64 Belize 135 460 000 UNWTO, 2023 65 Gabon 134 560 000 World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 66 Mongolia 133 590 000 UNWTO, 2023 67 Barbados 640 000 UNWTO, 2023 Gambia 131 640 000 Report Linker, 2023; World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 69 Bangladesh 130 650 000 Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), 2023 70 Venezuela 129 680 000 UNWTO, 2022 71 Cameroon 128 720 000 World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 72 North Macedonia 127 734 000 North Macedonia State Statistical Office, 2023 73 Ivory Coast 126 754 000 UNWTO, 2021; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2022 74 Honduras 125 850 000 UNWTO, 2023 75 Paraguay 124 860 000 UNWTO, 2023 76 Namibia 123 863 872 Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, 2023 77 Togo 122 880 000 UNWTO, 2019  78 Malawi 121 900 000 Malawi Times, 2023 79 Fiji 120 930 000 UNWTO, 2023 80 Senegal 119 1 000 000 World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 81 Bolivia 1 010 000 UNWTO, 2023 Nepal 117 1 010 000 UNWTO, 2023 83 Cabo Verde 116 1 010 739 National Statistics Institute INE, 2023 84 Zambia 115 1 060 000 UNWTO, 2022 85 Ethiopia 114 1 080 000 UNWTO, 2023 86 Nicaragua 113 1 090 000 UNWTO, 2023 87 Mozambique 112 1 135 000 Mozambique National Institute of Statistics, 2023 88 Lesotho 111 1 142 000 World Bank, 2019 89 Ghana 110 1 148 002 Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, 2023 90 Bosnia and Herzegovina 109 1 183 169 Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2023 91 Botswana 108 1 183 432 Statistics Botswana, 2023 92 Nigeria 107 1 200 000 Ministry of Tourism, 2023 93 Tajikistan 106 1 260 000 UNWTO, 2019  94 Myanmar 105 1 280 000 UNWTO, 2023 95 Mauritius 104 1 300 000 UNWTO, 2023 96 Azerbaijan 1 400 000 UNWTO, 2023 Luxembourg 1 400 000 National Institute of Statistics, 2023 Rwanda 101 1 400 000 National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), 2023 99 Ecuador 1 430 000 UNWTO, 2023 Uganda 99 1 430 000 UNWTO, 2019; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2023 101 Sri Lanka 98 1 490 000 UNWTO, 2023 102 Zimbabwe 97 1 600 000 UNWTO, 2023 103 Lebanon 96 1 670 000 UNWTO, 2023 104 Kenya 95 1 750 000 The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, 2023 105 Bahamas 1 810 000 UNWTO, 2023 Tanzania 93 1 810 000 UNWTO, 2023 107 Panama 92 1 870 000 UNWTO, 2023 108 Maldives 91 1 880 000 UNWTO, 2023 109 Guatemala 2 020 000 UNWTO, 2023 Syria 89 2 020 000 UNWTO, 2023 111 Slovakia 88 2 084 000 Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, 2023 112 Romania 87 2 100 000 UNWTO, 2023 113 Serbia 86 2 130 000 UNWTO, 2023 114 Algeria 85 2 200 000 UNWTO, 2023 115 Pakistan 84 2 220 000 UNWTO, 2023 116 Armenia 83 2 320 000 UNWTO, 2023 117 Cuba 2 400 000 Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), 2023 Lithuania 81 2 400 000 UNWTO, 2023 119 Estonia 80 2 420 000 UNWTO, 2023 120 Ukraine 79 2 440 000 UNWTO, 2022; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2023 121 Montenegro 78 2 450 000 UNWTO, 2023 122 El Salvador 77 2 480 000 UNWTO, 2023 123 Latvia 76 2 500 000 Eurostat, 2023 124 Peru 75 2 520 000 UNWTO, 2023 125 Iceland 74 2 539 271 Icelandic Tourist Board, 2023 126 Costa Rica 73 2 750 000 UNWTO, 2023 127 Oman 72 2 850 000 UNWTO, 2023 128 Kyrgyzstan 71 2 864 200 National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyz Republic, 2023 129 Jamaica 70 2 880 000 UNWTO, 2023 130 New Zealand 69 2 960 000 Stats NZ, 2023 131 Malta 68 2 980 000 UNWTO, 2023 132 Kuwait 67 3 000 000 Statista, 2022 133 Israel 66 3 010 000 UNWTO, 2023 134 Laos 65 3 417 629 Bank of the Lao PDR, 2023 135 Chile 64 3 730 000 UNWTO, 2023 136 Finland 63 3 733 000 Visit Finland, July 2023-Jun 2024; projected 2024 137 Uruguay 62 3 840 000 UNWTO, 2023 138 Cyprus 61 3 850 000 UNWTO, 2023 139 Slovenia 60 3 940 000 UNWTO, 2022 140 Iraq 59 3 975 000 Kurdistan Tourism Board, 2023; World Travel & Tourism Council, 2023 141 Andorra 4 050 000 UNWTO, 2023 Qatar 57 4 050 000 UNWTO, 2023 143 Georgia 56 4 670 000 UNWTO, 2023 144 Philippines 55 5 000 000 UNWTO, 2023 145 Singapore 54 5 340 000 UNWTO, 2022 146 Jordan 53 5 350 000 UNWTO, 2023 147 Cambodia 52 5 450 000 UNWTO, 2023 148 Belarus 51 5 510 960 National Statistics Committee of Belarus, 2023 149 Bahrain 50 5 560 000 UNWTO, 2023 150 Colombia 49 5 630 000 UNWTO, 2023 151 Iran 48 5 870 000 UNWTO, 2023 152 Brazil 47 5 910 000 UNWTO, 2023 153 Ireland 46 6 300 000 UNWTO, 2023 154 Taiwan 45 6 490 000 UNWTO, 2023 155 Uzbekistan 44 6 630 000 UNWTO, 2023 156 Vatican 43 7 000 000 Travel and Tour World, 2023 157 Australia 42 7 190 000 UNWTO, 2023 158 Argentina 41 7 290 000 UNWTO, 2023 159 Sweden 40 7 530 000 UNWTO, 2013 160 Norway 39 7 694 000 Statistisk sentralbyrå, Jan-Sept, 2024; projected, 2024 161 Denmark 38 7 935 334 Statistikbanken, 2023; Visit Denmark, 2023 162 Dominican Republic 37 8 060 000 UNWTO, 2023 163 South Africa 36 8 480 000 UNWTO, 2023 164 Belgium 35 8 709 000 UNWTO, 2022; adjusted for tourism receipts, 2023 165 Kazakhstan 34 9 200 000 Kazinform, 2023 166 India 33 9 240 000 Press Information Bureau, Government of India, 2023 167 Tunisia 32 9 370 000 UNWTO, 2023 168 Czechia 31 9 500 000 Tourism Review, 2023 169 Albania 30 9 670 000 UNWTO, 2023 170 Switzerland 29 10 917 000 UNWTO, 2022; adjusted for tourism recipts, 2023 171 South Korea 28 11 030 000 UNWTO, 2023 172 Indonesia 27 11 680 000 Statistics Indonesia, 2023 173 Vietnam 26 12 600 000 UNWTO, 2023 174 Bulgaria 25 12 627 547 National Statistical Institute, 2023 175 Hungary 24 12 930 000 UNWTO, 2023 176 Morocco 23 14 520 000 UNWTO, 2023 177 Egypt 22 14 910 000 UNWTO, 2023 178 Croatia  21 16 855 000 Croatia Statistical Office, 2023 179 Canada 20 18 340 000 UNWTO, 2023 180 Poland 19 18 990 000 UNWTO, 2023 181 Malaysia 18 20 140 000 UNWTO, 2023 182 Netherlands 17 20 300 000 UNWTO, 2023 183 Japan 16 25 070 000 UNWTO, 2023 184 Portugal 15 26 540 000 UNWTO, 2023 185 Saudi Arabia 14 27 420 000 UNWTO, 2023 186 Thailand 28 150 000 UNWTO, 2023 United Arab Emirates 12 28 150 000 UNWTO, 2023 188 China 11 29 578 000 National Immigration Administration (NIA), Jan-Jul 2024; projected, 2024 (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) 189 Austria 10 30 910 000 UNWTO, 2023 190 Greece 9 32 740 000 UNWTO, 2023 191 Germany 8 34 800 000 UNWTO, 2023 192 United Kingdom 7 37 220 000 UNWTO, 2023 193 Mexico 6 41 950 000 UNWTO, 2023 194 Türkiye 5 55 160 000 UNWTO, 2023 195 Italy 4 57 250 000 UNWTO, 2023 196 United States of America 3 66 480 000 UNWTO, 2023 197 Spain 2 85 170 000 UNWTO, 2023 198 France 1 100 000 000 UNWTO, 2023 Link to pdf with sources:

Garfors’s been interviewed and quoted for various reasons by media from a range of countries, and he has written some freelance articles too. Here is a selection of links to articles, interviews, etc. on radio, tv and in newspapers and magazines. Most deal with travelling or his books, others are related to his work with NRK, IDAG or NMTV. 2019 December 23: Julefri, NRK P1, Norway December 10: Aftenposten, Norway December 1: Vi , Norway November 30: Nettavisen , Norway November 30: Firda , Norway November 29: Firdaposten , Norway November 29: The Guardian , Norway November 27: Hardanger Folkeblad, Norway November 23: The Guardian , UK November 22: VG , Norway November 21: Vi , Norway November 16: Vi , Norway October 17: God morgon Noreg, TV 2, Norway October 16: Aftenposten, Norway October 12: Bok365 , Norway September 29: Bergens Tidende, Norway September 27: Karakter, NRK P3, Norway September 19: Hallingdølen, Norway September 18: Aftenposten, Norway September 17: Hallingnytt, Norway September 6: ABC , Australia August 28: Aftenposten, Norway August 26: Østlands-Posten, Norway August 23: Vagabond, Norway August 22: Travel Xpo , Norway August 6: Fredriksstad Blad , Norway August 3: Budstikka, Norway July 30: Ringerikes Blad, Norway July 20: Sunnmørsposten, Norway July 20: Aftenposten, Norway July 18: Sogn Avis, Norway July 11: Akershus Amtstidende Pluss, Norway July 10: Nettavisen, Norway July 4: Dagbladet , Norway July 2: Sunnmørsposten, Norway June 27: Vi, Sweden June 26: Ferievikarene, P1+, Norway June 22: Framtida , Norway June 15: Nettavisen , Norway June 12: Bok 365 , Norway June 12: Dagen, Norway June 11: Magma , Norway June 4: Fedrelandsvennen , Norway May 28: Sogn Avis, Norway May 28: Nynorskbok , Norway May 26: NRK , Norway May 24: Klassekampen, Norway May 15: Magasinet Reiselyst, Norway May 15: Sogn Avis, Norway May 7: Debatten , NRK1, Norway May 4: Vekeslutt , NRK P1, Norway May 4: NRK.no , Norway April 27: Klassekampen, Norway April 26: Conde Nast Traveler , USA April 25: Procne , Czechia April 25: VG, Norway April 25: Aftenposten, Norway April 25: Bergensavisen April 25: Helgelendingen, Norway April 25: Sunnmørsposten, Norway April 24: VG , Norway April 24: Sunnmørsposten , NRK April 18: Magasinet Reiselyst, Norway April 7: KK , Norway April 6: VG, Norway April 3: Bok 365 , Norway February 1: Idnes , Czechia January 30: Digi , Norway January 16: Viagem , Brazil January 15: Ettermiddagen på mP3, NRK, Norway January 15: NRK Østlandssendingen, NRK, Norway January 10: Underhaldningsavdelinga tek kvelden, NRK P1, Norway January 8: Bergens Tidende , Norway January 1: The Guardian , UK 2018 December 19: God morgon, Noreg, TV 2, Norway December 19: Holm, NRK P1+, Norway December 17: Dagsrevyen , NRK, Norway December 17: VG (paper version), Norway December 16: VG , Norway December 16: NRK , Norway December 8: NRK , Norway October 19: “Generasjonspanelet” på Holm, NRK P1+, Norway October 18: Underhaldningsavdelinga tek kvelden , NRK P1, Norway September 20: Noregsglaset, NRK P1, Norway September 19: MSN , Norway September 16: TV 2 , Norway September 13: God morgon Noreg , TV 2, Norway September 6: God morgon Noreg, TV 2, Norway September 5: The Telegraph , UK September 2: The Guardian , UK August 8: Radio.nl , Netherlands August 7: Spreek Buis , Netherlands July 22: The Guardian , Norway July 19: Nettavisen , Norway July 17: TV 2 , Norway July 9: NRK , Norway June 23: Aftenposten , Norway June 15: TV 2 , Norway April 27: Lokalradio , Norway April 22: NRK Dagsnytt , Norway April 6: VG , Norway February 14: Aftenposten , Norway February 6: Standby Nordic , Norway February 4: NRK , Norway February 4: VG , Norway February 2, Novinky , Czechia January 4: Vi over 60 , Norway 2017 December 30: Travel Blogs and More , USA December 29: Dinside , Norway December 8: Vi over 60 , Norway October 3: Vi over 60 , Norway September 15: Nyhetsettermiddag, NRK P2, Norway September 12: Economy , Bulgaria September 11: Aftenposten , Norway September 6: Bergens Tidende , Norway July 8: Dagsavisen , Norway July 8: ABC Nyheter , Norway July 5: Thrillist , USA July 5: Dagbladet , Norway July 5: Bergens Tidende , Norway July 4: Aftenposten , Norway June 29: Traveller , Australia June 28: Motivational 101 May 31: AD , The Netherlands May 30: NRK Sogn og Fjordane , Norway May 30: Sandefjords blad , Norway May 30: Divergent , Norway May 30: Ettermiddagssendinga, NRK Sogn og Fjordane, Norway May 30: Nyheitsmorgon, NRK P2, Norway May 26: WIC , Caribbean May 23: Aftenposten , Norway May 16: Huffington Post , USA May 16: Expedition Everywhere , Denmark May 2: Power FM , South Africa May 1: Andy Leve , South Africa April 28: Dünyanın Yerlisi , Turkey April 27: NRK P13: Ettermiddag på P13, Norway April 24: Tripabouts April 24: Sin Mordaza , Argentina April 20: La Nacion , Argentina April 18: Bergens