Last year, I wrote an article about why Americans don’t travel overseas. It still ranks as my most popular post, sparking both agreement and controversy. In an 800 word post that could take up a novel, I tried to explain why Americans don’t travel overseas. Many people agreed with me, many people didn’t. No matter what we all agreed that Americans should travel more.
The current percentage of Americans that own a passport is now around 21% up from 15% years ago. Unfortunately, this common statistic that is hard to back up as the state department doesn’t really keep records. Yet the number of Americans who traveled overseas has decreased overall since 2006. (Source: OTTI) So why did we all go get passports? Because we are now required to have passports for travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. In fact, Mexico travel is up while European travel is down. Americans didn’t find a new sense of adventure. They still not traveling. And the reasons remain the same.
Are Geography and Cost really relevant?
Many people countered my argument by saying that geography and cost were big factors but if cost and geography played a role in determining where you traveled, no one would ever travel. Yet New Zealand is the middle of nowhere and how many more Kiwis do you meet traveling than Americans? How many more Aussies? Poverty is poverty. No matter where you are in the world, if you don’t have money, you don’t travel. But is it that much more expensive to fly from America? Nope! A flight from LAX to BKK is $787 dollars. A flight from London to BKK is $654. A flight from Sydney to BKK is $794. Americans bear no extra cost burden relative to the rest of the world.
And the geography argument? Well, I’ll get to that one in a second.
Fear, Awareness, and Priorities
The reasons why Americans don’t travel overseas can be mostly explained by one thing: cultural ignorance. Many people in the previous post assumed I meant Americans were stupid. I wasn’t implying that. Americans are ignorant in that they don’t know about the world. We all have seen the Jay walking clips and the skits on TV where Americans can’t name foreign leaders or countries. Moreover, as education budgets continue to get slashed, humanity courses are usually the first to go meaning people learn very little world history. In some states, the whole world has to be explained in one year. Additionally, surveys show that news agencies devoted only 10.3% to foreign overage in 2008 (source) while oddly, 13% went to some polygamy case in Texas. Americans are simply not told about the world or clamoring to know about it.
And why should they be? Politicians and media paint the world as a scary place, filled with crime, hate, terrorists. Bill O’Reilly, a man who clearly has never been to Amsterdam, has called that city a cesspool. (Twice!) My mother constantly tells me when I go anywhere in the world to “be careful” as if the world is a big scary place. Many of my old co-workers do the same. We are constantly told that there is great anti-Americanism in the world- wherever you go, people will dislike you. (A fallacy that is rarely disproven in media). Moreover, America’s hegemony since WW2 has ensured that we have been the dominant force in the world. Despite the rise of China, Brazil, and India, our politicians tell us everything in America is the best (yet #38 in health care). Countries will always do what we want. America is the leader. We are the city upon a hill. An when you are the best, why go to “godforsaken” countries where they hate you for being American and might rob you?
And this is why geography does play a role in why Americans don’t travel. It’s not that America’s size makes travel prohibitive, its size is important because people feel there is no reason to leave. We don’t need to travel to “big scary places” when we have deserts, tropical islands, mountains, endless summer, wilderness, snow, and more. Every landscape can be found within America’s large borders. You can have everything you want here. A friend from Iowa once joined me in Thailand. When she told her co-workers about it, their response was “Thailand? Where is that? Why would you go there? If you want a beach, go to Florida.”
Lastly, travel is often viewed as a sign of weakness. Americans typically get about two weeks of travel per year. Overseas, the average is about 4-5 weeks, not including sick leave. So time is a major factor. It makes more sense to fly to Australia for 3 weeks than it does for 1. But there is more too it than that. Travel is not a priority here. In the trade off between time and money, Americans choose work and money. While I was home, there was a story on TV how there is a growing trend to take only ONE week of vacation. Two consecutive weeks is considered too many. It’s a sign that your work isn’t important, you aren’t a team player, or you are lazy. Workers are made to feel guilty about leaving. And, in this tough job market, no one wants to seem less than 110% committed.
Why the majority of Americans don’t travel abroad is a complex issue that is more cultural than anything else. Geography and cost are minor issues when compared with the importance we give work and isolation. As I said last year, and have expanded upon here, Americans don’t travel because we are simply uninformed about the world and told that we don’t need to be- it’s scary out there, go to Florida with your one week instead.
Change?
Last year, I had said I had seen signs of hope that this will change. Younger people are more engaged and more interested in the world. The internet has made people more at ease meeting people around the world. But the cultural forces pushing against them are strong. A weak economy, a weak dollar, and a weakening US have seemed to make America more isolationist. I don’t know the future. But I do know that right now, Americans still aren’t traveling overseas. And, sadly, that won’t change any time soon.
Education budgets are NOT getting continually slashed. Education spending per pupil has soared over the past 40 years. This is a nice myth propagated courtesy of teachers unions.
http://www.aei.org/issue/20303
That study uses absolute numbers but doesn’t seem to factor in inflation, GDP, or cost of living. So yes the real number has increased but that is like saying food is more expensive now than it was when my grandmother bought her dollar worth of groceries even though as a percentage of income, people actually spend less on food now. Here you go on:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23116409/
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/30/local/me-rally30
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=86486
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/michigan/news.newsmain/article/0/7/1568572/Education/Emergency.Meeting.on.State.Education.Budget.Cuts.
It depends, if you lesson to Lou Dobbs thats right, but if you lesson to my wife, a teacher in public school, the story is different than what you believe.
