Traveling is always complicated and comes with a lot of details to manage, and that's when a destination is tourist friendly. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently ranked countries with regard to tourism, providing information on the 10 Least Tourist-Friendly Nations on Earth.
It's worth noting that a destination may be considered desirable to travelers without being tourist friendly. This can be the result of a geological or natural feature, or because a country is the location of a historically relevant, important and interesting event.
The survey provided by the WEF ranking shows which nations are lacking basic tourist friendly infrastructure, such as the transportation and lodging that are required for tourists, as well as general attitude to the arrival of foreigners. The Travel and Tourism Report measures "Affinity for Travel and Tourism," which charts the "attitude of population toward foreign visitors" often within the context of the economic impact of tourists on their country.
While the report does not take into account whether a country has anything worth visiting, it does provide an interesting look at some nations attitudes toward visitors. Some are not surprising, while others are more so.
The rankings are on a scale from "very unwelcome" (0) to "very welcome" (7).
1. Bolivia (4.1)
2. Venezuela (4.5)
3. Russia (5.0)
4. Kuwait (5.2)
5. Latvia (5.2)
6. Iran (5.2)
7. Pakistan (5.3)
8. Slovak Republic (5.5)
9. Bulgaria (5.5)
10. Mongolia (5.5)
China was listed at No. 11 and just missed the list, as it is increasing in popularity with tourists.
Safety and security concerns and underdeveloped infrastructure, as well as concerns regarding sustainable development were among the factors that brought down a country's score.
Regardless of score or ranking and reputation, it's always a good idea to do some research on an unfamiliar country before traveling. If you arrive with at least a minimal understanding of a foreign culture, it can go a long way to improve the reception a country has to you as a visitor, making your travel experience substantially more enjoyable.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
