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Most people in the US do not live in those cities, so have to buy the airfare to get to those cities first. So that doubles the price right there for most.
For me, a minimum of two weeks for all those destinations.
Why the difference? Because I can get to Europe in about 8 hours, but Africa, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific require traveling for about 24 hours for me to get there.
It has been mentioned that, though some people may have more than one week off per year, they aren't allowed to take those weeks off consecutively. They are allowed to take off only one week at a time.
Between, Americans, Western Europeans, Canadians and, Australians we are dead last in terms of the financial ability to do so.
Americans work the longest hours, for the least pay relative to these 4 groups of people. Our company vacation policies are stingy as hell. Costs for necessities have increased exponentially while wages have remained flat, and in some cases, dropped, accounting for inflation. People that actually work pay ever increasing amounts of taxes for 1) illegal immigrants, 2) project-welfare queens and 3) large corporations that use loopholes and / or bribes to just skip out on taxes completely.
I'm almost 40, and I have never had an international vacation in my life and I feel intellectually impoverished because of it. Yet, as an American, we are the breed of "westerner" that other westerners look at like we're something off of a "feed the children" commercial ...and they're not wrong.
Does that at least partially answer your question?!
It is very obvious here where I live, that after 9/11, a lot less Americans even come to Canada, never mind traveling overseas.
Our city used to be a major hub with American tourists. Many cars and RV's with US plates/tags from every state, used to enjoy our city or pass through on their way to other Canadian destinations. Now, we rarely see US tags, or encounter American tourists.
I have no idea why. Is it the price of a passport or fear of crossing a border now?
It can't be the cost, because travel in Canada with their US dollar being so good, it would be a much cheaper place to travel than within the US.
Last edited by gouligann; 04-05-2019 at 06:18 AM..
It is very obvious here where I live, that after 9/11, a lot less Americans even come to Canada, never mind traveling overseas.
Our city used to be a major hub with American tourists. Many cars and RV's with US plates/tags from every state, used to enjoy our city or pass through on their way to other Canadian destinations. Now, we rarely see US tags, or encounter American tourists.
I have no idea why. Is it the price of a passport or fear of crossing a border now?
It can't be the cost, because travel in Canada with their US dollar being so good, it would be a much cheaper place to travel than within the US.
I got my first passport in 2015 (to go to Europe). It was only around $125. Maybe it's fear of crossing back into the US, lol. I visited Canada frequently in the past couple of years. The CBP are professional and serious, but usually friendly. The US BP agents act more suspicious and rarely smile.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,936 posts, read 36,962,945 times
Reputation: 40635
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teak
Wow, six whole weeks? Hahaha.
I spent 18 years living in Asia. That would be equal to 156 6-week periods. Come back and tell me how you feel about Third World travel once you have done another 155 of those, okay?
Neighbors get up early in the morning to burn rubbish. Smoke drifts into the house through open windows (to cool down at night). Neighbor got rid of a couch down the block by lighting it on fire every night for several weeks. Polyester and other materials released toxic smoke, night after night after night. Fire department drove by and went back to the station. No problems, they said.
Noise.
Rubbish strewn everywhere.
Bugs everywhere. Cockroaches in the kitchen. Monitor lizards in the gutters.
Car and motorcycle drivers who bribed the examiner to get a pass.
Cars passing you in the emergency lane.
Cars tailgating.
Noise.
Police in compound next door singing (bad) karaoke every morning around 3 a.m.
Bi-level or tri-level pricing schemes. Yeah, we're charged more than them.
Toxic chemicals in the air. In the water. In the food. Want to complain to the government? Hahahaha. You are a foreigner. Shut your mouth!
And on and on.
Did I mention the nightly and morning burning?
When it is unusual, it is exotic. Exciting. Thrilling. And then someone gets killed in a motorscooter vs. truck squabble.
Been there; done that; didn't want the stinkin' T-shirt.
Most of that sounds like my experience living in western Kentucky.
I know people who don't travel overseas in principle. Perhaps they had a bad incident in the past, like my secretary who got stuck in the middle of nowhere in canada or another coworker who got "searched" in private, at the border coming back from germany and it was so bad that he said he will never ever fly again etc...
Other lack vacation time and funds. Others are just workaholics.
Many uneducated people just think USA is the best country on earth - it is not - and it's not worth it going anywhere else. It is.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,712 posts, read 58,054,000 times
Reputation: 46182
Quote:
Originally Posted by gouligann
It is very obvious here where I live, that after 9/11, a lot less Americans even come to Canada, never mind traveling overseas.
...
I have no idea why. Is it the price of a passport or fear of crossing a border now?
It can't be the cost, because travel in Canada with their US dollar being so good, it would be a much cheaper place to travel than within the US.
Not fear, not cost... many in USA just are not keen on 'interrogation', and consider it a violation of privacy. (of which most of the world endures as a matter of 'normal daily practice'.)
I have border dweller friends who quit crossing to Canada as they just got tired of the "Return-to-USA" hassle / 3rd degree, as well as enhanced / "Real ID" requirements. (Our state offers Enhanced DL, but it is a pain and expensive).
I just get a Sentri / Nexus / GE and deal with it as an additional but necessary hassle. TSA really stretches me (redundant staff), often more staff than screened passengers. And... they goof around a lot and are not very thorough. (USA style 'security'(?)...)
OP: I wouldn't base your assessment on one vacation. I've traveled to 35 countries over a 25 year period and have encountered numerous Americans everywhere I went. I don't think Americans are as disinterested in foreign travel as you believe.
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