I can say from experience that a goodly number of people in the Midwest don’t travel overseas because they either believe the Fox-hype that the foreigners will try to pull one over on them, feel that they can get everything they need in more either a few counties over or at Disneyworld, or simply don’t have the money to make it to the coast, much less across the ocean.
Which is sad, because a big part of why there is so much widespread and easily-stoked ignorance in the Midwest is that few people there get out and get the truth. Then, because of this ignorance, fewer people feel the need to.
It’s a vicious cycle and one that I don’t see ending soon unless Dobbs goes on TV and declares France to be a new American tourist Mecca, complete with all-you-can-eat specials, Budlight and Superbowl Sunday EVERY day.
Nice observations!
I always thought it was unusual that despite the large population of America and the not so large population of New Zealand and the Scandanavian countries, I always meet a lot more people from the later than the former when traveling, especially for SE Asia.
Silly Americans have absolutely no idea of what they are missing out on.
I think just saying its due to fear and lack of desire about the outside world is a bit simplistic.
Australians travel because we get holidays, and because its culturally acceptable (and in some cases expected) that we travel. Many employers in Australia would look at a resume with a 1-year gap and understand that travel is part of a learning process. Many actually encourage it. The perception I have of American employers is that they’d look at this as a sign that someone is unpredictable and maybe a work-shy layabout.
We (yes I’m an Aussie) get a minimum of 4-weeks holidays each year on top of public holidays – in the US its often only 2 weeks.
In that situation I can understand why Americans don’t travel more. What I can’t understand is why Americans don’t stand up to “the man”, and how you can handle getting by with so little free time.
I couldn’t agree more. I travel a lot, but never was asked about the gaps between jobs in my cv/resume during interviews in OZ or NZ, but in Canada (I am sure in States would be the same) usually took 5-10 minutes to explain it andnot many appreciated such life style.
We don’t stand up to the man for several reasons
#1 Many people think this is the way it should be and would have no idea what to do with a 4 weeks vacation or a year off. In fact we are so work addicted that if people aren’t working for any length of time, people in this country get angry enough to be violent. Witness ammunition sales
#2 We can and will be easily laid off or replaced and are one paycheck from ruin anyway. The US has some shreds of a social welfare system but is not a Social Democracy
#3 The “man” owns our government, all parties, most media and almost all candidates. This makes normal political action useless. Protests are ignored and votes are stolen
#4 We have little in common with each other anyway and that makes it hard to agree on anything . Outside the work sphere life and values are so radically different sphere that this might as well be five or six countries.
I do still think that vacation time has a huge amount to do with it. And sure you can spin that as somewhat of a choice, but it’s not really; it’s an institutional choice that many of us don’t get a say in. Sure, you could demand more, but chances are you won’t get it, and especially in today’s economy where people are begging for jobs period, most people aren’t going to pass up a paying job because the vacation time is too short. It’s a sad state of affairs that businesses haven’t become more enlightened, haven’t seen that we aren’t any more productive because we spend more time in the office. I don’t know how to change that though. We can’t all be self-employed (especially if we don’t get some kind of health care reform!).
We love to travel obviously but with real jobs and limited vacation time, I can say that you probably won’t see us packing up to go halfway around the world on most of our upcoming vacations. You just lose so much time in the travel and so many of those places demand more than a week’s stay. I can understand why Americans chose to vacation in Mexico and the Caribbean; you just need a few hours to get there, meaning most of your vacation is available for vacation, not travel. I think the more people do travel, the more they’ll see that the pain of getting somewhere can be worth it, even for a short trip, but we generally don’t give people the time they need to discover that in the first place.
Time is a factor. Like I said, it doesn’t make sense to fly all the way to Australia for a week but Europe is just as close form the east coast as California and from Cali, Central America is only a few hours away.
You hit the nail on the head with “cultural ignorance.” I live next door in Canada, though only some of you have heard of us, and I’m constantly surprised by Americans’ obliviousness about the rest of the world.
True story: I was at the Louvre last week and encountered a group of American tourists. While I give them credit for leaving the country, I overhead one woman say, “They have a statue called Venus de Milo here. It’s famous. I don’t know why, but we should probably go see it.”
… ok just re-read your article and noticed that you mention the holidays
Love the follow-up to the post Matt.
It’s not just American media that’s trying to keep people in a state of fear, the idea of the world being a dangerous place has begun to be seen here in Canada as well. Statistically Canadians do travel more often, however I’ve noticed that same perception when I come home from overseas travel – kind of a shock and awe- some people accept it, some are jealous, others (including some of my own family) dismiss it as a waste of time & money. “You should be working on your career….Earning a living, etc”
The one thing I noticed while traveling overseas was how location specific this “state of fear” has been taking hold. I lost count of how many people from Vancouver, Toronto, & Montreal I met, a sign that they aren’t letting the media have a say in their habits. However I rarely ran into people from parts of Western and Central Canada (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Western Ontario, etc) When asking some of my own friends from those areas, none of them seem to have an interest in traveling overseas. The common answer was “Why would I leave, I’ve got everything I need here, good job, friends, good economy” – Their vacation time consists of a 1 week all inclusive vacation to Mexico. To each their own I guess, but it is awfully depressing to see such a lack of global interest in people my own age.
Matt! I love these articles, I really do
The highpoint of my RSS feed today (and I have way too many subscriptions!)
