The Federate States of Micronesia (FDS) is an Island country in the Micronesia region of the Pacific Ocean. It is mainly known for its extraordinary diving sites full of shallow reefs, caverns, walls, drop-offs, tunnels, channels and even World War II wrecks.
Despite having over 600 islands to choose from with a diverse culture, beautiful landscapes, and historical sites, it is one of the least visited countries in the world.
The FDS only sees around 18,000 visitors in a year, mainly consisting of scuba divers who visit to see the 480 species of coral it is home to. Private yacht owners also visit the country a lot because of all the remote islands it has to offer.
The level of tourism, however, is too low to be counted as a source of income for the FDS.
The main reason for the low tourism is the limited facilities in the country. The country has four international airports. However, only one serves beyond Micronesia and Oceania, making it extremely difficult for the country to welcome international tourists.
The limited infrastructure, including roads, electricity, and water, also contributes to the low tourism.
There are countries that receive even fewer tourists than the FDS, such as The Marshall Island, which attracts around 6,100 a year. Less than half of the FDS’s tourist numbers,
There are plans to develop the FDS. Asian Development Bank (ADB), which supports the FDS through investments in energy, water, transport and education, has committed to 68 public sector loans, grants and technical assistance of around £167 million to the country.
With the support of the ADS, projects involving investment in transport and basic education will really benefit the country and hopefully allow more visitors to explore the beautiful islands it has to offer.