Tidende , Norway April 12: Saudi Gazette , Saudi Arabia March 23: The Guardian , UK March 22: Press Connects , USA March 1: Curly Tales , India February 22: Malaysia Outlook , Malaysia February 13: Aftenposten , Norway Fevruary 7: Express , France February 1: El Pais , Uruguay January 31: Aftenposten , Norway January 30: Sin Mordaza , Argentina January 23: Din side , Norway January 11: Intriper , Argentina 2016 December 30: BravoTV December 23: Holiday Lettings December 6: Nyheitsmorgon, radio news show, NRK P2, Norway December 5: Radio World , USA November 28: Radio World , USA November 15: Divergent , Norway November 15: Hallo P3, NRK radio show, Norway November 2: Aftenposten , Norway November 2: Radio Mag , UK October 28: Korea Joongang Daily , Korea October 18: Novice , Slovenia October 18: God morgen Norge, breakfast show, TV 2, Norway October 3: Dream , Indonesia September 24: Cross , Bulgaria September 15: CNN , Indonesia September 14: Radioinfo , Australia September 14: Radioszene , Germany September 13: Eng 24 , Kyrgyzstan September 13: Digi , Norway September 12: Huffington Post , Italy September 11: The Independent , UK September 8: Trome , Portugal September 7: Guia Viajar Melhor , Brazil September 7: Distractify , USA September 4: Tripovo August 26: Watson , Switzerland August 26: Radioszene , Germany August 24: The Local , Norway August 23: FørdeBy , Norway August 23: Aftenposten , Norway August 22: mP3-morgon, radio show, NRK, Norway August 21: Reiseradioen, radio show, NRK, Norway August 22: Reiseradioen, radio show, NRK, Norway August 17: Credit Donkey , USA August 16: Hallo P3 , radio show, NRK, Norway August 14: Nyheter 24 , Sweden August 13, Economy , Bulgaria August 11: Planet , Slovenia August 5: Via Mexico , Mexico August 5: Aftenposten , Norway July 20: Reiseradioen radio show, NRK P1, Norway July 18: Din side , Norway July 11: Romania TV , Romania July 8: Eva , Vietnam July 7: Kasulik , Estonia June 28: Bit of News June 28: The Nicky Byrne Show , RTE 2FM, Ireland June 27: Counting Countries, Travel the Entire World , USA June 20: Kick Ass Trips June 19: Genk , Vietnam June 19: VietBao , Vietnam June 18: Globo , Brazil June 18: Si Viaggia , Italy June 18: Moja Norwegia , Poland June 18: Media News , Brazil June 17: NLCafe , Hungary June 16: Open Mike television talk show, Philippines June 15: Seeker , USA June 13: Checkin Story , India June 10: This is Insider , USA June 10: Check-in story , India May 31: God morgon, Noreg breakfast show, TV 2, Norway May 30: The Local , Sweden May 30: Aftenposten , Norway May 24: La Libre , Belgium May 24: DH , Belgium May 23: The Art of Adventure , Indonesia May 20: XVR , South Africa May 3: Hallo P3 Radio Show, NRK, Norway April 10: Jornal I , Portugal April 9: Sol , Portugal April 9: Putoholicari , Croatia April 8: P4s radiofrukost, NRK April 8: Nitimen, NRK, Norway April 8: N1 , Bosnia-Herzegovina March 31: Bergens Tidende , Norway March 14: NRK , Norway March 14: NRK, Kulturnytt, radio show, Norway March 14: Radiodays Europe , France March 14: Korea Herald Business , Korea March 14: Cellulare Magazine , Italy March 14: FN Times , Korea March 14: CNET , Germany March 14: Future Korea , Korea March 14: Rein Hören , Germany March 14: Emea , Greece March 14: Pathfinder , Greece March 14: Panorama Audiovisual March 14: Rozhlas , Czech Republic March 14: Kampanje , Norway March 14: Tech News Today , USA March 14: Aftenposten , Norway March 14: The Financial March 14: Broadband TV News March 14: International Business Times , India March 14: Android Authority March 14: Who Wired , Korea March 14: Slash Gear March 14: International Business Times , Australia March 14: Teknisk Vekeblad , Norway March 14: Dealerscope March 14: Broadcaster Magazine , Canada March 6: TV 2 , Norway March 5: Sohu , China March 2: India Times , India March 1: Scoop Whoop , India March 1: Travelling Tom , UK February 26: Cunoaste Lumea , Romania February 20: The Peninsula , Qatar February 16: Geo TV , Pakistan February 13: 3AW693 , A Moveable Feast, Australia February 12 7sur7 , Belgium February 4: Momondo , UK January 29: MSN , France January 28: Nacio Digital , Spain January 28: 24 Sata , Hungary January 27: Blic , Serbia January 26: Terrafemina , France January 26: NL Cafe , Hungary January 25: Flowers Between Pages , Thailand January 25: Dan Tri , Vietnam January 25: Cadena Ser , Serrbia January 21: Bergens Tidende , Norway January 16: Scandinavian Traveler January 13: Dagbladet , Norway January 12: NRK P3, Hallo P3, Norway January 8: NRK P1, Nitimen, Norway January 8: NRK P13, Birte, Norway January 7: Radio24syv , Denmark January 7: Aftenposten , Norway January 2: Dagbladet , Norway 2015 December 15: List for Life December 10: Life Athletics , Bali December 4: Aftenposten , Norway November 23: Kaixian , China November 19: Scandinavian Traveler , Norway November 13: Chaos and Travel November 11: Turismo , Brazil November 10: Telegraph , UK November 5: Onedio . Turkey November 2: TSF , Portugal October 28: Monitorulcj , Romania October 27: Turkmen radio , Prague October 26: The Guardian , UK October 26: Time ResQ , Portugal October 25: List for Life October 8: Korea.net , Korea October 8: Uzakrota , Turkey October 8: National Geographic , Poland October 7: Life Hacker , USA October 6: WestCa , China October 5: Ziarul de iasi , Romania October 5: Kaixian , Taiwan October 5: Record China , Japan October 5: KMIB , Korea October 5: Herald Corp , Korea October 5: Gandul , Romania October 2: Koran Kaltim, Indonesia October 2: Detik Travel October 2: Expressen , Sweden October 2: Los 2 Orillas , Colombia October 2: The Objective , Spain October 1: South Coast Today , USA October 1: UDN , China October 1: Business Insider , USA October 1: Dantri , Vietnam October 1: Epoch Times October 1: Ziare , Romania October 1: Money , Romania September 30: Index , Croatia September 30: Montevideo Portal , Uruguay September 30: Sputnik News September 30: Caribbean 360 September 30: CW , Taiwan September 30: Huanqiu , China September 29: Noticias Caracol , Colombia September 29: Onet , Poland September 29: Good Housekeeping , UK September 29: Daily Mail , UK September 29: Natemat , Poland September 29: Informe21 , Venezuela September 29: Noticia al Dia , Venezuela September 29: Huffington Post , Korea September 29: Tilestwra , Greece September 28: Tiempo , Honduras September 28: TEEPR , Taiwan September 28: Expressen , Sweden September 28: ABC , Spain September 28: EVZ , Romania September 28: Newsbeast , Greece September 26: Observador , Portugal September 26: Men’s XP , India September 25: Joe , Ireland September 25: Iceland Review , Iceland September 25: Pulse , Nigeria September 25: 24 , Kyrgyzstan September 25: Mediafax , Romania September 25: Vocea Transilvaniei , Romania September 25: BT , Denmark September 25: Fanatik , Romania September 25: Realitatea , Romania September 25: Bao Victoria , Australia September 25: Independent , UK September 25: Tribuna da Bahia , Brazil September 25: Sol , Portugal September 25: Correio , Brazil September 25: Ziua News , Romania September 25: NTDTV , Taiwan September 24: Telegraph , UK September 24: Thrillist , USA September 23: Business Insider , USA September 22: PR Newswire , USA September 21: VG , Norway September 21: Aftenposten , Norway September 21: ABC Nyheter , Norway September 21: Firda , Norway September 18: Business Insider , USA September: Sohu , China September 15: God Morgon Noreg, TV 2, Norway September 11: VG , Norway September 4: Life Hacker , Japan September 3: Business Insider , USA September 3: El Viajero Fisgon , Spain September 1: VGTV , Norway August 31: Tinhte , Vietnam August 31: VGTV , Norway August 31: Poslovni dnevnik , Hungary August 31: Design Taxi , USA August 31: Metro , Belgium August 31: Life Hacker , Australia August 29: The Hindu , India August 29: Catraca Livre , Brazil August 28: Mega Curioso , Brazil August 27: Folha de Sao Paulo , Brazil August 27: Novinky , Czech Republic August 26: Techly , Australia August 26: Travelo , Hungary August 25: Life Hacker , US August 25: Yahoo! , USA August 25: Business Insider , US August 25: P3, Norway August 25: Glamour , Netherlands August 24: One Magazine , Spain August 24: Hot Copas August 24: El Sol , Bolivia August 23: Courrier , Japan August 23: Yeni Safak , Turkey August 22: BBC World Service (starts after 43 minutes), UK August 22: Vakaru Ekspresas , Latvia August 22: Die Welt Weekend , Germany August 21: The Express , UK August 21: Viajestic August 21: Curiosone , Italy August 21: Hannoversche Allgemeine , Germany August 20: Walla , Israel August 20: Traveltimes , Vietnam August 20: La Stampa , Italy August 20: Cajing , China August 19: List for Life August 19: NPO Radio 1 , Netherlands August 19: RT , Spain August 19: Firda , Norway August 18: Radio Panamericana August 18: Aftenposten , Norway August 18: Bergens Tidende , Norway August 18: Popsugar , USA August 18: Lenta , Russia August 18: Turgid , Latvia August 18: Kasulik , Estonia August 17: Inquietaria , Brazil August 17: Cribeo , Spain August 17: Upsocl August 17: Berliner Kurier , Germany August 17: Hamburger Morgenpost , Germany August 16: Ifeng , Hong Kong August 16: Zing , Vietnam August 15: Sunrise on 7 , Australia August 15: Huffington Post , Greece August 15: Merdeka , Indonesia August 15: Viet Times , Australia August 14: Panda Guides , China August 14: Kölner Stadt-Unzeiger , Germany August 14: Rundschau , Germany August 14: Die Welt , Germany August 14: L’essentiel , Luxembourg August 14: Frankfurter Rundschau , Germany August 14: Huffington Post Live (in headlines and after 28 minutes – or here ), USA August 14: Portal , Faroe Islands August 13: Free Astrology 123 , USA August 13: 20 Minutes , Switzerland August 13: Aftenposten , Norway August 13: Independent , UK August 13: Nieuwsblad , Belgium August 13: Serambi , Indonesia August 13: Der Bund , Switzerland August 13: Zing , Vietnam August 13: Nök Lapja Café , Hungary August 12: Travel + Leisure August 12: Tribun News , Indonesia August 12: TV Bamargera August 12: Huffington Post , Italy August 12: Busan English Radio Broadcasting, South Korea August 12: Ryot , USA August 12: Metro , Netherlands August 12: Reshareit August 12: MNews , South Korea August 12: Mako , Israel August 12: Ngoisao , Vietnam August 12: Economy , Bulgaria August 12: Tripoto August 11: 610 CKTB Niagara Falls, Canada August 11: Design Taxi , USA August 11: Nomades Digitais August 11: Noticiad au Minuto August 11: Metro , UK August 11: Sol , Portugal August 11: NewsEveryDay.com August 11: Kompas , Indonesia August 11: Banjarmasin Post , Indonesia August 11, Naver , South Korea August 11: Alta Vita , Greece August 11: Expresso Das Ilhas , Cape Verde August 11: The Anton Savage Show , Today FM, Ireland August 11: News , Australia August 11: Setn , China August 10: Nettavisen , Norway August 10: Adevarul , Romania August 10: In , Greece August 10: Via Empresa , Spain August 10: Aktuálne , Czech Republic August 10: CTV , Canada August 10: Radikal , Turkey August 10: Gundem Kibris , Turkey August 10: BuzzFeed , USA August 10: Tilestwra , Greece August 10: WGN9 News , USA August 9: NRK , Norway August 9: Unilad , UK August 9: Viva , Indonesia August 8: Bro Bible , USA August 8: Meek Hao , Thailand August 8: Berita Satu , Indonesia August 7: Tiempo de San Juan , USA August 7: The LAD bible , UK August 7: Offline , Hungary August 7: Dan Tri , Vietnam