Why Americans still do not Overseas Travel
Last year I wrote an article about why Americans do not travel overseas. It still counts as my most popular post, both agreements and controversy triggered. In a 800-word post that could accommodate a novel, I tried to explain why Americans do not travel abroad. Many people agreed with me, many people do not. No matter what we all agree that Americans should travel more.
The current percentage of Americans who now own a passport around 21%, from 15% years. Unfortunately, this common statistic is to secure hard as the State Department not really records. But the number of Americans who traveled abroad declined overall since 06 (source: OTTI) Why do we get to go all the passes? Because we now passes for travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean have required. In fact, Mexico is traveling while traveling in Europe is down. not find Americans a new sense of adventure. There are not yet on the trip. And the reasons are the same.
Are geography and costs really relevant?
Many people met my argument by saying that the geography and the costs were large factors, but if the cost and geography played a decisive role where you have traveled, no one would ever travel. Yet New Zealand is the middle of nowhere and how many Kiwis make traveling as Americans? How many Aussies? Poverty is poverty. No matter where you are in the world if you have no money, you can not travel. But it is so much more expensive to fly from America? Nah! A flight from Los Angeles to BKK is $ 787 dollars. A flight from London to BKK is $ 654. A flight from Sydney to BKK is $ 794. Americans carry no additional cost burden in relation to the rest of the world.
And the geography argument? Well, I'll be in a second that you can get.
fear, awareness and priorities
The reasons why the Americans can not travel abroad mostly be explained by one thing: cultural ignorance. Many people believed in the previous post, I meant the Americans were stupid. I was meaning that it does not. The Americans are ignorant that they do not know about the world. We all have seen Jay clips and skits on television walking where the Americans can not name foreign leaders or countries. Moreover, to be further reduced as education budgets, humanity courses are to go is usually the first people, which means learn a little history. In some states, the whole world has to be declared within one year. Moreover, surveys show that news organizations dedicated to only 10.3% in foreign reporting in 08 (source), while odd, 13% case in Texas went to some polygamy. Americans are simply not told about the world or know vocal about.
And why should they be? Politicians and the media to paint the world as a scary place, filled with crime, hatred, terrorists. Bill O'Reilly, a man who has never been apparent in Amsterdam, the city has called a sinkhole. (Twice!) My mother keeps telling me if I anywhere in the world you are going to "be careful", as if the world is a big scary place. Many of my old colleagues do the same. We are told repeatedly that it is large, anti-Americanism in the world wherever you go, people you do not like. (A mistake that is often refuted in the media). Moreover, America's hegemony has ensured that we have been the dominant force in the world since the 2nd World War. Despite the rise of China, Brazil and India, our politicians tell us everything in America is the best (even # 38 in health care). Countries will always do what we want. America is the leader. We are the city on a hill. And if you're the best, why go to "godforsaken" countries where they hate you to be an American and rob power?
And why geography plays a role in why Americans do not travel. It is not that America's size makes prohibitive travel, its size is important, because people believe that it is to leave no reason. We do not need to "big scary places" to travel if we have deserts, tropical islands, mountains, endless summer, desert, snow, and more. to find Each landscape within America large limits. You can get everything here want. A friend from Iowa came to me once in Thailand. When she told her staff about her response was: "?. Thailand Where is the why would you get if you want a beach to go to Florida"
Finally, travel is often seen as a sign of weakness , Americans typically get about two weeks after the trip annually. Abroad, the average is about 4-5 weeks without ill. Thus, time is an important factor. It makes more sense for 3 weeks to Australia to fly, as it does for 1. But there is more to it than that. Tourism is not a priority. The compromise between time and money, Americans choose work and money. While I was home, it was a story on television about how a growing trend, there is only to take ONE week vacation. Two consecutive weeks is considered too many. It is a sign that your work is not important, are not a team player, or you are lazy. Workers are made to leave to feel guilty. And in this difficult job market, no one wants to seem set less than 110%.
Why the majority of Americans travel abroad a complex issue is not that as everything is more other cultural. Geography and costs are minor issues when compared with the meaning that we give to the work and insulation. As I said last year and have expanded on here, Americans traveling not because we simply not aware of the world and said that we scary it is out there does not have to BE instead go one week Florida with your.
change?
Last year I had said I had to see signs of hope that this will change. Younger people are more involved and more interested in the world. The Internet has made people to meet made more comfortable people around the world. But the cultural forces pushing against it strongly. A weak economy, a weak dollar and a weakening of the US seemed to make America more isolationist. I do not know the future. But I know that right now the Americans are still not traveling abroad. And, unfortunately, that will not change anytime soon.
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