gem@shaw.invalid wrote:
> The per capita percentage of Americans that travel internationally for
> pleasure is low compared to other western nations.
>
> This seems strange, given the relatively high standard of living and
> disposable income of Americans.
>
> Although there has been a recent spike of US citizens obtaining
> passports, thi sis mainly due to recent legislation and it is doubtful
> the passports will increase the amount of travel outside North
> America.
>
> Why is the international travel so low ?
Maybe it is a matter of how far they can travel within their own country
and see great diversity without ever crossing an international border. It
is a large country. Americans can hop into their cars, board a train or
aircraft and travel several thousand kilometres without crossing an
international border. They have access to cold weather for skiing, warm
weather for sun and surf and a large number of big cities without having
to leave the US. It is quite different for many Europeans who can get
into their cars and within a matter of hours can drive through several
other countries. To be an international traveller for many Americans means
to drive for more than a day or take an overseas flight, while most
Europeans can become an international traveller in a matter of minutes.
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