August 7: Insight , Korea August 7: Jornal i , Portugal August 7: Refresher , Slovakia August 7: Extra Bladet , Denmark August 7: On , China August 7: Huanqui , China August 7: Apple , China August 7: Buka , Bosnia and Hercegovina August 7: Spletnik , Russia August 7: Heute , Austria August 7: Globo , Brazil August 7: Nettavisen , Norway August 7: Radio Zet , Poland August 7: Sapo , Portugal August 7: ABC , Spain August 7: UOL , Brazil August 7: Protothema , Greece August 6: Daily Mail , UK August 6: Hir 24 , Hungary August 6: Libertatea , Romania August 6: Elite Daily , USA August 6: FOX News , USA August 6: Business Magazin , Romania August 6: Travel Times , Vietnam August 6: Stirile Pro TV , Romania August 5: Romania Liberia , Romania August 5: Zink , Hungary August 5: VNExpress , Vietnam August 5: Iefimerida , Greece August 5: Business Insider , Australia August 4: Business Insider , UK August 4: Business Insider , USA July 18: TeenProblem , Russia July 15: Pernambuco , Brazil July 15: Maailmanmatkaajat (Global Explorers Finland), Finland July 15: Die Presse , Germany July 15: NRK , Norway July 14: TV24 , Poland July 14: NRK , Norway July 13: Gabriel Quer Viajar , Brazil July 12: Polityka , Poland July 10: Oust France , France July 8: Business Insider , USA July 6: Online.no , Norway July 4: TV 2 , Norway July 3: Her og nå, NRK P1, Norway June 18: Aftenposten , Norway June 13: Che Donna , Italy June 9: Firda, Norway June 8: Firda, Norway May 21: Reiseskolen , TV 2, Norway May 6: Adresseavisen, Norway April 10: P4, P4s radiofrokost radio show, Norway April 7: Aftenposten , Norway March 31: Verrekijkers , Belgium February 4: Aftenposten , Norway January 27: Kvinneguiden , Norway January 1: Tin Tuc , Vietnam 2014 December 20: Mail & Guardian Africa , Kenya November 28: Quo , Spain November 27: VNExpress , Vietnam November 21: Sud Oest , France November 19, Le Matin ,Switzerland November 19: Le Point , France November 17: Firda , Norway November 11: Liputan 6 , Malaysia November 10: Recordsetter , USA November 4: Yuedu , China November 3: Tanhnien , Vietnam November 3: Wow Keren , Indonesia November 3: Radio World , USA November 3: Hot News , Romania November 2: Kenh14 , Vietnam November 1: Auto Evolution , USA October 31: Oddity Central , Romania October 31: ABC Nyheter , Norway October 30: Avisa Hordaland, Norway October 15: SZ News , China October 13: Vi Menn, Norway October 7: Vårt Land , Norway October 6: Merdeka , Indonesia October 6: Fronteras , Spain October 4: Correio do Estado , Brazil October 3: Portal AZ , Brazil October 3: Globo , Brazil October 3: DOGO , USA October 2: Fylkesmagasinet , Norway October 2: Kvinneguiden , Norway October 2: Yahoo , Singapore October 1: Heute , Austria October 1: Dan tri , Vietnam September 30: Travelbook , Germany September 29: Mapping Megan , USA September 29: Svet , Serbia September 28: Nguoi Viet , Vietnam September 28: Press Online , Serbia September 28: B92 , Serbia September 28: S Media , Serbia September 26: Peru 21 , Peru September 26: Direct Matin , France September 26: Newsbeast , Greece September 26: TPortal , Croatia September 26: Kanal A, TV show, Slovenia September 26: Kyiv Post , Ukraine September 25: Taemeer News , India September 25: XJBS , China September 25: wPolityce , Poland September 25: Liechtensteiner Vaterland , Liechtenstein September 25: Times of India , India September 25: The Asian Age , India September 25: Dagbladet, Norway September 24: RTV ,Slovenia September 24: Primeira Hora , Brazil September 24: The Atlantic , USA September 24: Thrillist , USA September 24: Deccan Herald , India September 24: Yahoo! , USA September 24: Huffington Post , France September 24: Klix , Bosnia and Hercegovina September 24: L’essentiel , France September 24: News Nation , India September 24: World Journal , USA/China September 24: Adevarul , Romania September 24: Epoch Times , USA/China September 24: Gridam , France September 24: Patras Events , Greece September 24: Gazetta , Greeze September 24: Blitz , Italy September 24: Delmagyar , Hungary September 24: Athens Voice , Greece September 24: Kolkata 24×7 , India September 24, Novinky , Czech Republic September 24: Economic Times , India September 24: Origo , Hungary September 24: Business Standard , India September 24: IMLebanon , Lebanon September 24: We Are Holidays , India September 24: Bengali News , India September 24: Aftenposten , Norway September 24: Fædrelandsvennen , Norway September 24: Bergens Tidende , Norway September 24: Adresseavisen , Norway September 24: New Zealand Herald , New Zealand September 24: Triple M , Australia September 23: 1clicknews , USA September 23: Metroxpress , Denmark September 23: Naslovi , Serbia September 23: World News Report , Australia September 23: MBL , Iceland September 23: Suara , Indonesia September 23: TV Net , Latvia September 23: China Times , China September 23: Preshevajone , Macedonia September 23: MA , Hungary September 23: 7sur7 , Belgium September 23: Nol , Hungary September 23: Ticinonline , Switzerland September 23: News123 , Greece September 23: 20 Minutes , Switzerland September 23: BBC News , Indonesia/UK September 23: Antenna , Greece September 23: Diacaf , Romania September 23: Citinews , Vietnam September 23: Wall Street , Romania September 23: Corriere , Italy September 23: Omaha Sun Times , USA September 23: NLD , Vietnam September 23: De Morgen , Belgium September 23: The Scan Post , Luxembourg September 23: Ghana Nation , Ghana September 23: HLN , Belgium September 23: CBS Radio (KRLD), Texas, USA September 23: Perth Now , Australia September 23: AD , the Netherlands September 23: Georgia Newsday , Georgia September 23: Traveling , the Netherlands September 23: Daily Mail , UK September 23: Jyllands-Posten , Denmark September 23: Podroze , Poland September 23: BBC World, World Update , UK September 23: News.com , Australia September 23: Elu24 , Estonia September 23: iefimerida , Greece September 23: De Redactie , Belgium September 23: Nitimen radio show, NRK, Norway September 23: Resdrömmen , Sweden September 23: Denik , Czech Republic September 22: The Telegraph , UK September 22: NRK Super , Norway September 22: The Local , Norway September 21: VG , Norway September 21: Firda , Norway September 21: ABC Nyheter , Norway September 21: Huffington Post , USA September 19: VG , Norway September 17: NRK , Norway September 16: NRK , Norway September 16: Carolines Snapshots , Norway September 16: Dagsavisen , Norway September 15: Luftig , Norway September 14: Economia Hoy , Mexico September 11: Ditt Oslo , Norway September 11: Bergensavisen, Norway September 11: Megacurioso , Brazil September 10: MyNewsDesk , Norway September 10: The Mooney Show, RTE, Ireland September 9: Tanum magazine , Norway September 2: Kvinneguiden , Norway August 28, Reiselyst, Norway August 20: God morgon Noreg, TV 2, Norway August 18: Smånytt, Norway August 15: Radio Folgefonn, Norway August 14: Framtida , Norway August 8: Adressa , Norway August 6: Quo , Spain August 1: Aftenposten , Norway August 1: Klar tale , Norway July 25: Radio World , UK July 25: ABC Nyheter , Norway July 21: Aftenposten , Norway July 19: Firda (paper version), Norway July 19: Demokraten (paper version), Norway July 18: Haugesund Avis (paper version), Norway July 18: Stavanger Aftenblad (paper version), Norway July 18: Helgeland Arbeiderblad (paper version), Norway July 18: Sunnmørsposten (paper version), Norway July 10: Kvinneguiden , Norway July 4: Online.no , Norway July 3: TV 2 , Norway July 2: NRK , Norway July: Radioworld , UK June 17: Online.no , Norway June 17: Kvinneguiden , Norway June 10: Kvinneguiden , Norway June 2: Kvinneguiden , Norway May 24: Firdaposten , Norway May 9: NRK , Norway May 9: Aftenposten , Norway May 9: Dagbladet , Norway May 8: Dagbladet , Norway May 7: VG , Norway May 7: Bergens Tidende , Norway May 7: NRK , Norway May 7: Firda , Norway April 22: Firda (paper version), Norway March 30, You , South Africa March 28: Travel + Escape , Canada. March 26: 24H , Vietnam. March 26: Epoch Times , China. March 25: NTDTV , China. March 25: Jorden runt , Sweden March 25: Wow Keren , Indonesia. March 25: Detik , Indonesia. March 24: Shenzhen Daily , China March 24: Expressen , Sweden March 24: Bournemouth Daily Echo , UK. March 23: The Globe Journal , Indonesia. March 23: Okezone , Indonesia. March 22: Jagran Post , India. March 22: France TV Info , France. March 21: The Daily Mail , UK. March 21: Afriquinfos , Spain. March 21: Huffington Post , Canada. March 21: Tidenes morgen, radio show on NRK P13, Norway. March 21: Aftenposten , NRK. March 20: Yahoo , UK March 20: International Business Times , UK. March 20: NRK News 24, radio station, Norway. March 19: NRK Sogn og Fjordane, radio show, Norway. March 19: NRK Sogn og Fjordane , Norway. March 19: P4 , Norway March 19: Firda , Norway. March 18: Guinness World Records , UK. March 17: NRK Sogn og Fjordane, radio show, Norway. March 13: VG , Norway. March 7: Du Lich , Vietnam. March 4: NRK Østafjells , Norway. March 4: Forbes , Poland. March 1: There She Goes , magazine, UK. February 26: Nordland i dag , NRK Nordland, Norway. February 11: Informe21 , Chile. February 11: Latercera , Chile. February 1: Stavanger Aftenblad, Norway. January: The Oberoi , hotel magazine, India. 2013 December 11: Aftenposten , Norway. November 20: Dagbladet , Norway. November 17: Aftenposten , Norway. November 4: Noo , Brazil. October: 11: Radio Assistant , Norway. October 6: 365 Destinations , Portugal. October 4: Distriktsnytt, Sør-Trøndelag, radio show, NRK P1, Norway. October 2: Skumma Kultur , radio show, Radio Nova, Norway. October 1: Ansanytt , Norway. September 30: Ekko , radio show, NRK P2, Norway September 20: Yupi , Macedonia. September 16: Ziarul de iasi , Romania September 15: Verre Kijkers , Belgium. September 15: Incont , Romania. September 11: Peika , Bulgaria. September 11: Lide a Zeme , Czech Republic. September 8: ZF , Romania. September 7: Money , Romania. September 6: Fin fredag , children’s TV program, NRK Super, Norway. September 4: Knack , Belgium. September 4: Expert , Bulgaria. September 3: People of Change , Brazil. September 2: Antidotul Angry News , Romania. September 2: B92 , Serbia. September 2: Dnevnik , Slovenia. September 2: Danas , Croatia. September 2: Depo Portal , Bosnia Herzegovina. September 2: Index , Croatia. September 2: HN Online , Slovakia. August 24: Wall-Street , Romania. August 22: Stuff , New Zealand. August 21: Express , Belgium. August 20: Nitimen , radio show, NRK P1, Norway. August 15: Romania Libera , Romania. August 9: Anaya Touring , travel blog, Spain. July 5: Sommaropent , TV talk show, NRK1, Norway. July 5: Radioselskapet , radio show, NRK P2, Norway. June 23: Delas , Brazil. June 20: Romania Libera , Romania. June 19: Off , Macedonia. June 13: El Imparical , Spain. June 8: Allimevoy , Spain. June 7: Afghan Scene , Afghanistan. June 7: Nosabesnada , Spain. June 5: Express , Belgium. June 5: O Net , Poland. June 5: TimeTV , Romania. June 5: Vårt land, newspaper, Norway. June 4: Quo , Spain. June 3: Gabriel Quer Viajar , Brazil. May 31: Se og hør , celebrity magazine, Norway. May 27: God ettermiddag Sogn og Fjordane, radio show, NRK P1, Norway. May 25: VG , Norway. May 25: Romsdals Budstikke, Norway. May 22: Avisa Nordland , Norway. May 21: Fremover , Norway. May 16: VG , Norway. May 16: Morgunbladid , Iceland. May 13: Her og nå, current affairs radio program, NRK P1, Norway. May 13: Fjordingen, Norway. May 10: Annie Othen , BBC, UK. May 10: TV 2 , Norway. May 10: D2 , Dagens Næringsliv, Norway. May 9: Dagsrevyen , NRK, Norway. May 9: Bergensavisen , Norway. May 9: Firda , Norway. May 9: NRK Sogn og Fjordane , Norway. May 9: Nitimen, radio show, NRK P1, Norway. May 8: Sytten Tretti, radio show, P4, Norway. May 8: Nitimen, radio show, NRK P1, Norway. May 8: Morgonnytt, morning TV news, NRK1, Norway. May 8: Nyheitsmorgon, morning radio show, NRK P2, Norway. May 7: Anne-Kat Show, TV Norge, Norway. May 7: Norgesglasset , radio show, NRK P1, Norway. May 6: Radio Assistant , Norway. May 3: P3morgen , NRK P3, Norway. May 3: P3morgen, radio show, NRK P3, Norway. April 24: Los Originales, RCN Radio , Colombia. April 23: Ettermiddagen, afternoon show, TV 2, Norway. April 17: Pune Mirror , India. April 11: TV 2 , Norway. April 11: God Morgen Norge, breakfast show, TV 2, Norway. April 8: Boston Herald , USA. April 4: The Star , Canada. April 2: Sohu , China. April 2: Trip , Estonia. April 2: TV 2 , Norway. April 2: Zagat , USA. March 14: NRK , Norway. March 13: FBI, NRK, Norway. The post on the 25 least visited countries went viral in the spring of 2013. 