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Why more Americans don't travel abroad
- Thread starter entremet
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I'm not talking about me as I know enough Spanish to get by. However, for the average american I can imagine its a barrier for them and they'd rather go someplace without learning those few words.
entremet
Member
That's the fun part, though.
Maybe, we as a culture, are just too accustomed to the familiar.
many places
Member
America has so much to offer and is much cheaper to travel in so why would i leave?
I do have a passport but not looking to travel anywhere except domestically in the near future.
I do have a passport but not looking to travel anywhere except domestically in the near future.
Giant desert, Tiny island(s), tiny country, Giant frozen desert , Tiny islands. Big incentive to travel I'd say.
30% isn't bad though. It could be higher but the incentive to get a passport if you don't intend to travel is pretty low and the hassle can be fairly high in the US now.
H.Protagonist
[-_-]/
Air prices do feel insanely jacked these days, but when I first started jumping out of the country on my own steam/resources (18), fear of the unknown seemed to be a big thing holding people back. They'd say how much they wanted to travel, but never made the leap because of X, Y, and Z. I feel sorry for those who don't make the journey if they have the means. And even if you don't, I did much of my early travel by exchanging work for ticket fare/lodging. You can make it happen if you're keen. Just go for it, people!
Laieon
Member
I agree that one of the biggest reasons is that we have enough variety in the US as it is and international travel is expensive. I have a passport, but I haven't had to use it for anything yet. I'm trying to get everything in place to teach in Korea though.
I haven't met anyone who wouldn't want to see the world, but it just isn't financially viable for quite a few people.
I haven't met anyone who wouldn't want to see the world, but it just isn't financially viable for quite a few people.
What is the average for most Western European nations?
Razgriz-Specter
Member
The US is so diverse that we don't really need to.
One of the(if not the) greatest cities on earth is New York,
And most Americans view Hawaii as the best romantic/exotic destination on earth.
Not much reason to travel outside the US unless you specifically want to see new cultures and locations,
If I want to go to Europe, I don't want to go for asingle week I want to go for 2 weeks to a month which is pretty hard to comeby forh jobs here.
One of the(if not the) greatest cities on earth is New York,
And most Americans view Hawaii as the best romantic/exotic destination on earth.
Not much reason to travel outside the US unless you specifically want to see new cultures and locations,
If I want to go to Europe, I don't want to go for asingle week I want to go for 2 weeks to a month which is pretty hard to comeby forh jobs here.
I'm surprised its that low
Zoe
Member
Gee, you think?
Phoenix
Member
The hassle to get a passport is about the same as mailing a letter. If you're willing to get a passport photo and fill out a form, you can get a passport pretty easily - albeit in a number of weeks.
terrisus
Member
Sho_Nuff82
Member
You have to go in person.
Phoenix
Member
It actually cost about as much to get to Paris as it does to travel to Hawaii for a large part of the United States. I'm supposed to be headed there in June and was absolutely amazed at how expensive it was to travel to Hawaii and Alaska from Atlanta - the busiest airport. It only got significantly cheaper if we flew out of California... but then of course you have to get to California.
Then why are so many in Berlin?
Phoenix
Member
There are a number of companies that handle the details through which you don't have to go in person. I've used "Passports and Visas" a number of times. The only time I had to deal with something in person recently was when I was going to Brazil and had to get the tourism visa. I didn't even need that for China, Vietnam, or Japan.
That's only true if you've never traveled through Japan though...
Fornaximus
Member
I would love more than anything to travel outside of the country. Not enough time or money to do so.
chickdigger802
Banned
well the US is about the size of many countries and there is pretty much a lifetime of stuff to explore and what not.
Still, when i have some time, i'd love to travel the world, just to eat different things.
I can google image most landmarks, but i can't 'taste' stuff through the internet.... yet.
Still, when i have some time, i'd love to travel the world, just to eat different things.
I can google image most landmarks, but i can't 'taste' stuff through the internet.... yet.
That's not even remotely the same.
With those giant monster attacks, how do you expect me to accomplish this?
gutter_trash
Banned
also you guys don't get many vacations days per year aslo
Many, many don't get any. I mean, my PTO is linked with sick days. So I can't really call that purely vacation time. You get ill at all, well there goes any hope to do anything at all.
Yes, and proximity is an issue. It's one thing to go to Italy or France from the UK, but if you're in America you have to cross an ocean to get to a first world country other than Canada (which is probably too similar to the US for many to bother).
freenudemacusers
Member
nevermind the 1000 year old sex demons.
As a Canadian I think this is the real reason and not the whole "America is so diverse" reasoning. My family didn't take me anywhere until I was able to gain a little independence and travel abroad while in my early twenties.
chickdigger802
Banned
true, but then i don't really care that much about landmarks tbh.
Only landmarks i'd like are the big scale things, from skyscrapers to canyons and big budha statues and what not, but that's about it
Yeah, but if you're going to Hawaii it's because you want to go some where tropical. You're not going to get that in Paris, and you can probably find much of what Paris offers in other American cities much cheaper. Also, the language barrier is probably intimidating for some.
How many Americans manage to visit Hawaii but not another country? Especially for people on the East Coast.
luckygodzilla
Member
It's travel expenses really.
Over in Europe, another country is usually no more than an extended road-trip away, here not so much.
