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"Too obsessed with traveling?" I think the title is already wrong. I think traveling in order to experience other cultures and places is a wonderful enriching life experience for anyone who can afford it.
2. Most American don't have the time, money, or willingness to travel
3. Traveling, for pleasure not business, is one of the best things someone can do.
So, to correct your statement: *we are too obsessed with working and staying within America. *
I think your statement 2 is the primary answer for the majority of people, esp if we add other obligations like kids, school, etc.
it's funny when I read folks that say they took a month to travel here or two months there when for most people getting two weeks in a row is a major accomplishment.
My wife and I traveled some before kids. After kids, most of our travel was to visit grandma. Our school system ran from end of July to beginning of June. It was amazing how hard it was to get time off during that short period since everyone was asking for that same time. There are now parents who simply take their kids out of school to take vacation because they can't get everything to line up with the school calendar.
Casual travel, yes. The ignorant, ugly America is alive and well in tour groups. He knows nothing and speaks loudly. People do not like him and he learns nothing from his travels.
I don't enjoy casual travel.
On the other hand I believe leaving one's place of birth and upbringing can be very important. In Mississippi, there was a poll done some years ago that found 70% of the population had never lived outside the state. My own extended family is packed with those types, where no one in their immediate family had ever lived outside of the state - not for generations.
This situation makes for some pretty small minded people. Newcomers find making friends and finding common interests here is almost impossible. And small talk?..... Let's just say small talk around this town is very, very small. That doesn't mean I don't like where I live; I do like it. But I am an introvert, not much interested in what the crowd of people is doing or reading. Moderate extroverts who have traveled and known other places, do not like living here.
FWIW - I have lived in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta, Texas and Alabama before settling in Mississippi in 1999. I have visited 25 countries and 49 states. I only travel now, when necessary. Here's a post I wrote about my latest "attempt" at traveling.
While tourist dollars may be a draw for some economies, many locals don't benefit from visitors. I've lived in a couple of tourist meccas, and travellers can make life worse.
They increase traffic and crowds. Especially noticeable in the winter here in Arizona; crowded streets and stores, super long lines at the pharmacy. An hour long wait to get seated at a restaurant during the Gem Show is a real nuisance.
They increase prices for housing--AirBnBs reduce available long term rentals, driving up rent.
Some tourists are incredibly rude. I hate the sight of a shiny jeep, it's probably driven by an idiot who thinks renting a 4-wheel drive vehicle gives him a right to drive anywhere he wants, including right up my driveway past the "no trespassing" sign, or that patch of "empty" desert, where he raises a bunch of dust and kills plants and animals.
And it never occurs to them to pull over to gawk at the scenery or look for directions so the long string of cars behind them can pass and get home. I got stuck in a huge back-up in Kona once; there was a guy videotaping while driving. Of course he was going 15 miles under the speed limit, but it was his vacation, it cost a lot, so he should be able to do whatever he wants.
They are more likely to need rescue, causing large expenditures of resources. It's so common that Arizona now has a law that if you ignore warning signs like "do not cross the wash when water is flowing" you have to pay for your rescue.
Some tourists seem to think every place away from home is dedicated to their entertainment, and somehow safe to ignore rules, laws, and common sense. Even Disneyland will kick you out if you don't follow the rules.
Thank goodness I'm not like that, and am a godsend to every place I visit...
While tourist dollars may be a draw for some economies, many locals don't benefit from visitors. I've lived in a couple of tourist meccas, and travellers can make life worse.
They increase traffic and crowds. Especially noticeable in the winter here in Arizona; crowded streets and stores, super long lines at the pharmacy. An hour long wait to get seated at a restaurant during the Gem Show is a real nuisance.
They increase prices for housing--AirBnBs reduce available long term rentals, driving up rent.