2012 Continent Run, the trip to five continents in just one day in June 2012 received quite a lot of international coverage . 2011 November 2: Techno , UK. March 21: Digi , Norway. January 29: Mobilen , Norway. 2010 December 7: Radio Assistant , Norway. March 16: Elektronikkbransjen , Norway. 2009 December 14: Broadband TV News , UK. May 22: Obozrevatel , Ukraine. May 21: Informador , Mexico May 18: Broadband TV News , UK. May 15: Aftenposten , Norway. May 14: Jeonpa , Korea. January 14, VG , Norway. January 13: Aftenposten , Norway. 2008 August 18: VG , Norway. 2007 June 29: Dagbladet , Norway. #PR #newspapers #GunnarGarfors #Garforsinthemedia #travelPR #press #media #TV

Yes, that’s it. The world’s least visited country. I once ran around it . I first wrote about the world’s 25 least visited countries in 2013 , and the post has has been read millions of times. It has also been translated to several languages, republished in many countries, rewritten and plagerised. Two years have passed, and it is time for an update of what I consider the ultimate traveller’s bucket list.  New figures! World’s Least-Touristy Countries 2018 Perhaps narrowly beaten by visiting all the 198 countries in the world (I coincidentally just published “198” – my book about how I ran out of countries – in English ).  Written by:  Gunnar Garfors  who  visited every country , set seven travel world records. On Instagram: @garfors / Twitter:  @garfors . Why countries are less visited varies, but location, travel related logistics, costs, visa availability, governements or lack thereof and degree of war usually matters. Figures on international visitors are often sparse for the least visited countries, quite a few of them lack tourism offices or governmental agencies that usually report such numbers.  UNWTO , World Tourism Organization and the UN , have rather comprehensive overviews, but several countries have not contributed with official numbers. I have therefore, as in 2013, had to look elsewhere. I have used news reports, passenger numbers from airports and spoken to tourist agencies. Tourist numbers can in any case never be totally accurate as various countries count tourists differently. Some do for instance count tourists arriving by plane, others track those that stay in hotels. And there are always some people that claim to be tourists, simply to avoid the extra bureaucracy that may come with travelling on business.  In 2013, country number 25 was Dominica with 73,000 tourists. And do you know what? Dominica is still number 25, sort of. Two countries are tied for number 25 this time around, with 78,000 tourists each. That means that you will get 26 countries for the price of 25.  What a bonus.  78,000 might sound like a lot, but it is only just over 200 visitors a day. In an entire country. Not really anything to bet your economy on. You may also be surprised to learn that North Korea is no longer among the 25 countries, with approximately 270,000 international tourists a year ( most of them are Chinese ).   25. (tie) Dominica: 78,000 tourists ( previous list : 25th) Why so few? The village of Atkinson inside Mango Hole Bay, Dominica. A lack of tourists is one of the reasons why this is my favourite Caribbean country. The two airports here cannot take down anything bigger than commercial propeller aircraft, so most people will have to go to some transit trouble to get there. Unless they have a small private jet, of course. Why still visit? You can’t really go wrong visiting a place nicknamed “The Nature Island of the Caribbean”. The diverse and fantastic flora and fauna are protected by a number of natural parks, all accessible to you. Do also expect volcanic peaks and Boiling Lake . It is the second-largest hot spring in the world, only beaten by Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand. What else? Rumours have that the lack of mainstream tourism makes Dominica one of the favourite hot spots for a number of American celebrities. Don’t be surprised if Brad Pitt says hi in Pagua Bay Bar & Grill. Then again, you might prefer to meet his wife instead. Source: UNWTO, 2013 25. (tie) East Timor: 78,000 tourists (18th)  Why so few? Creative Commons licenced by yeowatzup . I bet you do not even know which continent it’s in. East Timor is not very well connected to the rest of the world, and you have probably never even heard about any of the airlines that fly there. Why still visit? The diving is absolutely world-class! And you can stay in luxury hotels elsewhere. I slept in a windowless shed. With a hyperactive rooster nearby. What else? You will get your visa on arrival in the airport. Nice and easy. And do not overlook the opportunity to go by mikrolet, or minibus, at least once. They are the veins of the country and go virtually everywhere. Just don’t expect them to be on time. Source: UNWTO, 2013. 23. (tie) Central African Republic: 71,000 (23th) Why so few? Creative Commons licenced by hdtpcar . There is a civil war going on, and religious cleansing has occured on numerous occasions the last few years. It doesn’t help that the government, or what is left of it, is weak or that rebel groups are known to randomly attack the international airport in Bangui. Why still visit? Pygmy communities are not found in many places in the world, and here you may stay in pygme villages. Combine that with a trip to Dzanga Sangha Special Reserve, complete with shy forest elephants, mountain gorillas and other wildlife, and you will have a trip of a lifetime. What else? It is an advantage to speak French when visiting the landlocked country. And do not photograph large groups of angry people without asking permission (then again, which of the mad men do you approach to ask?). I did, and I was very nearly lynched. Source: UN, 2012 23. (tie) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 71,000 (new) Why so few? It is the second longest country name in the world and most people can’t even remember half of it. Then again, the country with the longest name is doing just fine, tourism wise. I proudly introduce The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is no surprise, then, that the countries share a colonial history. Why still visit? Venture outside Kingstown, the capital, and you will experience a very green and diverse country. You ought to hurry, though. A new airport is being built, and tourism numbers are expected to rise. What else? Do not forget  Vincy Mas , the carnival in late June and early July. You should not be surprised to find yourself surrounded by a lot of partying people, given its slogan: “Hottest Carnival in Caribbean”. And of course the Pirates of the Caribbean films, starring Johnny Depp, were primarily filmed here. I might also add that the country has a primarily banana based economy. It’s not a republic though, so save your jokes. Source: UN, 2014  22. Djibouti: 63,000 (21st) Why so few? You mean you actually know where this country is? A lot of French soldiers certainly do, they are based there and fill up the town every weekend. Expect indecent proposals on town. Why still visit? Albeit extremelly dry, the three regions of the country are diverse and worth a visit. Go scuba diving from the coastal plain and enjoy trips to the volcanic plateaus in the central and southern parts of the country and the mountain ranges in the north. What else? This is one hot part of the world. Bring sun protection! You might also want to go swimming just outside the entrance to the Red Sea to cool down or to visit Lake Assal which is 157 meters below sea level, and Africa’s lowest point.  The very dry country was used as “The Forbidden Zone” in Planet of the Apes. Djibouti is the easiest point from which to enter Somaliland, a state within Somalia. Source: UN, 2013 21. Liechtenstein: 60,000 (22nd) Why so few? There is a hell of a lot more action in both Austria and Switzerland, the two only neighbouring countries. Liechtenstein is tiny, and there is virtually nothing going on there at night. Why still visit? The mountainous scenery is truly fantastic! This is, after all, in the Alps, and we are talking about one of only two double landlocked countries in the world. Guess which one is the other. A hint? It is 2,806 times bigger. What else? Liechtenstein is the world’s biggest producer of false teeth. Didn’t you always want to know? Source: UNWTO, 2013 20. Guinea: 56,000 (new) Why so few? The sunset from Conakry isn’t all bad. The infrastructure in this beautiful and lush country is not quite up to speed, although several international airlines actually fly to Conakry, the capital. Recent ebola outbreaks didn’t exactly do the country any favours, either. Why still visit? The sunset experienced on the beaches is second to none. You might in particular want to experience it on weekends when loads of locals enjoy barbequed fish or meat and big brown bottles of Guiluxe, the local beer. What else? You are likely to experience heart-warming hospitality. Leave your shyness at home. Or drink a few Guiuluxe to combat it. People will approach and talk to you. Your expected response is a smile. Source: UN, 2013 19. Tonga: 45,000 (19th) Why so few?  