Sjoerd

Some examples: from http://www.info.gov.hk/censtatd/eng/...ort_index.html <BR>Hong Kong had 803,000 US visitors in 1999, 939,000 European and 211,000 Canadian. <BR>From: http://www.cybrary.com.sg/pages/fact.html <BR>Singapore had 360,673 visitors from the UK alone in January - October 2000, and 319,663 from the USA. <BR>I picked these countries because they are far away from both Europe and US.

Sheila

There was an item on Radio Four earlier this week which said he had been to Glasgow for a wedding in 1983. <BR><BR>Do you think he's related to Madonna?

Tony Hughes

Earth to planet Sheila 'Wrong thread, dear'

Kavey

Earth to Tony, Sheila's responding in the right thread... did you miss the comment about whether Dubya had been to the UK? <BR>

Tony Hughes

Earth to Kavey. Didn't miss it, but would be more appropriate in the Bush posting.

MarySue

It seems to me that many people think that traveling to Europe is prohibitively expensive. When I tell people I am going to Europe for my vacation, people develop a real attitude, like "it must be nice to just hop over to Europe" when to me it is just a matter of priorities. I am sure that I spend no more than my co-workers who travel to Orlando every year, but Europe is just not on their radar screen. And to many, Europe is out of people's comfort zone. The differences of language, food, culture scare many people, I believe.

USA Traveler

Well I can't speak for anyone else, but my wife and I travel quite a bit. We have developed a pattern that works for us and fits our allocated days of vacation. Every other year we travel to Europe, usually for at least 10 days. We always travel in the off season for reasons of fewer crowds and maybe lower prices. Our European vacations are typically driving trips, as we like the freedom a car provides, but sometimes we use train passes - depends on the country or countries we are seeing. <BR> <BR>We also try to take a few "local" trips every year, at least one to Canada (we like Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa as we can access them easily with non-stop flights), perhaps a cruise to Carribean, and at least one new place (for example, this year we visited the Finger Lakes region of New York state). <BR> <BR>So, we probably average 4-6 trips a year, and in the year we travel to Europe we will cut down by 1 or 2. We enjoy travel and never plan to stop as long as the money and health hold out.

Jurgen

Isn't it true that very few Americans have passports? Something like 20%. While just about every European has a passport. <BR> <BR>This tells us a lot about Americans wish to travel.

Al

As a senior citizen (I detest that label), please let me toss in a couple thoughts. Foreign travel (at least for my generation) began as a military obligation. Some men and women hated the experience and only reluctantly have begun to travel outside the U.S. again when they had time, money, and no family obligations that took priority. Second, I know many persons of my generation who are "afraid" to travel overseas because of the inadequacies of the American educational system that limits their abilities to speak any language other than English. Third, there are certain persons of a Philistine bent who believe a thing does not exist unless you can wear it on your back, use it to fill your stomach, or park it in the driveway. To them, travel simply disappears once it is "consumed." They are left empty-handed. My wife and I take a different view of travel, that it is the purest form of education, something experienced for its own sake, something meant to be savored and enjoyed, and something to be shared.

Bill

Can't speak for Dubya, but I grew up in a family of travelers. My parents took a week out of the country every year, and I hung on their every word when they came home and told us about their trip. Finally, all the kids were old enough to take along, and I had a taste of the experience before going off on my own. <BR> <BR>I think it's all a matter of personal desire (some people would rather stay close to home on their holidays), the limited time off from work (my father had 2 week a year; I thankfully have a bit more), and the vast number of travel experiences available in North America (fully comparable with Europeans traveling all over Europe).

x

Although Duhbya is wealthy, he cannot afford international travel. Cocaine ain't cheap, ya know. We all have our priorities.

Joe

I heard on the evening news not too long ago that Americans tourists have now outnumbered the British in Paris. Maybe now they will replace all of those little British flags with American ones to indicate English on their brochures! <BR> <BR>In regards to the passport issue. It's true many Americans don't have passports, but Americans can travel from Newfoundland to Guam, and San Juan to Barrow without one.

Vanessa

I agree with Al's post: Our educational system is geared very much toward "America the great." Languages other than English are not even offered to most people until they are in their mid teens, and then we only have to fill a 2-year requirement for high school. I took four years of spanish in high school, and still only know the basics. <BR> Most Americans do actually travel often, but just not to Europe. Many people I know have the thought of vacation as laying-out-on-the-beach, thinking-of-nothing, sleeping-all-day, party-hardy, get-a-tan-kind-of-vacations. A lot of people I know tend to lean toward the Cancun, Jamaica, Alcapulco (restort-type) vacations. I guess they figure, they are only going to get a week off, so they want to really relax on vacation. <BR> For me, that's not my type of vacation. I figure, I can sleep at home. I learn so much when I travel, much more that I could ever learn in a classroom. I recently took my brother with me to London. He was very weary about it, since he is used to the standard Cancun-resort vacations. He even took his swimming trunks since I told him we would be taking a day trip to Bath! He says it's not a vacation without swimming.... Well, we didn't swim, but he loved it anyway. He was even shocked that he liked the food. He says he would really like to go back soon. See, he just didn't know what he was missing! I think that's the problem for a lot of Americans. Just my theory.

