The least visited country in Europe has a lot to offer that usually attracts holidaymakers in droves at any time of the year. In winter, you can ski, snowboard, or cross-country ski at up to 2500 meters. In autumn and spring, you can go hiking, and in summer, the country, which is relatively high above sea level, is suitable for escaping the excessive heat in other places in Europe. And yet, hardly anyone wants to visit the country.
According to the UNWTO, just 101,000 people traveled to the country, which is located in the middle of Europe, in 2022. We are talking about a tiny principality that lies as a landlocked country between Austria and Switzerland: Liechtenstein. Although visitors increased slightly compared to the years before the pandemic, Liechtenstein remained the least visited country in Europe. There are several reasons for this.
Why Is Liechtenstein the Least Visited Country?
Liechtenstein is a relatively small country, covering 160.5 square kilometers. Despite its size, other European countries that are even smaller still receive more tourists. For example, Monaco, with just under two square kilometers, welcomed 327,000 tourists in 2022, and San Marino, at 61.2 square kilometers, had 111,000 visitors in 2019.
There are reasons why Liechtenstein is the least visited European country. One explanation could be that tourism is less significant than other economic sectors. In 2019, Liechtenstein only had 33 hotels, 63 holiday apartments, two campsites, and one youth hostel. Additionally, there were seven mass camps in mountain huts, providing a total of 1357 beds. In contrast, despite being much smaller, Monaco had 12 hotels in the same year, offering 5528 beds.
Rather Difficult Accessibility
One reason why not many visitors end up in Liechtenstein may be because of the difficulty of accessibility. The country doesn't have an airport, so the nearest ones are in Zurich or Friedrichshafen. It takes about an hour and a half by car to reach Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, from these airports. Traveling by train is also an option, but it requires several changes. According to the railway portal, "rail.cc," Liechtenstein doesn't have its own railway company and only has three stops along the route from Feldkirch (Austria) to Buchs (Switzerland). The train service is managed by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).
Overall, the journey to Liechtenstein is more challenging than many other destinations. This might make traveling to Liechtenstein less appealing than to more internationally famous places like Monaco.