Why don’t Americans travel more?
The world according to Americans. Photo posted by Switch
Although there are a lot of people in other developed countries who don’t travel, Americans tend to get singled out as the worst offenders. Backpackers love to repeat the statistic of how few Americans hold passports as proof (read more about this myth).
This article from Brave New Traveler, Are Americans afraid to travel? tackles this recurring phenomenon. In the comments, readers named some of the main obstacles to travel. Here are some of the usual suspects:
–U.S. media overstates the danger of foreign countries.
–Misconceptions about the cost of travel.
–Puritan work ethic discourages travel as a waste of time.
–Materialist culture encourages consumption over travel.
–America has a staggering variety of scenery, so it’s not necessary to go abroad to find beaches, mountains, etc.
–Americans have less vacation time compared to Europeans.
–Americans have to spend more of their incomes on health care, education, and other social services, because the U.S. government provides fewer of these. This leaves less money for travel.
–America lacks the “gap year” culture that is popular in other countries, e.g. Australia.
I could go on forever, but I digress. When we eliminate the external factors like those previously stated, are Americans themselves just plain not interested in going outside their own country? (FYI: I’m American)
Would you say there are other developed countries who also have lots of people who don’t want to travel? I’ve had friends from countries other than America say that they also felt like outcasts back home for traveling.
On a more humorous note, some travelers have said they actually like the status quo. If even an extra 10 percent of the American population decided to travel abroad every year, that would be about 30 million more people clogging up planes and hotels. That’s the equivalent of almost the entire population of Canada hitting the road.
Worldwide tourism infrastructure could collapse under the demand of that many travelers. And would we really want to run into a hometown neighbor when we’ve climbed to the top of a mountain for that magical sunset?
So maybe we should just keep those exotic cultures and beautiful landscapes for ourselves? Just kidding!
November 13th, 2009 at 2:02 am
On the note about Americans having less vacation time, here’s an article that discusses just how much less vacation time Americans have/take. Interestingly, it is not proportionate to productivity…
https://www.wisebread.com/america-is-the-no-vacation-nation
November 13th, 2009 at 6:49 am
That’s right, the main reason we don’t travel is because we are not interested. Why ? Because we have it all : oceans, mountains, rain forests ( not tropical),deserts… Cultural experiences ? Plenty ! In every neighborhood! Egypitian piramids ? Eiffel Tower ? We have it !The remains of ancient civilizations ? Stonehenge? ( right here in Maryhill,Washington )!
But what surprises me is that we are not interested to travel even around our own country ! Why ? Once again – not interested, we don’t give a crap…about anything, anybody
November 13th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I think there are a lot of cultural and geographic differences that makes Americans travel less. First, there is a lack of vacation time. When there is less time to go places, the last thing people want to do is spend a lot if time in transit. Second, America has a lot more space, which means a lot more places to go within the country but also a lot more time just to leave the country. With this space, a lot of Americans feel compelled to fill this space with houses and stuff they own. So, a lot of their income goes toward this rather than travel. For better or worse, I think America has the largest residences of any country.
I don’t think the media plays too much of a role in this. Media in most countries that I have been to also portray foreign things as dangerous and scary. This is human nature. More importantly, it sells papers.
In all, it’s just a different culture and we Americans by and large do things differently. If people don’t want to travel, that’s their prerogative. In any case, it makes it more fun for me when people are surprised that not all Americans live up to the stereotype they have in their head.
November 13th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Very interesting and thought-provoking article. Out of the points that you’ve listed, Marcus, I think negative media portrayal and lack of vacation time are the two biggest hindrances. I’m 29 and American and have traveled abroad as much as my meager annual vacation time will allow. I’m not saying I know everything, but what I see in my parents and their generation (at least the ones I know – aunts, uncles, etc.) is fear and reluctance to travel abroad. This is because they’re influenced so much by mass media. It’s really amazing to hear someone speak so negatively of a foreign country without ever having left the U.S. It really annoys me.
Lack of vacation time combined with the idea that many people don’t even use all their vacation time is obviously a huge factor.
And I also agree with misconceptions about the cost of travel. Lack of knowledge about the world leads to people using travel agents for travel, which leads to people buying pricey vacation packages. I just booked a 2 week trip to Thailand during the off-season and I know I’ll pay far less than what my parents will pay for a 2-week vacation in Florida over Christmas (I got free airfare using miles, but still).
On a positive note, I agree with Paul and Nora above. The U.S. is HUGE and filled with so many awesome experiences that people don’t necessarily have to travel abroad. I guess I’m guilty of having traveled extensively abroad while neglecting our own back yard. But I figure I’ll save the U.S. for when I get older and don’t necessarily feel like hopping on 14 hour flights to vacation.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Americans do not travel for many reasons. The biggest are time, money, and the media who spreads fear. Americans do not receive as much vacation time when compared to people in other countries. Then there’s the money issue. Do they pay the mortgage, rent, credit cards, health care plan, utilities, or go on vacation? Let’s not forget the media. They love to run with a story forever and ever, spreading fear wherever they can.
