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Great post and retort to the nonsense that America has it all in scenery. Vast tracts of America all look the same. The most scenic parts are in the West, but still a lot of the same type of desert or mountain scenery. The beaches of America are so overdeveloped and chock a block full of houses, condos, highrises, etc. as very few beautiful untouched beach areas remain. Many beaches are eroding terribly with mud outcrops and trees falling into the surf (particularly in S. Carolina and Georgia, etc.)
Btw folks, the Rocky Mountains are no match for the Alps in Europe. The Alps are stunning, the Rockies much more broad, tree clad and just not nearly as steep and jagged.
Europe has gorgeous beaches and islands in the Med, yet Europeans still travel to Asia, America and elsewhere.
Americans think they live in the most beautiful, greatest, blah, blah. They've been fed a line of bull from birth. We are not number one in anything anymore, and are falling further and further behind. Just keep watching your fox news, voting in the right wing nuts, and you will be fine.
Turn on Monty Python!
If you've been in the military at ALL you don't really want to see any more of anywhere but here.
44 pages of people complaining that a few Americans don't visit their country.
Then you look at other threads where they complain about other American stereotypes when Americans do travel.
We just can't win! Can we?
I'm still trying to understand why American supposedly don't travel abroad, when every international trip I've ever taken has found me surrounded by Americans everywhere. Am I just traveling to the wrong places? I have been to most countries in Western and Central Europe, a few in Eastern Europe, six countries in Latin America, and three in Asia.
At no point, ever, was I in an area attractive to international tourists, and which lacked a big contingent of American tourists. Obviously in rural Venezuela or something you won't get tons of Americans, but there aren't any int'l tourists of any great number in rural Venezuela.
Everywhere else I've been to, from Bangkok to Bari, had tons of Americans.
I'm still trying to understand why American supposedly don't travel abroad, when every international trip I've ever taken has found me surrounded by Americans everywhere. Am I just traveling to the wrong places? I have been to most countries in Western and Central Europe, a few in Eastern Europe, six countries in Latin America, and three in Asia.
At no point, ever, was I in an area attractive to international tourists, and which lacked a big contingent of American tourists. Obviously in rural Venezuela or something you won't get tons of Americans, but there aren't any int'l tourists of any great number in rural Venezuela.
Everywhere else I've been to, from Bangkok to Bari, had tons of Americans.
I believe this is the thread where they move the goal post to "why don't Americans travel overseas..... outside the major tourist areas"
The passport ownership percentage is low, like 30 percent... but 30 percent of 300 million is a big number so that's why we run into fellow Americans all over.
The simple answer is that it's expensive and our proximity to other countries is further than lets say Europe where countries are smaller and closer together... easier to see more in a shorter period of time.
Also employers in America give less time off for vacation than other countries do. 2 weeks is the standard here. I have heard some European countries giving a month off for "holiday"
[quote=Trimac20;23236255]I love to travel but don't think less of those who don't. Means less crowds!
And travelling doesn't always make you more aware of the world. You can go to a beach in Jamaica, barely leave the resort or interract to the locals and be no wiser about the country than when you arrived.[/quote]
This is why I hate all-inclusive resorts. If I'm going to travel, I want to meet locals, eat local food, do what the locals do, not sit on some beach chair reading a book eating sh*tty American food with other Americans.
Also americans put family and work before anything else. Americans would prefer to earn more money than vacation more to provide for themselves and their family to have their American dream live on. Europe may have better transportation, culture, and beauty, but the U.S. is like a holy grail for Europeans and foreigners, if you work hard in this countryyou will live a prosperous, good life.
I work my butt off and make bupkiss so I don't agree with this. I'd much rather be given more vacation time and have less of a 'prosperous' life and have more time to just do the things I want to rather than be a slave to the system. I mean ok I live in the most expensive area of the country, but still...
I'm a German who has been living in the U.S. for the past year and a half, and I've met so many people here who have never been outside of the U.S. I researched the topic a bit, and only about 30% of Americans actually hold a passport. Why are so many Americans not interested in overseas travel? Back in Europe, travel is a big part of the lifestyle and is a very high priority for most. I understand how vast and diverse the U.S. is and that there are a lot of cultural differences from region to region, but it still doesn't have the same effect on personal growth and cultural awareness that travel abroad has. Americans on average are no more or no less well off than the average European, so I don't think it is necessarily a money issue. In fact, quite a few Americans I met who don't travel own quite nice homes and expensive cars. Obviously the U.S. isn't as close to other countries as European countries are, but Aussies, Kiwis, and Canadians are even more isolated yet they tend to travel more.
A lot of Europeans perceive Americans to be culturally ignorant because of their lack of travel and feel that Americans have no interest in learning about anyone but themselves. After living here, I do think Americans in general are a bit more culturally ignorant than Europeans due to a lack of cultural immersion. By this, I don't mean to say that Americans are close-minded, but that they just don't know much about the outside world. I actually find Americans to be extremely open-minded towards foreigners in the U.S. and they tend to ask a lot of questions to learn more about others which is truly wonderful. To be honest, Americans are actually much less xenophobic towards visitors and immigrants than Europeans are. I've noticed this in all parts of the U.S. that I've visited, so clearly Americans do have an interest in learning about foreign cultures which makes it even harder to understand why travel is not a priority.
The Americans I've seen post on this forum tend to be well-traveled individuals, so I'd like hear your opinions on why you think many of your fellow countrymen tend to not be interested in overseas travel.
By the way, I'm not trying to be disrespectful towards Americans in any way. I really like Americans and in many ways they remind me of people back home in Germany. I also really enjoy life in the beautiful Bay Area and have really loved exploring your wonderful country so far.
American culture of camping ,RVing ,cabin in the woods,swimming ,hiking ,boating and fishing is some thing very much part of American culture that many Americans do.DOES NOT give them much time to go to other countries.
If this was big in Europe they would spend more time doing this and less time going to other countries.
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