As Holgs said above, I think European/Australian etc. culture encourages the gap year a lot more. Language is also a big issue; in Ireland for example you cannot even study at university unless you have two non-English languages up to a decent level (Irish Gaelic and usually French or German); the latter language because we as a small country and economy depend on our neighbours, who speak other languages. The importance of English for foreigners means that not having travelled, especially to an English speaking country, for a medium-term stay, leaves a huge gap on your CV and job prospects. This argument doesn’t work for Australia/NZ though, since they don’t depend on neighbouring countries as much as we do in Europe. In that case the gap year may be encouraged for personal development purposes as you said. Sadly, America seems to focus more on professional development instead. So it may just be cultural. I was amazed by the “cultural ignorance” of non-travelled Americans in the 9 months that I was there… and that was in California and NY…
One thing that is more universal though; my mother also constantly tells me to “be careful” when going to all these ‘dangerous’ countries. That’s also a generation issue, not so much a cultural one. For the record, that’s not just Americans, almost all mothers do that
I think it all starts with education. With no emphasis on learning a foreign language, or learning about world history, how can we expect people to know or care about other parts of the world? Why go to all these places you know nothing about?
I am Canadian and have traveled…some but upon meeting American’s on my trips, I have to say that your assessment and points are all seemingly valid. I found that the Americans I met were either afraid of things or very open and willing to try new things. The ones who were scared I commended for traveling but at the same time wondered what was the point if not showing any interest expanding was not interested (I am talking food, mixing with the locals etc). This is just something I noticed and in no way reflects all Americans (obviously!) but it was interesting though. In Canada, it is said that ~51% of Canadians hold a passport and I think I can agree. We also only get the crap 2 weeks vacation per year but everyone I know has been out of the country at some point in their lives. Many have visited the world over. At work, almost everyone takes some sort of trip on their vacation-either back to their home country (Canada is a melting pot) or the caribbean or Europe or the Far East.
Also, almost all the Americans I met (especially in Germany) admitted that they lied and said they were Canadian to be treated better. I thought that was the strangest thing ever but….I guess true?
What a well written article… I really enjoyed the read. I agree with you 100% you have no idea how many people get into arguments with me about the same subject matter. I for one have not traveled nearly as much as you but I’m definetly going to get there. This year alone I have been to 6 countries (Domincan Republic, Enlgand, Irelan, Peru, Argentina and Brazil). If people were less concerned with the idea of money and just more open minded about what’s in the world they would see that there isn’t a price tag that can be put on the experiences had on these trips. Another thing that one does to limit their experience is the (All Inclusive) way of traveling which really isn’t traveling its a vacation that isn’t really worth the $$$.
I am far from a history buff and never really enjoyed the subject being taught in school, but upon touching down in an unfamiliar place with the limited knowledge gained from google; I gain a history lesson like no book could ever give. To hear someone talk about their country with the love and passion means so much more than you can ever get from anything in pictures. Seriously, how does one really describe a place like Machu Picchu to another who has never been there? You simply can’t put an actual mind blowing experience in words.
I love how you touched upon “If you want a beach, go to Florida.” This is something I have a lot of debates with because I think Florida is completely overrated being from the Caribbean. I refuse to even step one foot in a beach here in the US. I have been pampered with amazing beaches to settle for less and I know when I hit Thailand that I will be blown away even further.
I only wish I could travel more and till this day refuse to take a vacation day unless im heading on a flight somewhere…
All in all great post Thank You.
A great article. Travel has been my passion ever since I went to Switzerland at the age of 16. The experience opened my eyes to so many new and wonderful things. Three years later I got a job in Germany, learned the language and saw some of the country, then landed a job in a travel agency in London specializing in ski vacations. I should add I’m English so we are more open to travel because I think it is easier and cheaper in that we are so close to other European countries, Scandinavia, etc. Also, our histories have been intertwined over the centuries so this is a crucial part of our education. The US does have wonderful places to visit and let’s face it, flying is torture these days. I am literally in pain after a long flight! And those security lines, with armed guards, barked orders to remove shoes, put computers in bins, etc. etc., confiscated goods, hey, the rules change daily, hourly, who knows what to expect! I do believe if airlines treated passengers like special welcome guests (as on luxury cruise lines) with friendly words, decent food, room to move, fresh air circulation, a lot more Americans would travel and those that do would travel more. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I’m traveling to New Zealsnd soon to visit my son and his wife who have very sensibly sailed there on their 41ft ketch. Can I plug BBC World News? Or any other European TV news station – they have world news, news of important happenings all over. Thanks again for a great article.
“I love how generalized people from the U.S. are! Man, they are so stupid for not traveling!” That way of thinking is incredibly ignorant. The United States of America is a massive country so I can understand the want to discover the incredible diversity that the U.S. has to offer. Sure, the U.S. has a common language but if you were to visit Maine, then New Mexico, then Kansas, then Arkansas, then Oregon, then Michigan you would say to yourself “Am I still in the same country?”
If people don’t want to travel abroad then who cares, it is none of my business how one wants to spend his or her life. It isn’t my job to say to people, “traveling abroad was a great experience for me so YOU should do the same!” Because they don’t think like me doesn’t make me better or less ignorant then they are.
A former co-worker of mine has only been to two countries outside of the U.S. – Perú and the U.K. and people gave him shit for only having two stamps in his passport. But this man completed what is known in the backpacking community (not “hostel hopping” community) the “Triple Crown” meaning he has hiked from the Mexican border into Canada twice via Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and the International Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Canada) taking him about four and a half months each to achieve. I guarantee that he has more travel experience then a European “hostel hopper” with a 95L backpack buried in a Lonely Planet guide book. I love those people that claim, for example, that they’ve been to 33 countries but when you ask them how much time they’ve spent in each country it is often only a few days to a few weeks in “backpacker” hostels. Sure, he or she has the stamps but only skimmed through the countries in order to say, “Look at me! Look which countries I’ve visited!”.