Many Americans would love to travel and get away from it all. Then again, some Americans are like the French who believe there’s no reason to travel because they have it all, i.e. breathtaking scenery, great food, entertainment, museums, countryside, etc…
November 14th, 2009 at 2:32 am
The stereotypical “American dream”, when taken at its core, emphasizes settling down — financial security, a nice house with a white picket fence, a spouse and family (and dog?).
Settling down and breaking away just do not go together very well.
It is a cycle. Parents do not take their children on vacations or excursions beyond the local sights. They teach their kids to pursue their dreams… as long as their dreams keep them home (in the same state, at most). I mean, we have all heard some story or another about a mother convincing her teenage daughter not to go to college in LA or NYC because it is “too far” or, better yet, “too dangerous”. And LA and NYC are both American cities, so one can only imagine if said daughter expressed interest in studying abroad.
I believe American society is a very insular one in general. We feel secure on our own land. We can control things on our own land. Once we leave American soil we are at the mercy of the rest of the world, and that false sense of security evaporates.
Of course, that is just My take on Americans from what I observe. There could be any number of reasons why we do not branch out — but I think My reasoning is a small part of it.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Biggest factor to me: Two weeks vacations on average in US vs. 4 weeks and up in Europe and Australia.
When I had 4 weeks vacation in America I felt like King of the World. That free time allowed me to travel more than my friends and family.
If you’ve only got two weeks, you may want to save those days or do something closer to home.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
https://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/10/20/debunking-passport-myth/ makes the point that the real question is why Europeans quote the low numbers so much….
November 16th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
best graphic ever.
December 30th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
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February 12th, 2010 at 10:09 am
I’m from California and I’ve been traveling on my own for over 6 months because I couldn’t get any of my friends back home to come with me. The main issue: money. Most of my friends are in their second halves of undergraduate degrees and not just lack money, but have negative money (as in tens of thousands in debt from loans). As I understand, many foreign countries pay most of, if not all, of their students’ ways through university, even offering spending money and housing for them to do semesters abroad. Not to mention that, at least within Europe, traveling to a new land can be as cheap as a 10 euro ryanair ticket. Even those of my friends who are not knee deep in debt because their parents have offered to front their tuitions cannot travel because they are only given the money permitting that they’re in school. The same goes for government money. Loans can be deferred as well, but again only if you remain as a student. Otherwise most require that you begin paying them back in months. And what about our vacations? Picking up extra shifts at shit jobs (as low as equivalent 5-6 euro per hour). Any savings we might accumulate is also good to hold onto incase some sudden accident lands you with an enormous hospital bill (some of the best insurance plans pay up to 90%, but a week long stay can run over $20,000, not to mention surgeries, treatments, etc. that 10% gets large quite quickly). Throw in the Puritan work ethic (as in everyone’s parents would kill them and me for daring to distract their darlings from the career path) and you’ve got a sure-fire recipe for staying home.
These aren’t the only reasons of course. The US is a big beautiful country on its own, with lots to see. And many of us are just scared, insular, stupid, etc. I know I’m coming off absurdly defensive here, but I’ve spent so much time hearing people tell me both that “all americans are rich,” and “americans don’t travel” and its frustrating when I see so many of my best pals eating only ramen noodles and telling me they wish they could be with me right now.
February 20th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Florida is a great place for vacations, especially in summer. I really love the beach there
August 24th, 2010 at 6:01 am
I have lived in California all my life. I have ZERO interest in traveling to other countries. Let me explain why. The ends do not justify the means. A 10 to 20 hour flight? Thousands of dollars spent on hotels and flight and activities? I don’t think so. Just to see different geography and culture? In my opinion, it’s just not worth the misery of sitting on a plane going crazy. The hassle of packing, spending money on hotels, over rated trendy activities that I can easily do in my hometown or within driving distance. I see culture ALL DAY LONG! Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Italian, Thai, Middle Eastern, and honestly, I don’t feel comfortable with any of their cultures, it’s not me or my style! Why should I subject myself to something I don’t like or need? So why would I want to travel a million miles away from my comfort zone to be uncomfortable and spend thousands to do it? Just because I’m not comfortable with it doesn’t mean I don’t respect it. A lot of these “world travelers” who claim to have epiphanies about “perspective” need to open up their minds just a tad bit more and realize that a great perspective in life is not limited just to world travelers. As an American, I don’t criticize other cultures in the world and say “you need to travel to America more to gain perspective!” in fact I say do whatever it is you do as long as you don’t force your culture or agenda on to me. For people who seek out traveling and other cultures, by all means do it, you love it, so do it. Equally and just as valid, I tend to hate it and find it to be extremely inconvenient, exhausting and financially draining. My point is why is it so hard for world travelers with “perspective” to accept or care that Americans, not all, don’t like traveling over seas? Who gives a shit. To each their own. Individualism, everyone is different!