It is one of the very last absolute monarchies in the world. And very few people can neither spell Nuku’alofa, the capital, nor Fua’amotu, the international airport, so buying a ticket may be tricky. Opening a door may be too. To some people. Why still visit? The people in the Pacific are renowned for their hospitality. That is of course great in itself, but even better when you know that the Tongans love their feasts with massive barbeques, drinking and dancing. What else? One of the most unreal, secluded and beautiful beaches I have ever visited is in Tonga. Where exactly? Well, you might find out if you read “198” – my book on my visits to every country in the world . Read more:  Tonga is best explored on two wheels . Source: UN, 2013 18. Sierra Leone: 44,000 (20th) Why so few? There are three realistic options getting from the only international airport to Freetown, the capital. They all include a boat on rough seas, and the risk of transforming your breakfast into fish feed. Why still visit? The Land of the Mountain Lions will appeal to all your senses with an incredible diversity and an unmatched scenery. The temperature is pretty perfect too, it is rarely below 24 or above 30 degrees Celcius. What else? They speak English in Sierra Leone, so you will get by easily. Its colonial past helps explain place names such as Waterloo, Man of War Bay, Pirate Bay, New England and Destruction Bay. Do note that this is the second country on this list to have had recent ebola outbreaks. Read more: Land of the Mountain Lions . Source: UN, 2014 16. (tie) Federated States of Micronesia: 35,000 (12th) Why so few? The country is often confused with Micronesia – the subregion of Oceania which also includes Nauru, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Palau. And only United’s Island Hopper service and Nauru’s Our Airline will fly you to the country. Why still visit? Micronesia will blow your mind away when it comes to diving and surfing. There is a surfcamp in Pohnpei. Don’t expect a crowd. Divers will have a field day, especially in the state of Yap, where there are dozens and dozens of diveable wreckages from WWII. What else? The number of tourists seem rather low, but keep in mind that there are only slightly over 100,000 inhabitants there. Visitors that count for 35 percent of the population is still a bit. Then again, there is enough mouth-watering seafood for everyone. The country does after all encompass as many as 607 islands. Source: UN, 2014 16. (tie) Mauritania: 35,000 (13th) Why so few? 75 percent of the country is desert, and it’s spreading. Sand is more interesting than most people think, but still. Why still visit? This is photography heaven. Just check out the blogpost of Mitchell Kanashkevich . Yeah, he slightly outshoots me with his camera. What else? Credit cards are accepted vitually nowhere. I brought US dollars to pay for my goat meat in a small desert town. Some people come to the country to photograph a famous ship graveyard to the north, others take the opportunity to ride one of the longest trains in the world transporting iron ore on 200 or so cars. Jumping onto one of them is usually ok, just don’t wear a white dress. Source: UN, 2103, estimate based on tourism expenditure 15.  Solomon Islands: 24,400 (11th) Why so few? It is much less famous than neighbouring Papa New-Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and of course Australia. Why still visit? It shouldn’t be less famous at all. Visit secluded beaches, rainforests with waterfalls, volcanoes and world-class lagoons where you can experience some of the least dived spots in the world. You should also go to the outdoor fish market in capital Honiara, buy a few kinds of super fresh fish and have one of the fish mongers cut them into pieces and you have a truly incredible and unusual sashimi meal by the sea. What else? Malaria is actually a real threat here. Act accordingly. And fauna lovers are obliged to visit. There are over 230 types of tropical flowers here. Just don’t expect to find them all in one spot, the country consists of over 900 islands. Source: UNWTO, 2013 14. Liberia: 24,000 (new) Why so few? What positive news did you last hear from Liberia, again? Neither stories on civil wars or ebola outbreaks qualify. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was however elected the first female president in Africa in 2006. She was reelected 5 years later, the same year she received the Nobel Peace Prize. Why still visit? There are a lot of beaches around Monrovia, and the town of Robertsport has some of the best surfing in Africa. And do not forget to experience the ace music scene. One of the music styles is known as hip co. Expect a mixture of hip hop and Liberian English. What else? Liberia was primarily founded by freed American slaves, and the capital Monrovia is named after James Monroe. The fifth president of the USA worked hard to help establish the new African country. It may not come as much of a surprise that there is a ban on any form of slavery in the constitution. Source: UN, 2012, estimate based on tourism expenditure.  13. Comoros: 21,000 (9th) Why so few? Only 800,000 people live on the island nation, which has experienced 20 coups or attempted coups since 1975. That’s when the country gained independence from France. Why still visit? How can you resist a country with an airline called Ewa Air? Ewa means “yes” in Shikomor (Comorian). The countries offer great trekking to volcanoes, diving and sailing. And do visit the colourful markets in Moroni. What else? The African country is the world’s largest manufacturer of ylang-ylang, an oil that is used in perfume. The world smells better thanks to the Comoros. Source: African Statistical Yearbook , 2014 12. Afghanistan: 13,300 (10th) Why so few? Regular bombings, terrorist attacks and being the home turf of Taliban might have something to do with it. War zone tourism never really did catch on. Why still visit? The wild mountains, the beautiful scenery, the incredible history and the amazing people. And why not take the opportunity to try on a real burqa in one of the burqa shops. That ought to make you sympathize a little bit with burqa wearing women world-wide. What else? Just make sure that you have a visa to your next destination after Afghanistan. We did not and had to stand 13 times in extremelly long and demotivating queues outside the Iranian consulate in Herat before we finally secured our permit out again. It only took three days thanks to my outrageous queue jumping which made the entire visa seeking community in Herat less than happy. I do hereby apologize. Read more: “There are no tourists in Afghanistan” Sources: New York Times , 2012, adjusted by UN tourism expenditure numbers, 2013  11. São Tomé and Príncipe: 10,000 (8th) Why so few? It might still take a while to get there .  Why still visit? There is a reason for the country’s slogan “A well kept secret!” – expect impressive Portugese colonial architecture, colourful slums on the outskirt of São Tomé, great fishing, undervalued whale watching, pristine beaches and ace trekking opportunities. And did I mention their heart-warming hospitality? What else? The country used to be the biggest supplier of cocoa. I am not a chocolatier, but they claim to have the world’s best dark chocolate, and may very well be right. Thanks to Claudio Corallo, aka. “The chocolate king of São Tomé”. Be aware that you need a visa in advance to be let into the country, or find yourself returned by the same mode of transport that got you there. Another 40 hours on a boat would not have been very welcome, in my case. Luckily, you can now get a visa in advance from your living room. Via email . Read more: From Libreville to Sao Tome by boat Source:  African Statistical Yearbook , 2014 10. Turkmenistan: 8,697 (7th) Why so few? This country isn’t as mad as North Korea, but it plays in the same league. They both require a mandatory tourist guide. Why still visit? “The Door to Hell” is my favourite tourist attraction in the whole wide world. There are no tourists nearby the burning hole in the desert, which is part of the point. Do stay there in a tent overnight, near the flames or regret forever. Just bring food and vodka. Capital Ashgabat also holds the world record for having the most marble-clad buildings. Very impressive, except that virtually no one works in them. What else? Citizens get free electricity, water and natural gas. I guess the late dictator had to do something nice to stay in power without too many problems. Saparmurat Nijazov took the name “Turkmenbashi” which means Father of all Turkmens, and he had a great number of places in the country named after him. Imagine that you were to travel with Turkmenbashi (the man) from Turkmenbashi (the airport) to Turkmenbashi (the city) during Turkmenbashi (the month) to visit Turkmenbashi (the school) in Turkmenbashi (the street) to drink Turkmenbashi (the vodka)? Probably not what you should do in a school, but you get my point. Read more: The World’s 15 Hardest Countries to Visit Source: Statistical Yearbook of Turkmenistan , 2011 9. Guinea-Bissau: 7,500 (14th) Why so few? Infrastructure is rubbish and few airlines fly there. TAP Portugal even suspended their flights to and from Bissau after local police forced the pilots to bring 74 Syrian refugees to Lisbon in 2013. Why still visit? You just have to visit the Bijagos Archipelago of some twenty islands outside the capital. The oysters there are divine. Just do not expect any signs of modern life. What else? Do not miss out on old Portugese architecture or cooking inspired by the former colonist. To get in fast and easy, pick up your visa at the consulate in Ziguinchor in Senegal, just across the border. The operation will set you back 5 minutes. You are then not far from Varela, a tiny coastal village in a national park to the very north of Guinea-Bissau. Expect close to zero tourists, despite an Italian hotel with food to match. Source: UN, 2012, estimate based on tourism expenditure 8. Libya: 6,250 (15th) Why so few? Gaddafi may be gone, but his legacy lives on through embassy attacks and bombings. And it didn’t help much that Tripoli International Airport closed down after bombings in 2014, either. All flights were suspended, and there are now only a handful of flights to and from smaller Mitiga International Airport. You mean you wouldn’t fly with Libyan Airlines, Afriqiyah Airways or Buraq Air? Well, neither will most tourists. Why still visit? You can finally get a visa on arrival . And there is plenty on offer , although you may want to wait until the security situation improves. What else? There is hope, or so the Libyan government believes. I mean, they actually do have a Minister of Tourism. Ms. Ikram Bash Imam must have one of the most challenging jobs in the world. Source: UN, 2010, estimate based on tourism expenditure and stipulated decline, 2014 7. Kiribati: 6,000 (4th) Why so few? 1. Virtually no one has even heard about the Pacific paradise. 