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Either way it certainly debunks any claim that Americans don't travel.
I like the angle that queensgrl is taking, it would indeed be interesting to know the numbers over a wider timeframe and do the math to find percentages. That wiki page that was referenced lined up perfectly with the perception I'd mentioned that young Germans seem to always be out in droves overseas, that didn't surprise me at all to them listed as #1.
Here is from Gallup polls:
They also state:
"While Americans under age 30 are less likely than middle-aged Americans to vacation away from home, they are no less likely, and possibly more so, to have traveled outside the United States in the past year. Twenty-five percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 have traveled abroad in the past year, compared with 22% of those aged 30 to 49, 16% of those aged 50 to 64, and 12% of those 65 and older."
Either way it certainly debunks any claim that Americans don't travel.
I like the angle that queensgrl is taking, it would indeed be interesting to know the numbers over a wider timeframe and do the math to find percentages. "
Thank you slackjaw.
Just to reiterate my OP -- "Why is it that so many Americans don't travel abroad while so many foreigners take holidays to the US?" I never said that Americans don't travel. I was trying to make a comparison, which I'm sure will be difficult.
My hypothesis is somewhat based on myself. The reasons I haven't traveled have varied over time -- lack of funds, time, health/safety concerns and having no one to travel with, but the desire has been there for a long time. Here's the extent of my non-US travel:
1) Montreal, Toronto and Quebec, Canada
2) Cancun, Mexico
3) St. Thomas, VI (yeah, I know, it's the US)
4) Nassau, Bahamas
5) Chamonix, France
On the other hand, I have friends who have traveled extensively. For example, my Caribbean-American friends (born in the USA) have been to England and other places in Europe. That's understandable. My American born friends tend to go to the same destinations: Disney, Vegas, cruises, the Caribbean, and other beach resorts like Martha's Vineyard and Myrtle Beach. The latter group is also limited in their state-side travel. I'm sure that being African-American has something to do with it. There are fears about traveling places if you're not sure how you're going to be treated. My ski friends travel a lot both state-side and outside the US, but they tend to have $$$. My non-black American friends have done a good deal of worldwide travel. I live in NYC and see foreigners all over the place, especially during the summer.
Anyway, that's my story. I am trying to get to someplace to immerse myself in Spanish this summer
Sorry,I disagree with your basic premise. Practically everyone I know has traveled in another country ,and I DON'T mean Canada or Mexico.
I have found that certain groups of people tend to travel more than others. How would you describe the people you know in terms of education, means and time to travel?
Entertaining thread. Especially a certain poster that is trying to sound worldly by making unsubstantiated generalizations about Americans that do travel abroad.
Americans ARE more insular as a whole than their European counterparts for the reasons that have been repeated ad nauseum. The thing is, other large nations such as Russia, Brazil, and China are just as insular if not more so. Some of this is because of economic reasons but South Korea, which is a wealthy country, is quite introspective. Korean backpackers are hardly the norm-Japanese perhaps but not Koreans. At least in my travels through Europe and Asia.
I personally do not understand the attitude that anything worth seeing is within my own border but I don't feel superior to these people because I disagree. If anything, my life would be more stable and easier if I didn't have the travel "itch", although it would be more boring and less colorful.
I wonder what effect military service overseas has had on American's perceptions of foreign travel? I was reminded of this after stopping by my uncle over the 4th holiday. He served in Vietnam and spent time in Yokohama and even though he's now retired & has the funds to journey abroad, he's mentioned several times that he's done enough foreign "travel" with the military & doesn't wish to revisit it.
I think that we sometimes forget that many Americans (especially older generations) were drafted & sent overseas and that may have colored their views & expectations of traveling.
I have found that kids of military parents that I know are more comfortable with worldwide travel.
I have found that certain groups of people tend to travel more than others. How would you describe the people you know in terms of education, means and time to travel?
You didn't address the question to me, but it's an interesting one so I'm going to respond. The people I know who have travelled internationally over the past year fall into four categories*.
1. Recent college grad, works for a year or so, saves every dime they can (and in some cases are underwritten to a degree by mom and dad), and then heads off to backpack across Europe, crashing with friends of friends on sofas and floors or staying in youth hostels.
2. Early 30's and single or married, but no kids. Comfortable in a career path--professional, sales, technical, medical, administration, etc., saves their money and takes off to Europe, Australia, or the Caribbean for a week or two staying in moderate to better tourist class hotels and having a great time seeing and doing a lot of free or low cost things. (ie in Venice instead ot the opera, they go to a free concert in a cathedral.)
3. Empty-nesters/retirees in their 40's and up who travel with a spouse or significant other, usually for a couple weeks at a time, to anyplace and everyplace you can imagine. Some of my friends have dug up places to visit that I've never even heard of!
4. I also know a handful of families who have taken their children on international journeys in the past year. Three went to visit relatives in Peru, Sweden, and India , one went to Ireland, one went to Australia, and one went to Japan.
*I didn't count cruises out of Florida to the Bahamas or Caribbean, I must know at least 100 people who have taken one of those this year--families, singles, couples, everything from inside cabins on Carnival to high end suites on Crystal and anything inbetween.
I also didn't count friends who travel internationally for work and those in the medical profession who volunteer for the Peace Corps and Medicins sans Frontiers and went to Haiti and several African and Asian countries in the past year. That would be another couple dozen or more people, including myself.
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