41 Least-Welcoming Countries in the World
A recent World Economic Forum study measured countries' openness to foreign tourists and the tourism industry in general. It uses three major component rankings: Tourist Service Infrastructure, International Openness, and Prioritization of Travel & Tourism. It's important to note that these "welcomeness rankings" say more about government policies than the personalities of local residents.
To rank highly for "openness," a country must necessarily have the required infrastructure to support all the international travelers that may come. This component goes hand-in-hand with Prioritization of Travel & Tourism, which measures things like government subsidies and policies that promote international tourism. The most contributing factor to ranking poorly is that some countries do whatever they can to deter tourists from visiting for a multitude of reasons.
One of the most popular is that tourists often destroy landmarks or make too much noise, but that isn’t always the case. In many countries, cities outside of major capitals just don't have the infrastructure for tourists to get around. This includes places like Sierra Leone and Burundi. People in the capital cities are more likely to know a second language (or third), and there are ample public transportation options. However, in poorer outlining cities, tourists may struggle if they don't rent a car and know at least some of the local languages.
In places like Mongolia, there just aren't many people in general. Because they are the least densely populated country in the world, anyone who is new to the area easily sticks out because the locals typically know who everyone is. Since there isn't a large tourism industry, they are rightfully wary, or at least curious, as to why newcomers are hanging around.
We know that everyone in these countries doesn’t hate tourists. There are nice people anywhere you go, but generally, these nations' governmental policies would rather you stay at home or go somewhere else for your holiday. Here are 41 other countries the study found to be unwelcoming to foreign visitors for one reason or another.
Belarus
Did you know...
- You've heard of the phrase "wanderlust," but do you know the German word "fernweh"? It means "far sickness" or an intensely strong urge to travel. The next time you feel the need to head out on a road trip, you've got a case of fernweh. And the only cure is to travel somewhere new!
- Even though it is spread across five time zones, the entire country of China is set to Beijing time. Having a single time zone in the United States would certainly make things easier. Currently, the USA is spread across six, but a single time zone would make things a little wonky in Alaska and Hawai'i.
- The largest pool in the world can be found at the San Alfonso del Mar resort in Chile. It has 66 million gallons (enough water to fill 100 Olympic-sized pools). It's 3,323 feet in length, over twice the length of the next biggest pool. At a cost of $3,000,000, that sounds like a pretty good deal.
- Minnesota might say that it's the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but Canada has it beat. The country as a whole has over three million lakes. That means Canada has 60% of the world's total number of lakes within its borders. It must seem like paradise for people who like to fish or boat!
- There are over 61,000 people on a plane in the air over the U.S. at any given moment. That makes sense because the U.S. has one third of all the airports in the world. Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world with over 100 million total passengers every year since 2015.