I used to have that state of mind while hitchhiking at the age of 19 from La Guajira, Colombia to Buenos Aires, Argentina (it took me 13 months to complete). I used to believe that those whom didn’t travel abroad were more ignorant than I was. But with time I had realized that I was ignorant for generalizing entire peoples and thinking that my lifestyle was for everyone.
Best of luck on all of your travels. Remember, the more stamps one has in his passport doesn’t necessarily signify more impressive experiences.
I was wondering when I’d get a comment that would imply I’m some elitist…..
For starters, I hope people explore the US. It’s beautiful. Secondly, I’m not people are saying they are stupid (ie dumb) for not traveling overseas or should lead a life exactly like mine because it is ohh so great. In fact, I don’t care if you do- whether you backpack, flashpack, take a tour, drive an RV, cruise, or whatever- all I want to see is that more people travel! Why?
Because, forgetting the social benefits of knowing where people coming from and the politics of understanding, the US is not competitive when we just ignore the rest of the world. The world is globalized and we helped make it that way and now we see the rise of these countries and we don’t know what to do. People above mentioned education- I am for mandatory learning of at least 1 language and at least 2 years of world history. Why? Because how can we do business with the world and remain competitive on a global scale, when we have no understanding of the world and 6 in 10 Americans still can’t point to Iraq on a map!
Also, read my past posts- I hate stamp collectors. Traveling to a place for 3 days is not traveling to a place, like you said, it is getting a stamp. I am all about slow travel. Spend more time in a place to get to know it. Fast travel is just about getting stamps and pictures and meaningless.
You inferred a lot from my arguments about issues I didn’t even talk about but since you brought them up, that is what I have to say.
What’s wrong with stamp collecting? Quick travel isn’t really my thing either, but if that’s what floats your boat why not?
Having said that I still find it irritating when people count the Vatican city as a “country” to add to their tally!
@Kevin… hope you’re enjoying Medellin – thought I recognised that name!
The weakened dollar definitely has a strong affect on Americans not traveling. Also considering that many of the popular places where Americans travel, such as Europe, is expensive at the moment. The quintessentially American travel experience is backpacking through Europe, not as much backpacking through South America for example (although it is changing slightly). You are right that many people take the ’safe route.’ While traveling throughout South America I rarely met people from the US, but lots more from Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and Canada. Most were traveling because they had a lot of vacation time or a year off after college or the military. It is unfortunate that most Americans don’t get much vacation time (which is probably a big reason for the lack of long-term travel), but overall I do agree that Americans do not value travel as much as some other cultures do.
Nice observations!
I always thought it was unusual that despite the large population of America and the not so large population of New Zealand and the Scandinavian countries, I always meet a lot more people from the later than the former when travelling, especially for SE Asia.
I believe that the language barrier is a huge factor why so many Americans don’t travel oversees. In a country where the concept of “foreign language” in the school system does not exist, why would foreign travel have any success?
Totally agree. With no emphasis on the rest of the world, why would people even care to travel there? Moreover, beyond the social benefit, how can we expect the US to be a global player and stay economically competitive when most people can’t even point out China on a map. World knowledge and understanding not only helps society it helps the economy.
It is an interesting topic, and one I can only contribute as a kiwi. NZers do travel a lot but this has been a large part of our psyche. The big OE was built into NZers as we grew up, our parents travelled and often grandparents etc. I left NZ when I was 19 and ended up in London doing what most Kiwis and Ozzies did. Americans have a very different outlook on life compared with other peoples which will take time to change. Although I haven’t meet many US travellers on my trips, I have come across a large number of US expats, so maybe people aren’t travelling but choosing to live abroad instead.
I’d say there’s a prevailing ignorance about the power of poverty in this country. “Poverty is poverty.” That’s a little oversimplified isn’t it? Look at Katrina. Look at how many poor people were displaced and don’t have two cents to rub together. That’s the face of America, and that’s why no one can afford to travel. Many people are struggling just to make ends meet. You can’t compare us to Sweden. It DOES cost more to travel from the U.S. and it DOES cost more to live in the U.S. and they don’t have as many social and other problems such as poverty, immigration, health care… There is no ONE factor here that answers the question of why Americans don’t travel abroad as much as other countries.
Actually, I can and will compare to Sweden. Sweden is ridiculously expensive. My Swedish friends love the fact that when they go to the US, everything they have is so cheap. Swedes pay between 40-60% of their income in taxes plus a 10% VAT on purchases. Granted, it is much cheaper than Olso but still expensive, especially for food. Sweden doesn’t have those problems you mentioned because they not to have those problems.
and as my numbers suggest above, it does NOT cost more to travel outside the US. Go to expedia, search a bunch of cities, you’ll prices are relatively the same or cheaper.
But I do agree with you on one point: It is a combination of factors that cause this.
This is an interesting topic and a lot of great points have been discussed so far. While my travel has not been extensive, I have traveled several times to other countries and I fully intend to continue to travel. I used to fall into that category of not having much vacation time and I think this is a major reason why people don’t travel. I worked in the corporate world and my three weeks of vacation time had to be carefully allotted for the entire year (and had to account for unexpected sick days). With limited vacation time, I still chose to travel abroad (learning immediately that one week in Fiji is not enough!) I was that person that started taking two weeks off and got a lot of grief from coworkers about taking too much time away from the office. I was always amazed at those who could not understand why I would want to travel overseas. And, I still don’t understand, really.