2. Fewer still knows how to pronounce the name of the country. Why still visit? There are loads of possibilities to fly to Kiribati. You can take a plane from Nauru or Marshall Islands once every two weeks. Yeah, or from slightly more famous Fiji, which has two weekly departures to South Tawara, the capital. And you can of course visit Christmas Islands from Fiji or Hawaii. It is in theory 6 hours by plane between Christmas Island and South Tawara, but the islands are not connected by flight. What else? The letter “s” does not exist in Kiribati, but the sound “s” does. So, to pronounce “s” you write “ti” or “tu”. “Kiribati” is therefore pronounced “Kiribass”. “T” followed by any other letter than “i” or “u” is pronounced “t” as normal. Piece of cake. Read more: A country less travelled Source: UNWTO, 2013 6. Equatorial Guinea: 5,700 (6th) Why so few? This is the worst country on this list to get a visa to, unless you are actually a US citizen. They are excempt. You mean your are not a US citizen? Do accept my apologies. You will have to go through agonizing bureaucratic pain. Or not ever get too see Equatorial Guinea. Why still visit? Equatorial Guinea is without a doubt bucket list material. And there is very little tourism infrastructure here, so you will be snorkeling all by yourself from one of the nice beaches, given that you bring your own fins and mask. What else? Do not take any photos, unless you fancy sleeping in a prison cell or bribing a police officer. The country is ruled by Dictator Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, although he prefers President as his title. The distribution of the massive oil wealth is extremelly unequal, it has one of the world’s worst human rights track records and is allegedly very involved in human trafficking. Read more: The 15 hardest countries to visit Source: Wikipedia , estimate based on airport arrivals, 2009, then stipulated, 2014 5. South Sudan: 5,500 (new) Why so few? There is a civil war in the newest country in the world, and tourists are not commonplace. James, the receptionist in my hotel, virtually died from excessive laughter when I told him I was in Juba as a tourist. Why still visit? James is probably still laughing. And he is particularly generous, even in the hotel bar, when he is in a good mood. What else? Photography is actually illegal in South Sudan. So, leave your phone in your pocket or excercise extreme caution when snapping those forbidden shots. Two huge police officers were less than impressed when I snapped a couple of photos in the capital, and I had to delete them under their careful supervision. “Consider yourself lucky you are Norwegian,” they said. I assume that was a thank you given the large number of Norwegian NGOs that operate in the country. Source: Logcluster , estimate based on number of flights, 2013 4. Marshall Islands: 4,600 (5th) Why so few? Because you didn’t know that the country actually exists. It is located in the middle of the Pacific, and includes the Bikini Atoll. So, at least you sort of heard about the country. Why still visit? Divers unite. There are over 1,000 different kinds of fish and 250 types of coral around the islands. That makes this the fishiest country in the world. No pun intended. I also woke up between Laura and Rita every morning, and you can too! Laura in the west is the best beach on Majuro while Rita is an area on the other side of the atoll. What else? The US performed 67 tests of nuclear bombs here between 1946 and 1958. That includes the biggest nuclear test ever performed, codenamed Castle Bravo, a dry fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb. The Atomic Energy Commission regarded Marshall Islands “by far the most contaminated place in the world” in 1956. Read more: Fishing paradise, diving heaven Source: UN, 2012 3. Tuvalu: 1,200 (3rd) Why so few? The propeller plane from Fiji Airways arrives twice a week and is the only fast way to get in or out. There is also the very occasional cargo slash passenger ship (with empashis on cargo) between Fiji and Tuvalu. Why still visit? This country is one of a kind. People are more genuine and more welcoming than in most other places and everything seems more authentic than what is the case in ‘the real world’. The friendliness I experienced in Tuvalu is second to none, expect plenty of offers to ride on the back of random people’s mopeds. What else? Do not forget cash if you ever visit this fascinating country. You mean you have a Black AmEx card? Platinum Visa? Superduper Mega Diamond MasterCard Plus? It just doesn’t matter. This is one of a very few countries in the world where no credit cards are accepted. Bring Australian dollars. Or a begging cup. Read more: The ‘Sinking’ Country Source: UN, 2013 2. Somalia: 400 visitors (2nd) Why so few? There is a reason why Mo Farah runs so fast. Why still visit? Mogadishu is now considered relatively safe and a lot of businesses have opened or reopened. Several tour companies will sort you out the invitation needed to get a visa on arrival (and they all offer guides with armed guards). What else? Terror group al-Shabab is doing its best to take over the country. The government has luckily made progress the last few years, and now several foreign airlines have put Mogadishu on its route maps. Somaliland in the north is formally a part of Somalia, and is the only way to visit the country unless you want your mom to never speak to you ever again (then again, this can be a bonus if the similar effect is achieved for your mother-in-law). Source: Estimate based on interviews with Somalian tour companies, 2014 1. Nauru: 160 visitors (1st) Why so few? When did you last see a guide book with Nauru on it? The country is tiny, and comes with less than 10,000 inhabitants on 21 square kilometers. Only Our Airline serves the country with its old Boeing 737. Why still visit? It is the least visited country in the world! And you can run around it . What else? There are only two hotels in the country, virtually no nightlife and a number of refugees that have been deported from Australia. The country doesn’t even have a capital, although Yaren – the biggest village – acts like one. Read more: The Run Around Country Source: Crikey , 2011 Who’s out? Syria. But what about the three countries that were on my former list ? North Korea (270,000), Chad (100,000) and Bhutan (125,000) all report an increase in tourist numbers. Syria would presumably be a likely candidate for the list, but the country had over 5 million visitors in 2011 and tourism numbers have reportedly dropped “ over 95 percent “. A decline of 98 percent still means over 100,000 tourists in the war-struck and terrorist plagued country. Of course, you are much more likely to visit countries not on this list.  The most popular country has 529,375 times more foreign visitors than Nauru. And a slightly better selection of hotels.  The least original countries to visit The other end of the list provides us with no huge surprises compared to last time, although Spain has passed China and Germany has passed the UK. Russia and Thailand has also made the top ten by replacing Malaysia and Mexico. 1. France 84.7 million tourists 2. USA 69.8 million tourists 3. Spain 60.7 million tourists 4. China 55.7 million tourists 5. Italy 47.7 million tourists 6. Turkey 37.8 million tourists 7. Germany 31.5 million tourists 8. United Kingdom 31.2 million tourists 9. Russia 28.4 million tourists 10. Thailand 26.5 million tourists

“The Burning Crater” or “The Door to Hell” in Darvaza, Karakum in Turkmenistan. Photo by Marius Arnesen . Are you up for going on that unique trip that almost no one has done before you? The problem might just be finding the right destination. The least visited country in the world may not be the one you would think. By:  Gunnar Garfors  who  visited every country , set seven travel world records and  wrote “How I Ran Out of Countries” , a book about it all. Instagram: @garfors / Twitter:  @garfors . P.S. New figures! World’s Least-Touristy Countries 2018 I have conducted thorough research through visits to all 198 countries of the world – and even written a book about it. It came out in English in July, 2015 . The reason or the extensive travelling? To figure out where I eventually want to go on proper holiday. I often wondered which countries are the very least visited ones. Remoteness, visa regulations, governments, available travel information and how many visitors I see on my travels give me a certain idea, but what do the statistics say? If they even exist. And where can I find such official statistics? UNWTO, World Tourism Organization has a pretty good overview. Some countries, especially some of which are likely to receive very few visitors per year, are still left out, which means that the information must be found elsewhere. I have found info on the remaining ones from various sources, such as newspaper articles or independent travel reports. Do also note that such statistics will never be entirely accurate. Some countries only measure tourists arriving by air, others only track boat arrivals, yet others base their info on information from hotels. And some people on business still say that they are in a country as a tourist to avoid extra bureaucracy. Travellers kiss better . Why are there 198 countries? The 25 least visited countries of the world follow below. The most visited of those has 73,000 foreign tourists in a year, the least visited less than 200. That is way behind number one, France, with 79.5 million annual foreign visitors: 25. Dominica: 73,000 tourists (2011, UNWTO) Why so few? The island nation is rather small without too many tourist facilities. The only commercial airport cannot handle big aircraft, so the nation is served by propellor planes only. Why you may still want to visit The jungle provides refuge for a great number of birds and animals. And the rural feel of the island nation makes it feel anything but touristy, exactly what you may be looking for. What else Do not confuse Dominica with Dominican Republic. Both countries are in the Carribean, but they are very different. Buy coconuts from salesmen by the road and eliminate your thirst. Just know how to haggle or you will be ripped off. 24. Chad: 71,000 tourists (2010, UNWTO) Why so few? There’s political instability and unrest in this landlocked and dry country. Rebels make large parts of the country less than safe. Why you may still want to visit You find the biggest rocks in the world in Chad, although you should hire armed guards in 4WD vehicles to go there due to robbers that sometimes go violent. It’s amazing for climbing! The capital N’Djamena is a big market town with some impressive governmental buildings. What else Mastercard is not accepted in Chad, so bring cash or a Visa card. 23. Central African Republic: 54,000 tourists (2010, UNWTO) Why so few? The landlocked country isn’t really famous for much. It is one of the poorest in Africa. Why you may still want to visit Do go by boat on one of the many rivers in the countries. And relax in semi-modern Bangui where you’ll find French cuisine and a bakery. What else Do not take photos of locals unless they give you permission to do so. Or risk facing a threatening mob. 22. Liechtenstein: 53,000 tourists (2011, UNWTO) Why so few? There’s no airport in the landlocked neighbour of Switzerland and Austria. There’s a heliport though, so if you are among those with a bank account here you may still come and leave airborne. Most visitors are presumably on business thanks to the secretive bank system and the low corporate taxes. Why you may still want to visit Amazing mountains that are great for skiing and hiking. Do not miss Balzers Castle if you’re into stacked rocks. What else Don’t stay too long here, or you may go bored. The country is tiny. 21. Djibouti: 53,000 tourists (2008, UN) Why so few? A dry and dirty place. There’s rubbish all over the small desert country that is no one’s typical destination. Why you may still want to visit The scuba diving is amazing, although not very affordable. There are plenty of French soldiers around if that may appeal to you. That also means a lively nightlife scene every weekend. The lowest point in Africa is also in the country. Lake Assal is 157 meters below sea level. What else There are some mean looking helicopters on the airport which doubles as a military airfield. You may be able to witness some action there. 20. Sierra Leone: 52,000 tourists (2011, UN) Why so few? Have you heard anything good about this country recently? Why you may still want to visit You will discover some of the most amazing beaches in Africa and great hospitality. You can find pretty much anything at the markets in Freetown. What else Getting to and from the airport is a pain. You will have to go by one of three boat options taking 30-60 minutes to Freetown or splash out on a chartered helicopter that may or may not be operational. One of the options involve travelling 12 kilometers by taxi to the car ferry port. I went for a two wheeled version. 