herself

Everytime I go to an airport I am amazed on how many people travel. <BR>Americans do travel a lot. <BR>Our roads are crowded. <BR>Our airports are full. <BR>Our hotels are full. <BR>We need to make reservations a year ahead of time for most of our National Parks. <BR>But, I do make three trips to every one without the need of a passport. <BR>This is a big continent. <BR>Europeans can get to three countries in a few hours. I can't even get to another state in that time. <BR>

Jurgen

I can accept that the U.S. is a big country and that you can see a lot without a passport. But surely one of the main reason for travel is to experience different cultures. <BR> <BR>Because of it's lack of history, the U.S. shares much the same bland culture. <BR> <BR>The fact that so few own passports suggests that many Americans have no real desire for these experiences.

herself

Lack of history?????? <BR>Same bland culture?????? <BR>Have been to the USA? <BR>Every State has an Irish, Indian, Italian, Polish, Asia, Jewish, etc etc section with festivals, restaurants etc. We have not melted into one pot yet. <BR>As for History, give me a break, how much history can one digest. <BR>Oh how I wish I could be more articulate. <BR>Thank you for jump starting my day.

Bill

<BR>Jurgen - <BR>I too have to take exception to your silly assertion that North America is one blandly uniform culture. I'm assuming you're a troll, but just in case you aren't, try this out: Without a passport, an American can experience French culture in Quebec (or the French islands of the Carribean), British culture in Ottowa (or the British islands of the Carribean), Spanish culture in Mexico or Puerto Rico, Dutch culture in the Carribean, Polynesian culture in the Pacific islands, Native American culture all over the western US and Canada, and pockets of immigrants from every single area of the globe.

Neal Sanders

Sjoerd, it is amazing how many responses can be generated to an interesting question in 19 hours. Thanks for posing it. <BR> <BR>I think the people with whom I work are fairly representative of Americans. This morning I asked a few of them about international travel. Here's what I heard: <BR> <BR>1) Time. My company offers three weeks of vacation, which is fairly generous by U.S. standards. A vacation to Europe would consume a minimum of ten days; to Asia or Australia two weeks. That would leave precious few days to visit relatives or take the annual trip to Florida. <BR> <BR>2) Expense. A trip to Europe for two for 10 days would cost a minimum of $5,000; an Asian trip would cost half again as much. These people don't backpack or stay in hostels when they travel to Washington; why should they do so to go to Sydney or Copenhagen? <BR> <BR>3) Kids. Americans are more likely to have children than Europeans of the same age and income. You don't leave your 12-year-old at home for two weeks. <BR> <BR>4) Local opportunity. America is a huge, diverse country, and getting around it is downright cheap. With any kind of planning, two people can fly anywhere in the country for under $500, rent a car for $150 a week, eat for $50 a day, and stay in a clean motel for $75 a night. <BR> <BR>As to the George W. Bush question, I'm at a loss. I would like to think that the man who is about to become one of the most - if not the most - powerful leaders in the would would have a strong acquaintance with the world beyond the borders of the U.S. The only solace I can take is that Bill Clinton came to the White House as the governor of a small, "non-essential" state, and he seemed to get the hang of the international aspects of the job fairly quickly.

Bill

<BR>Woops! "Ottawa" <BR>Since I've got a second bite anyway... I asume from your name, Jurgen, that you are German. There's a big German community in my home city - many German restaurants, some polka places, social clubs, festivals, etc.

Art

Do you realize how many 2 week vacations it takes to visit 50 states? My family (from the boondocks in northern Maine) was not a treveling family. We grew up on a farm and only ate meat and potatoes. I started traveling on the East Coast while in school visiting historical places. Uncle Sam sent me to Germany. It took me a whild but I started traveling through western Europe hitting all countries except Spain and Portugal. After I returned to the US, I was raising a family. We continued to travel however locally. We have visited 47 states, parts of Mexico and Canada. Now that my son is in Grad School I started traveling to Europe again 3 years ago and have been going every year. Yes there is much to see in Europe and other areas, but there is also much to see in the US. I don't mean old cities, but natural places such as the Grand Canyon, Yosimiti, Yellowstone, the Giant Redwood Groves. There are 12 National Parks in Utal alone. By the way, the most traveled people that I've ever seen are from Austrailia and New Zealand. Everywhere I've ever been, I've run accross them. <BR>Good travels everyone. <BR>Art <BR>