What bothers me more now, though, is not just the lack of travel overseas, but even just the lack of travel in our own country. Earlier this year, my husband and I sold the majority of our belongings and packed up the rest in an Airstream travel trailer and set off to explore the US. I spent so many years wanting to leave the country to see other cultures, that I never really took the time to see my own country. My husband is fortunate enough to have a job that allows this freedom. I had to go the unemployment route ( but we make it work. And, I must say, we live in an impressive country. So, while I would encourage more Americans to travel abroad and learn about different cultures, I would also encourage Americans to stop going to the same condo at the same beach every year and check out what the rest of this country has to offer. (I’m originally from the south and nearly everyone goes to the same Florida beach every summer!) I hope that when I have children, I instill in them a desire to travel, learn about new places, and see the world!
America is a beautiful country and driving across it a few years ago, really amazed me. I agree that time is an issue but if you can fly 6 hours to California, you can fly to Europe. It’s hard to travel when the bossman says you only get a week. That being said, even in that week most people now seem to prefer the “staycation” than even traveling around the US.
Maybe my experience was unusual, but in nearly seven months of travelling in Central & South America, I met more Americans than I did any other nationality apart from Brits – and by quite some margin, I reckon.
I say is a combination of all of the above.
Americans tend to be more career-oriented, more keeping up with the Joneses. Would I say we are more materialistic? Absolutely. Travel for many is deemed frivolous. If it does not line my pockets with money or make me look/feel/smell better than the next person, it is not worthwhile.
Maybe we can change that, one person at a time…
As a Canadian, I think that school costs might have something to do with it. I was educated in Canada and my law school tuition was $3500 a year. When I quit to travel the world my US colleagues were dumbfounded; they were still paying off thousands and thousands of dollars in debt. While I agree that many other socio-economic factors are relevant, it’s important not to discount the staggering cost of tuition.
Just the other day, I was saying to a Brazilian friend, “Why don’t more of your countrymen go out and explore the world? Aren’t you guaranteed four weeks of vacation? Maybe Brazil could pull itself out of third-world status if only your ignorant citizens stopped wasting their precious money on such frivolities as food, housing, medical care, education for their children, and transportation to their jobs that don’t pay much and instead focused on expanding their horizons by meditating in a yurt in Mongolia.”
It sounds less rational to make that argument when you replace it with almost any other nationality, doesn’t it? Why do you think Americans aren’t affected by the same factors that prevent the majority of people from extensively traveling outside their home country? Sure, there are Americans who uninterested in or scared of the rest of the world or who want a tidy, homogenized experience when traveling, but those kind of people exist everywhere.
Americans are often underpaid and overworked in comparison to their foreign counterparts, they have expenses that those living in countries with socialist policies rarely have to worry about, and they likely have personal responsibilities that are simply higher in priority than traipsing off to Bangkok to get a US$10 foot massage from a young woman who works 15 hours or more each day (and does things other than foot massages) to support her entire family back in her rural village.
Travel is a luxury and a privilege, and for people like you and me, a hobby or a lifestyle. It’s no different than those who restore classic cars or spend hours each day playing WoW. I’d consider it a waste of my time, but they’re no less legitimate choices. I know it’s difficult for you to imagine, but some people aren’t interested in traveling and still others find the whole experience stressful rather than relaxing or enlightening.
You say that there’s been an uptick in Americans applying for passports because “we are now required to have passports for travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.” So, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean countries aren’t “foreign” enough for you? They don’t have sufficient history or culture to pass your rigorous testing for what counts as “traveling abroad”? Is it because they’re in close proximity to the US or because you think you know better than everyone else as to what constitutes meaningful travel?
I know plenty of Europeans who rarely leave their own countries, and when they do, it’s usually to a nearby country that is easily accessible via car, train or a budget airline. And when they do leave Europe, they tend to spend much of their time in hostels and clubs partying.
I’ve lived outside of the US for more than three years, and I’ve found that because it’s such a sacrifice money-and-time-wise for Americans to travel and because most are aware of and fearful of embodying the “Ugly American” stereotype, they’re more likely to take time to appreciate what a country has to offer. If you really think non-Americans view travel as some kind of mystical retreat, you’ve obviously never been surrounded by Australians, Brits and Germans at a beach resort in Thailand.
And to Stephen, who thinks he’s going to be blown away by Thai beaches, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but… they’re no Caribbean beaches.
I disagree- Thai beaches are better…..you just got to go to places away from the huge development….Ko Tarutao park for example.
I answered some of this in my response to “kevin post” but continuing… Never once did I say travel was some mystical experience. I’ve been around plenty of annoying drunk aussies and brits in Thailand…I’ve lived there for many years. I was simply staying why Americans as a whole travel overseas less….I don’t care if Americans go on some mystical retreat or take a cruise or join a rick steve’s tour….I just want people to travel more.
And as I said before, poor is poor. Poor people from around the world who can’t afford to send their kids to college aren’t going to be traveling around the world but that doesn’t make travel some privilege or elitist thing. I believe Sarah Palin used that argument to explain why she never got a passport. It’s a false argument. If you can afford to fly the family to Canada or Hawaii, you can afford to fly them to Europe or Central America.
What I gather from most of your argument is that “Travel is a privilege, a hobby that most people don’t care about or think is important.” Which is why most of my Americans friends say “I would love to travel more.” But they don’t because they believe it to be grossly expensive (it is not) and have no knowledge of the world so would rather go to some place they know.
