We Live in a Globalized Society and Yet Americans Don't Travel Abroad

My wife and I at the Colosseum

My wife and I recently returned from a two week conference and vacation in Italy and were sharing some of our stories at a party when one of our friends said, "You know, I really need to go abroad!"  To which I responded, "Yeah!  You really do.  I mean, you already travel to Mexico and the islands, so why not go somewhere different?"  At which point the guy sitting next to us jumped in saying, "But there is already so many things to see in the States; why would I travel to see other peoples's countries first?  Do they come here?"  "Sure they do," I replied -- thinking in my head, oh god, how did the conversation turn into this -- "But, wouldn't you want to see the Sistine Chapel for yourself, or the Sognefjord or Budapest or Chennai  or Taipei?  I mean, those are rather fantastic places as well."

They both just looked at me. "Oh, look," I said, "I think I need to refresh my drink…."

Driving home I said to my wife, "I just don't get it; with all the latest advances in global travel, going places is as easy as it can get.  So, why don't more Americans travel abroad?"  Then, just this past week, I came across a possible answer: it was a 2011 article by Natalie Avon titled, appropriately enough, "Why More Americans Don't Travel Abroad."  A quick read, it is very insightful.

According to Avon, only about 30% of Americans have a passport, and of those who do, 50% only go as far as Canada or Mexico.  Why?  According to the experts, there are a handful of reasons which, when combined, help to explain why more Americans don't travel abroad.  She states:

Tourism experts and avid travelers attribute Americans' lack of interest in international travel to a few key factors, including: the United States' own rich cultural and geographic diversity, an American skepticism and/or ignorance about international destinations, a work culture that prevents Americans from taking long vacations abroad and the prohibitive cost and logistics of going overseas.

While the explanation seems reasonable -- for example, one of my friends, an Engineer of some 25 years, only gets two weeks of vacation a year -- it is, nonetheless, sad.  As best as anyone has figured, heaven or not, we only get one go-around in this life.  For those fortunate to gather enough coins together to actually travel, it seems a pity not to see another corner or two of this incredibly diverse and beautiful planet on which we live!  But, that is just the opinion of one lonely traveler.