International tourism, number of arrivals in Lesotho
Lesotho: International tourism, number of arrivals was 1.14 million in 2019. ◆ Volatile
International tourism, number of arrivals in Lesotho, 1995–2019
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
Analysis
In 2019, international tourism, number of arrivals in Lesotho stood at 1.14 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and up 232.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, number of arrivals in Lesotho peaked at 1.20 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 209,000, in 1995.
Lesotho ranks 91st of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
International tourism, number of arrivals in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 209,000 | — |
| 1996 | 312,000 | +49.3% |
| 1997 | 313,000 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 290,000 | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 308,000 | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 302,000 | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 295,000 | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 287,000 | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 329,000 | +14.6% |
| 2004 | 304,000 | -7.6% |
| 2005 | 304,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 357,000 | +17.4% |
| 2007 | 300,000 | -16.0% |
| 2008 | 293,000 | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 344,000 | +17.4% |
| 2010 | 426,000 | +23.8% |
| 2011 | 398,000 | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 423,000 | +6.3% |
| 2013 | 433,000 | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 1.08 million | +149.2% |
| 2015 | 1.08 million | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.20 million | +10.5% |
| 2017 | 1.14 million | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 1.17 million | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 1.14 million | -2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 286,400 | 209,000 | 313,000 | 5 |
| 2000s | 311,500 | 287,000 | 357,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 848,900 | 398,000 | 1.20 million | 10 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More private sector data for Lesotho
- Merchandise trade 102.9% (2025)
- Food imports 23.0% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 59.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.88 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 23.3% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 70.1% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 773.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 327.08 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3004 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -22 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, number of arrivals in Lesotho?
- International tourism, number of arrivals in Lesotho was 1.14 million in 2019, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 1.20 million in 2016.
- What is the lowest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 209,000 in 1995.
- How does Lesotho rank for international tourism, number of arrivals?
- Lesotho ranks 91st out of 201 countries with data for 2019.
- Is international tourism, number of arrivals rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 232.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism, published as part of International tourism, number of arrivals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.