You mention Mexico/Canada/Caribbean and if they aren’t foreign enough. Yes, they are foreign countries in the sense they aren’t the US but they are so institutionalized in American travel that Americans have really Americanized those places they go to in those countries. Cancun, Cozumel, Cabo- these aren’t Mexico. They are resorts. The Bahamas is about as foreign as Miami. When I mean “foreign” I mean places far away like Africa, South America, Asia, Australia…even that study by the government tourism office distinguishes Canada/Mexico travel from foreign travel.
The myth of the ugly American and that Americans are hated are simply that myths- in fact the worst western tourists in the world were the French not the Americans. (http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2008/06/survey_hoteliers_pick_the_worl.html)
To sum this all up: Travel is some not luxurious privilege. If you think that, then you are traveling in some sort of luxury that even people like me can’t afford. You can travel very cheaply if you know where to look for deals, which is why my website exists- I am trying to show people you can travel cheap. Because you can. Even if you aren’t rich. Yes, the guy that is on unemployment can’t take a holiday to France but neither can the person doing the same in England or living in a favella in Brazil.
Stellar post, sir.
And brave, because there will be folk that will deliberately misinterpret what you’re saying (“Americans are stooopid???”) so they can have a nice conservative flamey rant.
You’re absolutely right. It’s not about intelligence, it’s about insularity. I’m a big believer that those who shout the loudest have seen the least. It’s easy to have a fanatical opinion when you’ve failed to grasp the breadth and complexity of the argument. This is why Bill O’Reilly is popular: it’s lazy, insular thinking, stringing together thoughts of least resistance, without any distracting challenging of assumptions. It’s reassuring and comforting, but breeds arrogance and dumb behaviour.
Travel is all about seeing that nothing in this world is clear-cut. Most of your assumptions melt like ice-cubes under a blowtorch. For this reason, it’s a powerful tool for our brains to use, whatever we do in life. We’re built to thrive on variety. We’re *fixed* by variety. We improve as a social species.
America is the example here, but I’d certainly include the UK too. The political rise of the British National Party, coupled with the whole “Brits on the p***” resort culture that is still strong….it reeks of ignorance and arrogance. Very worrying.
I love this post. I agree that the reasons are many, and think lack of holiday time and the idea that America is best are huge driving factors. It can’t possibly be the money, as we continue to be one of the richest nations in the world. We’re just too concerned with a bigger house and cooler car to spend our money on travel.
I think we need to start teaching our young children about all the world has to offer, and make it sound exciting rather than scary to travel!
Well, anytime anyone tries to talk about nationalities in general they run into trouble. At some point you have to generalize – and obviously that’s no good, because every nation is made up of a diverse bunch of people so you can’t possibly cover them all. That said, I’m about to generalize…
I would guess that the theme underlying all of this is not so much that Americans don’t travel as much as other folk do, but that they seem to have less of an idea about what’s going on the world – and yet they’re the ones in charge. Take the following examples…
1)”Americans are often underpaid and overworked in comparison to their foreign counterparts…”
2)“Poverty is poverty.” That’s a little oversimplified isn’t it? Look at Katrina. Look at how many poor people were displaced and don’t have two cents to rub together. That’s the face of America, and that’s why no one can afford to travel.”
3)”Oh, you’re from England! Is that in London?”
4) “My mother cried when I told her I was going to Africa. She said it was the dark continent and that I’d never come back.”
5) And finally, Sarah Palin.
Let’s look a little closer at those…
1) I’m not sure which foreign counterparts you’re talking about here. Surely not the children sold into slavery across the world, those working in sweatshops or even moving rapidly up the ranks to doctors, dentists and actors in Europe? Let us know who you had in mind otherwise there’s a danger that it sounds like you mean that Americans are worse off than most people in the world…if that’s the case then I can happily break it to you that they’re not. By a long, long way.
2) Hurricane Katrina was awful. Let’s just get that out of the way at the start. Yet this comment seems to imply that this natural disaster explains why “no-one” in America can travel – because they only have two cents to rub together. I watched the Katrina coverage with refugees from the Sudan, Nigeria and Croatia – and they were all stunned that the victims received so MUCH aid and shocked by how angry people were that they didn’t get more. I’m not taking a stand here on how the disaster was managed or meaning to minimize the nightmare it must have been for the people involved – just illustrating that things are a lot worse in the rest of the world.
3) Just in case you thought I was getting too serious by now…yes, it’s true. I’ve met a lot of Americans who don’t know where, who or what England is. I’m slightly frightened, since England’s supposed to be an ally and is in G8 and all…but then…do I know the capital of Chad? Can I tell you the name of the president of Guatemala without the help of Google? Absolutely not. So I’m just as bad. Actually, it’s probably not fair that people expect more from Americans – we know your language, your leaders and your scenery from Hollywood
You have no such luck.
4) Although this comment surprised me at the time – I’ve got to agree with Benny. Most mothers cry and worry when their children travel
5) Can’t bring myself to write about her.
Would travelling more change any of this? Maybe yes, maybe no. Personally, I’m less bothered about whether or not people travel but I AM bothered when people don’t seem to realise that life goes on outside the borders of their own country with any kind of realistic perspective – particularly when they’re the ones voting for the government that sets the world’s agenda. See, I don’t get to vote for the US president (and leader of the world stage). All I can do is leave comments on a blog
Thanks Matt for the chance to respond to the comments on your blog – even though they’ve veered away from your original post. Curse you, however, for drawing me in here! I’ve got other work to be getting on with y’know!