19. Tonga 45,000 tourists (2011, UNWTO) Why so few? It is located in the middle of the Pacific. Why you may still want to visit The main island is a coral surrounded by coral reefs. The diving and snorkeling is great! And there’s even a choice of airline to get here, which is unusal for island states in Oceania. Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia and Air Pacific can all take you here, making access relatively easy. What else It’s one of the last absolute monarchies in the world. And the Tongan feasts are famous. Indulge! 18. East Timor: 40,000 tourists (2010, UN) Why so few? The UN is still very much present here, and UN aircraft largely outnumber commercial ones. The country may still not feel safe for a lot of people. Why you may still want to visit Fantastic scenery which is great for hiking and treking. And do not forget the scuba diving gear at home. The conditions are world class. You will also find old Portugese buildings scattered around the country and going to small villages as a foreign tourist will guaranteed make people turn heads and most likely produce smiles. What else Getting a visa is easy for most nationals. You get it in exchange for 30USD upon arrival at the airport in Dili. 17. Bhutan: 37,000 tourists (2011, UNWTO) Why so few? You have to go through a process to get a visa and travel permits to the country. And you will be required to have a guide with you while exploring the country. Why you may still want to visit The mountains are stunning, so are the hiking possibilities. It is also very much a Buddhist country, something that is easily recognized by temples and monsatries, many of which are worth the visit on their own. And do not forget Tiger’s Nest. The monastry build on a small ledge of a mountain. It will take you an hour or two to hike up there, but it is so worth it. What else You will see penises painted on many buildings around the country. They are signs of good luck, but will make some westerners go totally shy and ackward. And do watch the archery competitions. The locals know how to handle their bows. 16. North Korea: 35,000 tourists (2011, Koryo Group) Why so few? Do I really need to answer this? Why you may still want to visit A visit to North Korea will make you redefine your definition of a country. The Truman Show, country scale, someone said. It is one of the safest countries to visit as a tourist. Crime is virually non-existent. Just ignore that everyone will think you are mad for going. It’s so worth a visit. What else You will always be minded by two minders. Their job is to mind you and each other. Sometimes they will still need to use the facilities, so if you are lucky you may get to exchange some extra information. Do note that you will be on the receiving side of a lot of brainwashing, or should I say propaganda. North Korea is more visited than most people think, primarily because of Chinese tourists. Non-Asian visitors are rare, and I am always asked about North Korea. I am typically introduced as “the youngest hobby traveller to have visited all countries.” A typical response is still; “Have you been to North Korea?” I guess the word “all” is not properly taught in school. 15. Libya: 34,000 tourists (2008, UN) Why so few? Colonel Gadaffi didn’t exactly work as a tourist magnet. He is now dead, but the unrest that has followed doesn’t invite tourists either. Why you may still want to visit Some people like sand. What else Libyans make great coffee! I also experienced them to be very friendly to foreigners, you may very well be invited to someone’s home for a meal. Not to be forgotten are the breathtaking ruins of Leptis Magna, an ancient city of the Roman empire only 130 kilometers from Tripoli. There is a lot to see there, although some of it is not yet excavated. 14. Guinea-Bissau: 30,000 tourists (2011, UN) Why so few? It is a country with relatively poor infrastructure. It is not well connected by Western airlines. Why you may still want to visit The Bijagos Islands outside Bissau is an archipelago of some twenty islands, where you may see hippos. They are pristine. Do not expect any sign of modern life. Electricity is for chickens. What else The fish market is Bissau will so make you wanna prepare your own food. Just try to find a kitchen. And you will enjoy the Portugese style architecture. If you’re into such. 13. Mauritania: 29,000 tourists (2008, E Turbo News) Why so few? Reputation has it that Mauritania is only sand and nomads. There are no famous sights there. Why you may still want to visit The graveyeard for ships on the northern coast is amazing and will sort you out with bizarre photo opportunities! You do not want to miss out on typical desert towns and villages. What else Credit cards won’t work. Bring cash. You can also hitch a ride with one of the world’s longest trains with over 200 cars. It transports iron ore, but passangers can usually just jump on top of the cargo. Heavy, heavy fuel! 12. Federated States of Micronesia: 26,000 tourists (2008, UN) Why so few? It’s far off and not very well known. United is the only airline that can take you here. Why you may still want to visit If you like wreck diving, this is heaven thanks to fierce battles during world war II. The country is relatively poor, but also very welcoming. Great seafood! What else US dollars is used as the currency, so you can leave your calculator at home. You can also visit Wall Mart in Colonia. it’s a supermarket slightly less famous than it’s American “competitor.” 11. Solomon Islands: 23,000 tourists (2010, UNWTO) Why so few? Getting to and from the island nation in the Pacific is not the easiest or cheapest of tasks thanks to lack of competition. It is also a lot less famous than other neighbouring countries. Why you may still want to visit Scuba diving, sailing and fishing. What else Do not miss out on the fish market in Honiara. The yatch club there is great for a drink. Or a ride if you don’t agree with planes. 10. Afghanistan: 17,500 tourists (2012, New York Times) Why so few? There’s a war. Taliban is in it. Why you may still want to visit The mountains of Afghanistan are wild and beautiful. They are also hiding places for bandits and terrorists, so you may want to wait until it becomes a little more peaceful. What else You’ll have a unique chance to try on a traditional blue burqa. I did for two minutes. Poor women! Do also remember to get your visa to the country you will return to in advance. Getting it inside Afghanistan may not be the easiest of tasks. Saying that you are in the country as a tourist will make you appear a liar, so do have a cover story  or be prepared to be declared less than smart. 9. Comoros: 15,000 tourists (2010, UNWTO) Why so few? The guidebooks say that the islands are infected by malaria carrying mosquitos. I didn’t see any mosquitos. Hotels do anyhow have bed nets, you’ll be fine. There are not a lot of airlines flying to Comoros either. Why you may still want to visit Great seafood, friendly people, vibrating markets and a beautiful coastline. And very friendly people. What else Try on a beauty mask. A lot of the women there wear them. The masks do certainly not work as the name suggests while being worn. Public transport doesn’t really exist, so be prepared to raise your thumb. Private cars or minibuses will usually pick you up relatively soon. 8. Sao Tome & Principe: 8,000 tourists (2010, UNWTO) Why so few? It may take a while to get there . Why you may still want to visit It’s so remote you are more or less guaranteed proper peace. And there are both stunning beaches and mountains that invite for hikes and photo oportunities. Do try the street food. What else Bring cash and do get your return ticket sorted before you visit. You can easily walk to the airport from Sao Tome. 7. Turkmenistan: 7,000 tourists (2007, UN) Why so few? The country is reputed to be the second craziest in the world. After, of course, North Korea. Why you may still want to visit Crazy is fun! And all the police officers make you feel very safe. What else Do visit “The Door to Hell” which is the nickname of the burning crater in Darvaza, litterally in the middle of Karakum desert. It is fantastic and well worth the 3-4 hours long drive. Just stock up on food and vodka before you go, because you will want to stay in a tent overnight near the flames. They make a comforting sound. 6. Equatorial Guinea: 6,000 tourists (2012, estimate based on World Bank figures) Why so few? You will need a visa to get in unless you are American. Getting a tourist visa is bureaucracy hell. Why you may still want to visit Have you even heard about Equatorial Guinea? It is the only Spanish speaking country in Africa and having been there gives you bragging rights. What else Do not openly take photographs of anything offical looking unless you fancy a serious discussion with police or people pretending to be police. This especially applies to the presidential palace. 5. Marshall Islands: 5,000 tourists (2011, UNWTO) Why so few? Try to get there. United has a monopoly on flights and does know how to price the tickets accordingly. Why you may still want to visit The diving at the outer atolls is world-class! What else Do not expect to find cheap accommodation. There is virtually no crime there though, so you might as well sleep on the beach for free. 4. Kiribati: 4,700 tourists (2011, UN) Why so few? Most people haven’t even heard about Kiribati. It is not very well covered by airlines. Why you may still want to visit Check out the maps and satellite photos of the islands. It’s all about beach, snorkeling, diving, fishing and water sports. If you do not like any of the above, please leave the rest of us alone and go to Turkmenistan where you’ll find the sand without the water. What else The 33 atolls of the country are so widespread that it takes 6 hours to fly from the easternmost one to the westernmost one. By a jet plane. The accumulated area of Kiribati is still only 811 square kilometers, slightly bigger than New York City (786 square kilometers). 3. Tuvalu: 1,200 tourists (2011, UN) Why so few? The same applies to Tuvalu as to Kiribati. The nations are not connected by plane routes, although you can easily go from one to another by your own sail boat. Or you have to fly via Fiji. Only Air Pacific flies to Tuvalu and Kiribati. Why you may still want to visit If sea levels do continue to rise Tuvalu is the first country to disappear, so you may be in a hurry all of a sudden. Go before you will need a submarine to do so. The government is currently looking into options that include buying land elsewhere to move their people. What else There really isn’t much to see. The nation is so flat, that you shouldn’t expect anything but a stereotypical Pacific island nation with palm trees and beaches. 2. Somalia: 500 tourists (2012, estimate based on news articles) Why so few? War, lack of a government for many years, violent muslim extremists, sharia law. The reputation of Somalia is extremelly close to rock bottom. Why you may still want to visit The government has started to function again. Mogadishu is now relatively safe and businesses are thriving. Turkish Airlines has even opened a direct twice weekly route from Istanbul. What else Go to the beach just outside Mogadishu or visit the Bakaara market where you can even buy your own semi-genuine Somalian passport. You may not want to use it anywhere, though. Your travel experience doesn’t extend beyond the Bahamas, Paris or Gran Canaria, you say? First of all; Why are you reading this blog post? Secondly, do not go to Somalia! 