Stefan Lins / Flickr
Beach and atoll of Pacific Island Tuvalu.
It is the least visited country in the world – even North Korea receives more tourists a year – and has no intention of becoming a large -scale resort. But the Small archipelago has been struggling for survival for years: it has been sinking.
26 square kilometers, with neither 12,000 people inside. Let’s talk about, the least visited country in the world.
Located in the South Pacific, between Hawaii and Australia, the Nine Islands Archipelago records practically symbolic tourism numbers: in 2021, only 40 people They officially visited their wonderful beaches. In other years, the number hardly exceeded both hundreds.
The scarce demand does not mean that Tuvalu does not have precious goods (as can be seen, by the image of this article). Isolated paradise beaches, coral reefs and rich marine biodiversity make the territory a dream destination for travelers looking for greater contact with nature.
So where is the problem? First, getting there is… very difficult.
There are few weekly flights to Tuvalu, almost always operated from Fiji, and tourist infrastructure is virtually nonexistent. In Funafuti, capital and main Island of the archipelago, there is only one road, with little movement, and the accommodation options are quite limited.
The absence of tourism promotion and international ignorance contribute more and more to the invisibility of the country. Unlike destinations such as Caribbean or Philippines, Tuvalu does not have a consolidated tourist industry, nor the intention to become a resort pole.
But the true threat to the future of the archipelago is the increase in the average sea level. With an average altitude of just two meters above the water line, Tuvalu became epitome of the vulnerability of the small islands before climate change. The risk of disappearance of the territory has been a cause for constant appeal from local government in international forums: Tuvalu is sinking.
Still, for the few who arrive, Tuvalu offers a unique experience. Community life remains close to traditions, gastronomy is based on local products such as coconut, breadfruit and fish, and the absence of crowds allows direct contact with polynesia culture. For those interested in history, remain traces of World War II, such as American planes and bunkers left in the Pacific.
The people are divided: some see in tourism a way to strengthen the economy and give visibility to the fight against the climate crisis; Others fear that any tourist expansion endanger the fragile harmony of the community and the ecosystem.
In this isolation, Tuvalu is not alone. Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Federated States of Micronesia They face similar obstacles, from political instability to geographical isolation. Interestingly, even North Korea receives more tourists a year than this small ocean -threatened archipelago.