For me it’s just time and money. It’s not ignorance. It’s not fear. Any areas I’m afraid of I’d avoid, but I’m not afraid of everywhere outside of the US. It’s time and money. Plus, there is so much I want to see in the US, as well. You are right that we have amazing things here and I have a desire to see my own backyard as much as other countries (I consider Canada part of my own backyard). So really, it’s time and money and being able to do it all, everything I want, which includes both exploring this amazing country as well as others. But believe me, I’m trying to work some foreign travel in. If we were self-employed and had enough money to be responsible at home as well as travel extensively, you’d see me on a plane to Europe immediately. I’m working on it.
What a brilliant, articulate article. So often I’ve had discussions with fellow Americans about traveling more and one of the common responses is that he or she has no desire to travel outside of the U.S.A. and in the same breath will express the view that there is so much to see in ones own country. I have friends who have no desire whatsoever to see other countries which I have never been able to comprehend. Why limit yourself to one culture?
Very well thought out article. I think this is the golden nugget:
“Why the majority of Americans don’t travel abroad is a complex issue that is more cultural than anything else. Geography and cost are minor issues when compared with the importance we give work and isolation.”
I’m sure there is some truth to the “world is a scary place” argument, but I have not come across that in my personal experience.
I have been to New Zealand on more than one occasion and have made friends there. I also worked in a tourist town, where I got to meet and converse with Europeans. I agree that it is largely cultural; Americans take “vacations”, while Europeans take “holidays” (in New Zealand, this was described locally as a “tikki tour”. These cultures encourage seeing the world and experiencing other cultures; American culture is more about having an experience, and because of that, I think it’s more a function of convenience (a staple of American culture) than fear that keeps most of them stateside. Obtaining a passport is actually an investment of time and resources that I think many American travelers see as unnecessary work and expense.
As you say, there are more diverse options within our own country than can be seen in one lifetime. And I don’t think you can rule out that the percentage of general advertising for overseas destinations is minute compared to how many times one sees a Disney ad or something promoting tourism within a person’s own state. This also would align with the idea that what is made easy for an American is likely to be a preferred option.
I would also add that American families grow up with an expectation to have an annual vacation. Other cultures do not have that expectation, and are therefore willing to wait longer and thus save more money towards an extended trip abroad. Most Americans could not fathom a vacation longer than a week away from the “daily grind”, for fear of becoming behind in their work. Americans play hard, whereas other cultures around the world live at a different pace, and this too is reflected in their leisure habits.
I believe Americans can learn a lot from their overseas counterparts in terms of how to relax, and how to partake of life. But it’s hard to miss something when you don’t know what you’re missing. It just may be that the American “style” of vacationing fits best within the overall American lifestyle, and the way Europeans and others travel is a function of their overall lifestyles as well.
Nice article.
Interesting piece with a lot of good arguments, many of which I agree with on a general basis.
On a personal level, money does play a big role, as does the size and scope of the U.S. I’ve been overseas several times (and would love to go again!), but a recent trip to Colorado, where I had never been before, reminded me that I haven’t yet seen most of the U.S. Even that has a high cost to it at times since I don’t travel alone (I travel w/my husband). Getting together the money for the cost of two is, well, double the expense. There are, as you pointed out, the time constraints as well. That leads to a Catch-22 wherein we would love to travel more but to have the money to travel involves working which means taking whatever vacation time we get. (I wish we had a more European attitude towards work and vacation, by the way. 2 weeks is not enough. I can’t imagine going to 1 week!)
Well, if the world has a bad optinion about people from the US, then that should be the best argument to travel more. I have to say sometimes i fall for this bullshit of stereotypes, but i only need to meet one decent person to be reminded of this stupid prejudice. How can the world chance it’s optinion if you guys just stay at home?
I notices that many US citizen relocate for living. Maybe It’s either stay at home of move everything. All or nothing
Yeah, its an interesting topic… It’s so sad how little time people get to themselves in America. Vacation time is a joke, and I agree that it can be frowned upon by coworkers/employers if you’re wanting to take too much at once… and when you only get x days, you want to make the most of it by traveling somewhere a bit closer.
I hate that aspect of American culture. What I really think is funny is that – being someone who hasn’t even been home in over a year now – my parents have never even been out of the country… OR HAVE PASSPORTS. wtf?
Hi Matt, here is an interesting stat – there have been over 6 million overseas trips taken by Australians this year (I’m one of them!) out of a population of 21 million. http://ow.ly/15ZSGS
Most of the Yanks (slang for Americans) I do meet overseas travelling (except for the frat party boys) all want to have experiences and have the same experience-seeking mindset like the rest of us travellers, and it’s hard to pigeon-hole all Americans as non-travellers!
I also find that the more I learn about other countries, the more I learn about my own.
Matt –
Your post brings up some interesting points, however, I disagree with your analysis due to the assumptions you make and your use of a subjective term like “cultural ignorance”.
I have written up why I disagree with your analysis at
http://timsadventures.com/regular/an-analysis-of-why-americans-still-dont-travel-overseas/
Additionally, it would have been interesting for you to include a call to action or recommendations on how Americans can be less “culturally ignorant” and would have strengthened your case.
I do want to thank you for bringing this issue back up, however, I disagree with your analysis that it comes down just to “cultural ignorance”.
Great article! There are many reasons as to why Americans tend not to travel abroad and I think you’ve covered all of them.
To be honest, I find it kind of sad. People who never leave their own country are really missing out on fantastic experiences. Meeting new people, learning about the history of other countries, experiencing different cultures, enjoying great and unusual food etc. It all broadens your mind and opens your eyes to the real world, not just the comfort of your own back yard.