1. Nauru: 200 tourists (2011, Crikey) Why so few? Nauru is a tiny island nation in the Pacific. The smallest republic in the world covers only 21 square kilometers. There is almost nothing to see there as most of the island (there’s only one) is a large open phosphate mine. Only one airline serves the island . You also need a visa to be allowed in, and the country doesn’t have many embassies abroad. Why you may still want to visit The beaches surrounding the island are beautiful and “proper” Pacific style. The coral reefs surrounding Nauru makes it great for diving or fishing. There are however only 10,000 people in the country, huge unemployment and virtually no nightlife. There are two hotels, one “posh” on the beach and one “in town.” What else This is the only country in the world without a capital. Yaren is the biggest community, and therefore acts as the de facto capital. There’s even an internet cafe next to the police station, so you can update your statuses. The problem is that hardly anyone even heard about the place, so you are unlikely to get any praisal. Expect “Nauru? Is that upstate?” responses.  Why not run around a country ? An updated version of the 25 least visited countries in the world (July 7, 2015) Bucket list? So, how about this for a bucket list? And how many have you visited?  Too extreme? Find out why you should visit the 25 least populated countries in the world .  And do not forget to take some precautions. Here are my top 20 travel tips . Do let me know if you have been to many of these places or if you want to go. I’d love to hear from you as we seem to share an interest in slightly unusual destinations. I’m on Twitter ( @garfors ). South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, may also belong here, but I have not yet  been able to find any information on tourist numbers. And what about Tajikistan? The country had only 4,000 foreign tourists in 2000 and has appeared in travel articles as a country no one visits. However, they now claim to have had 245,000 visitors in 2012, up from 183,000 in 2011. They are either doing a great job in their tourism sector or fabricating numbers. Most visitors to the country will in any case primarily travel overland from neighbouring countries, so they are more likely to “blend-in” than western tourists. There were tourist buses on the border trying to get in from Uzbekistan when I visited in 2009. Liberia, another likely candidate for the list just missed the spot. Estimates based on UN numbers from 2008 and 2009 indicate as many as 89,000 foreign tourists per year. That’s 16,000 more than country number 25 on this list and tourism is said to increase. How about the other end of the list? Those of you who have read so far may actually want to visit countries that are not overrun by foreign tourists. If that is the case, you should certainly avoid the top ten (2011 figures from UNWTO ,  UN ): 1. France: 79.5 million 2. USA: 62.3 million 3. China: 57.6 million 4. Spain: 56,7 million 5. Italy: 46.1 million 6. Turkey: 29.3 million 7. UK: 29.2 million 8. Germany: 28.4 million 9. Malaysia: 24.7 million 10. Mexico: 23.4 million Another unusual journey I am as you may have guessed sort of interested in travelling. Last year I visited five continents in one day with Adrian Butterworth, a friend and filmmaker. The manic journey was a world first , and the media went mad . World-wide. Summarized, it goes like this . The TV documentary is about to be finalized (March 2013). Do get in touch if you would like to see a raw edit or if you are interested in airing it. You can watch the 90 second preview here . More travels out of the ordinary are bound to happen sooner rather than later.

You’re not a big fan of bureaucracy, queues or red tape? Or perhaps a slightly paranoid citizen of i.e. North Korea, where travel agencies offer you a limited option of easy and friendly destinations? Then stay clear of the world’s hardest countries to visit. Instead, go get a ticket to one of the world’s easiest countries to visit as a tourist. The friendliest ones don’t require a visa from ANYONE, regardless of nationality. But don’t forget your passport, you will be asked to show it upon entry. It doesn’t get much more hassle free than that. Then again, I’m talking about a very few island states. Let me use one of them to examplify. The nearest country neighbour is a thousand kilometers away, so it will still take you some effort and cost some money to get there. Both The island of Reunion, which belongs to France, and Madagascar are two and a half hour away by scheduled aircraft. And it will take three hours to fly to Nairobi, the nearest city on the mainland that is served by a commercial airline. Add another hour and you’re in Sri Lanka. From Seychelles, that is. Most countries that are lenient with visas are in fact island nations. Not very surprisingly, really. 100 % visa free! All nationalities can enter the following countries visa free. You will still need a passport, proof of funds to fund your stay and an onward ticket. And passport stamp collectors, yes you will get your much sought after ink jab in all of these. At least I did. Federated States of Micronesia Madagascar Maldives Seychelles Visa on arrival to everyone And three countries are almost as generous. They will give anyone a visa on arrival, but you will need two blank pages in your passport. Some nationals may also only stay for seven days in Togo. Do note that Tuvalu is the third least-visited country in the world. Which proves that the ease of getting legal access isn’t necessarily a winner. I guess the propeller aircraft from Fiji Airways that comes here twice a week doesn’t have all that much space anyway. Mozambique Togo Tuvalu It’s almost as easy here, although citizens from most countries can only enter by plane or ship to obtain a visa on arrival. Not much of an obstacle, really. The country only has one land border. Timor Leste (East Timor) Close, but no cigar. Three East African countries have joined forces and issue a joint e-visa for people of any nationality. East Africa Borderless Visa still costs $100 and must be purchased in advance. You will need to first arrive to the country that issued the visa. Kenya Rwanda Uganda There is a similar scheme in place for a Caribbean nation. Some nationals enter without any paperwork, whereas citizens from quite a few countries need to pay $100 for an evisa. It has to be obtained before arriving: Saint Kitts and Nevis And anyone can visit this country too, but most people need to get an evisa in advance. São Tomé and Príncipe There is a little bit of a loophole here. Any cruise passenger can enter this country, but only for 24 hours: Grenada And what do you know, even hard-to-enter Russia can be visited by anyone as long as you arrive by cruise ship, stay only in St. Petersburg and sleep on board. You are then entitled to a maximum of 72 hours in the city, but only under strict supervision by a licensed tour guide. Not ideal, but a little bit of a loophole should everything else fail. Russia With one exception, only. Only people from its nearest neighbour, the US island of American Samoa, requires a visa in advance. Go figure, they live only 60 kilometers away and may all of a sudden plan an invasion. Samoa What is it with nearby countries? In some cases they may be like annoying neighbours, it seems. Morocco is one of the nearest countries on the African mainland, and citizens from that country only need a visa to visit. Cape Verde Two countries to harass. One particular country doesn’t seem to get along too well with the people living on the island of Hispaniola. One of those countries even shares a very similar name. Dominica And one Pacific country seems to holde a grudge against people from Myanmar and Bagladesh. Palau Nah, let’s double that. People four countries are less welcome than others. Haiti. And again. Seven Asian countries and a Caribbean neighbour will encounter a little barrier. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Unlucky ten. Some African and Asian citizens are out of luck. Cambodia We love everyone. Well, except people from 12 countries. Inhabitants of only 12 countries need a visa to enter this beauty of South America. It’s tourism slogan is rather accurate then. For most, at least: “All you need is Ecuador.” Nepal coincidentally also demands that people from 12 countries, although not exactly the same ones, to get the paperwork sorted in advance. Afghanistan, Nigeria and Somalia are on both watch lists. Ecuador Nepal Did I miss any countries? Please let me know.

How many airports does your city have? Not as many as the top city on the list. Unless that, by coincicdence, is where you live. And even if you do, I bet you won’t guess how many airports it has. It does naturally depend on whether we are to believe sleazy marketing managers or not. Oslo, my hometown, will in that case have three airports, although the most remote one, Torp Sandefjord Airport (TRF), is 119 kilometers and almost 2 hours by bus from downtown Oslo. But it is in the former whaling capital in Norway where you might actually end up if you book a ticket to “Oslo” without checking your tickets carefully. And Moss Rygge (RYG) has not been operational for a few years. But hey, let us for once buy into these marketing tricks and declare the world’s most plane friendly city. Oslo is one of 14 cities that have three airports with commercial flights, according to Wikipedia. Half of them are in the US. But three is nothing in this competition. Four cities – Stockholm, Boston, Melbourne and Paris – have four each. Then again, the fourth one in Paris is a whopping 166 kilometers by car away from the Eiffel Tower and is much better located for bubble lovers who fancy a trip to Champagne – where Châlons Vatry Airport (XCR) is actually located. This also makes it the most remote airport in question. Not that it really matters, Los Angeles has five airports, none of which are more than 70 kilometers from the city. Which makes londoners laugh. They have six airports to chose from! You all know about Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW), and probably City (LCY), Stansted (STN) and Luton (LTN) too. Southend Airport (SEN) may be more unknown to most. Only two airlines have regular scheduled flights to and from the strip of tarmac in Rochford in Essex. But what do you know, London is also beaten. By a city it is very well connected to. New York City. Too right. New Yorkers can easily avoid John F. Kennedy (JFK), Newark (EWR) and LaGuardia (LGA). The selection of flights will be much more limited, but nevertheless. How about Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP), Stewart International Airport (SWF), Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN) and Westchester County Airport (HPN)? That makes an impressive seven airports in total. And they all offer scheduled flights. I don’t even want to start counting private airfields and minor airports. And did you know that you can spell out entire sentences using only airport codes? The best airport in the world.