Over in Europe, another country is usually no more than an extended road-trip away, here not so much.
sasimirobot
Junior Member
My first trip to Japan was 350$US round trip, that was 15 years ago though. You can still find cheap flights from LAX with carriers like Korean Air to many places in Asia (less than 700$) if you book ahead. But yeah, if you are on the east coast good luck...
You have to stay at least a week or more to make up for the investment in plan ticket and travel expense. But lets say you stay in Thailand for 10 days: RT ticket 800, guesthouse 5$ day, food and beer 10$ day, other randoms 10$ day, comes to about 100$ per day, you can spend much more than that visiting a place like San Francisco.
Its finding the time off that I think is the main problem, but if you can take the summer off you could even find part time work (private English tutor, etc...) in Asia to pay for some of your travel.
You have to stay at least a week or more to make up for the investment in plan ticket and travel expense. But lets say you stay in Thailand for 10 days: RT ticket 800, guesthouse 5$ day, food and beer 10$ day, other randoms 10$ day, comes to about 100$ per day, you can spend much more than that visiting a place like San Francisco.
Its finding the time off that I think is the main problem, but if you can take the summer off you could even find part time work (private English tutor, etc...) in Asia to pay for some of your travel.
entremet
Member
Paris has tons of variety and uniqueness. You really can't compare it to American cities. It's a different flavor .
jim-jam bongs
Member
Spoken like someone who has never been to Paris. If it doesn't interest you that's one thing, but the rationalisation that you can get a Paris experience in the states is completely wrong.
Out of curiosity, which country are you from, how much vacation time do you get, and does a doctor's visit cost you fifty thousand dollars?
Well get some exosuit or something man, idk. Jetpacks are good as well
Razgriz-Specter
Member
My edit expanded a little more on it.
If you are an average American(one who has never traved much),
You want to see one of the best cities in the world, what is
The most well known to you even if you haven't been there: New York
Nearest: New York
Cheapest to travel to: New York
The most landmarks and activities you know you want to see: probably New York
Common language New York, London
You can get on a plane and be there in a 1 to 4 1/2 hours, see nearly everything you want and return home the next day.
You can't really say the same about Paris. Eiffel Tower, the Louvre? You need more time to explore, more time to plan, more money, and a much longer flight.
So unless you specifically want to see Paris over any other city why not just pick New York?
Yeah you are getting a much different experience but you need to know exactly what your getting to want to go there specifically .
A lot/most Americans know exactly what to expect from most of the US, be it cultures or the cities, landmarks etc.
Laieon
Member
Sho_Nuff82
Member
That's $80-$250 on top of the normal passport fees.
Konka said:
Most of the agencies are only open for appointments during work hours on top of that. This same discussion has taken place in the voter ID threads - yes, for people with ample free time, flexible work hours, and money, obtaining a driver's license is a relatively simple and painless matter. For everyone else, who make up ~40% (number pulled from my arse) of the country, it's quite a bother. And there are ample places you can travel without going through that bother. My ex's sister and her husband have made it their goal to vacation in all 50 states, for example. That in and of itself is a massive endeavor, just factoring in Alaska and Hawaii.
I'm not arguing against travel, mind you. Simply pointing out that there are hurdles unique to the American situation, and the financial realities are simply not reconcilable for those who are not comfortably middle class.
Its like I need to kill someone, sell all their organs, save up for an exosuit, just to travel to japan so I can enjoy some authentic sushi and then flee for my life from some giant lizard/mountain with nuclear fire breath. That's too much for the average american.
B
bomb
Unconfirmed Member
Americans also love their toys. Boats, snowmobiles, trailers, jet skies, etc. extra money? Just buy new boats, snowmobiles, jet skies, etc.
I find the original article a little frustrating, to be honest. It starts off saying "the numbers tell the story" but then barely touches upon any numbers beyond comparing the number of passports issued in the United States to *two* other countries.
What I'd find interesting would be to identify the criteria that make international travel difficult, then calculate whether Americans actually do travel less abroad than they would be expected to. So, list off disposable income, vacation time, distance to travel, cost to travel, and so forth. Compute some number that identifies the difficulty to travel and the consequent expected travel per capita and see if the United States falls short.
And I would include desirability of domestic travel among those criteria. For example, 60% of Canadians have passports...but *where* do they travel?
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/arts37a-eng.htm
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/964071/canadians-love-red-white-and-blue-u-s-cities-top-travellers-lists
Big surprise, right? By and large they travel to American cities.
Of course, all of that would take a lot of effort. It's much easier to say stuff like, "Americans are comfortable at home" and "Americans aren't open to experiencing new cultures."
What I'd find interesting would be to identify the criteria that make international travel difficult, then calculate whether Americans actually do travel less abroad than they would be expected to. So, list off disposable income, vacation time, distance to travel, cost to travel, and so forth. Compute some number that identifies the difficulty to travel and the consequent expected travel per capita and see if the United States falls short.
And I would include desirability of domestic travel among those criteria. For example, 60% of Canadians have passports...but *where* do they travel?
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/arts37a-eng.htm
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/964071/canadians-love-red-white-and-blue-u-s-cities-top-travellers-lists
Big surprise, right? By and large they travel to American cities.
Of course, all of that would take a lot of effort. It's much easier to say stuff like, "Americans are comfortable at home" and "Americans aren't open to experiencing new cultures."
#Americanstruggles
Bulbo Urethral Baggins
Banned
I'd love to jet ski to your country.
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