I´m Brazilian but lived in the US for over 10 years and I must agree with you about ignorance. Most Americans didn´t know much about my country, thought Buenos Aires was a Brazilian city, thought I spoke Spanish or thought I lived in the Amazon… :/
Traveling around the world I have come across other Americans that knew a bit more about my country and had a better idea about world geography.
Brilliant topic..are you still taking comments ?? I have a milion, especially at the Americans (not the ones from the blue states )seeming lack of intellectuall curiosity and incorrect assumptions about others.
Frank
I have to disagree with your analysis of Americans being “culturally ignorant”. I’m an American who was in the military for a long time (I also traveled overseas prior to that time) and have traveled (and also lived) in a number of countries, much of which was paid for by myself once I was stationed overseas (i.e. going to China while being stationed in Japan, etc). In fact, one of the reasons why I joined the military was to have the opportunity to travel. Now that I am out of the military and live in the U.S., although I am “very” inclined to travel overseas and have on several occasions to Russia, North Africa, England, and France, a number of factors persuade me to think otherwise and cost is the numero uno of them all. For instance, in my case, I a few years ago I wouldn’t of thought twice about going into debt to go on a big trip. But now, I think that it is too expensive to travel overseas and a trip to Moscow over Christmas that I was very interested in would cost me approximately $3,000.00 or more once all of the costs get factored in. This also goes for many other destinations in Europe and elsewhere overseas. It’s even a big expense to travel within the borders of the United States. Tonight, I priced a trip to Seattle, Washington and it was in the neighborhood of what it would cost for me to travel to Amsterdam. Here, we don’t have Ryanair for a pound a trip that Europeans have. We also don’t have the close geographic country borders found on most continents except for the ones in the south bordering Mexico and in the North bordering Canada and those borders are a loooooooooong way away from most states in the U.S. I have British cousins who go all over the UK and the continent by bus–that’s how close many countries are. I also feel that spending so much money for a diversion really makes me feel guilty when I see so many people around me, many of whom have recently gone bankrupt due to the bad economy. In my mind, it’s just not the right thing for me to do at the moment. In addition, there are also other factors which I take into account as well such as attacks on Americans and other westerners in foreign countries such as the fairly recent one in Mombay at a very elite hotel with a lot of security in which some people died in “Al Quada style”. When I looked up what that meant, the manner in which they died really quenched some of my desire to travel overseas. And believe me, “many” people do not like Americans abroad and I’ve met and worked with many of them. In fact, some of them have posted here. You can also peruse the U.S. State Department website in order to read the travel advisories for many foreign countries where Americans are urged not to go for fear of their safety. Contrary to previous posts, Bill O’Reilly wasn’t the original author of this stream of thought. So who needs the stress of that when you want to take a break from work and relax? Another issue is the current state of airline travel such as overbookings with resulting missed flights, long delays, multiple layovers spaced so close together, that the whole trip is filled with anxiety, etc, which I have been subjected to in the past couple of years, and frankly I’m tired of. The list could go on and on, but hopefully, people can get the picture: a staycation here in the U.S. such as a day or two in New York City to see the Christmas lights has become my preferred type of travel with the most stressful aspect being walking down the street to the Amtrak station. And, oh, another advantage is that I also don’t have to listen to how “culturally ignorant” I am.
Uhhhmmmmmm, it’s all about cost to me. Have you checked out the currency converter lately? 1 dollar = .66 euro. Conversion rates even poorer once overseas. I’ve traveled to Europe before and LOVED it – would love to travel again; unfortunately, can’t afford at this time.
All this blah blah blah about culture differences and fear are nonsense.
If the currency rates were closer (pre-2003) then Americans would flood to Europe.
I read this post a few weeks ago, and I loved it. I love to travel and have lived all over the place (right now I’m in China). I sent this post to my parents to read, who are conservative Americans that, in my head, fit pretty well into the category of Americans who don’t want to leave the country. My dad’s never left the country. My mom’s a little more open minded and has been around Europe a bit for travel.
However, they added one thing to the debate that I don’t think anyone has mentioned yet: Some people just don’t like to travel!
Some people don’t like to travel? I told this to another foreigner in the city I’m in, and we both just laughed at the ridiculousness of it. Who doesn’t like to travel?? BUT, while I think it is no excuse for cultural ignorance (which America is full of), I think it IS true that some people just like where they are so much that they don’t ever want to go anywhere. My brother for example has traveled to several different places. He has been to Europe and he has been to Central America as well as around the US. He now is only 24, but I will be surprised if he ever leaves the West Coast of the US again because he just likes where he is.
While I find it hard to accept, I think some people just don’t like the shock and uncomfort that comes with moving around the world. AGAIN, this is no excuse for cultural ignorance, so I hope to god these people read a lot and aren’t hooked on FOX.
But I don’t think anyone has really expressed this idea on in these comments…
another small point….In the U.S. there is no such thing as a “gap year” and I think that’s tragic….no gap year = no gap year travel.
Everyone should have a gap year!
Your article was spot on.
I would rather run into drunken Brits than an American uber patriot who 5 minutes into the conversation begins to tell me that his country is the best in the world, based on assumptions from about 1970.
Take a vacation form your overburdening routine and spend time in the lap of nature. This is really rejuvenating! Plan in such a way that you will not spend too much.
The last point you hit on rings the truest for me. With only two weeks of vacation time a year, I had to make sure I didn’t take a single day off for the past year and a half in order to have time for my India trip. This required a lot of advance planning, and in order to feel less guilty about it I planned my trip over the holidays, when flights are most expensive but work is also less busy. I can certainly see why people prefer to take shorter, more frequent vacations to locales that are closer to home.