Some tourists are incredibly rude. I hate the sight of a shiny jeep, it's probably driven by an idiot who thinks renting a 4-wheel drive vehicle gives him a right to drive anywhere he wants, including right up my driveway past the "no trespassing" sign, or that patch of "empty" desert, where he raises a bunch of dust and kills plants and animals.
And it never occurs to them to pull over to gawk at the scenery or look for directions so the long string of cars behind them can pass and get home. I got stuck in a huge back-up in Kona once; there was a guy videotaping while driving. Of course he was going 15 miles under the speed limit, but it was his vacation, it cost a lot, so he should be able to do whatever he wants.
They are more likely to need rescue, causing large expenditures of resources. It's so common that Arizona now has a law that if you ignore warning signs like "do not cross the wash when water is flowing" you have to pay for your rescue.
Some tourists seem to think every place away from home is dedicated to their entertainment, and somehow safe to ignore rules, laws, and common sense. Even Disneyland will kick you out if you don't follow the rules.
Thank goodness I'm not like that, and am a godsend to every place I visit...
Its not been my observation. My own perception is that tourist dollars are highly sought after both in the USA and abroad. My travels to Europe and lately to South America brought me into contact with people who seemed to almost fall over themselves to serve my wife and I. In Argentina, I was able to hire a car and a driver for about $50 a day. It was clear they wanted the business badly too.
Tourists are desirable because they bring in cash and impose little in the way of costs. People who live in an area require fire and police protection, garbage services, public schools, drinking and irrigation water, and public libraries. Tourists, on the other hand, spend a few days in an area, dump a lot of dollars into the local economy and than depart.
Compared to what I am mentioning its a small cost to fund search and rescue for a few tourists. Also, around here almost all the people who need rescuing are locals who go climbing in the canyons on the weekends. Having to drive a little more slowly for tourists seems pretty minor too. So, they gawk. The local people around here gawk too. Its just that they do it over things that are even more stupid like a car accident.
I'm a dedicated traveler and I love it. Going on one trip to Croatia, one to Spain, and one to Japan in the next eight months.
Its not been my observation. My own perception is that tourist dollars are highly sought after both in the USA and abroad. My travels to Europe and lately to South America brought me into contact with people who seemed to almost fall over themselves to serve my wife and I. In Argentina, I was able to hire a car and a driver for about $50 a day. It was clear they wanted the business badly too.
Tourists are desirable because they bring in cash and impose little in the way of costs. People who live in an area require fire and police protection, garbage services, public schools, drinking and irrigation water, and public libraries. Tourists, on the other hand, spend a few days in an area, dump a lot of dollars into the local economy and than depart.
Compared to what I am mentioning its a small cost to fund search and rescue for a few tourists. Also, around here almost all the people who need rescuing are locals who go climbing in the canyons on the weekends. Having to drive a little more slowly for tourists seems pretty minor too. So, they gawk. The local people around here gawk too. Its just that they do it over things that are even more stupid like a car accident.
I'm a dedicated traveler and I love it. Going on one trip to Croatia, one to Spain, and one to Japan in the next eight months.
Tourists impose a lot of costs while their dollars go into just a few businesses. Some gain while everyone else pays. You say locals need fire protection? Well do you pay for emergency services (facilities, equipment, staff) for the 60,000 locals or the 250,000 when you include the "winter visitors?" Do you build roads to handle the 60,000 population or the 250,000?
Another thing to note about traveling is that the United States is by itself one of the wealthiest, most culturally diverse and geographically diverse countries in the world.
The United States has some of the best accommodations for travelers you will find anywhere.
You can travel just within the states and cover a lot of places that have high quality attractions.
Tourists impose a lot of costs while their dollars go into just a few businesses. Some gain while everyone else pays. You say locals need fire protection? Well do you pay for emergency services (facilities, equipment, staff) for the 60,000 locals or the 250,000 when you include the "winter visitors?" Do you build roads to handle the 60,000 population or the 250,000?
You are grasping at straws. Most of the fires are in the homes and businesses of people who live here locally. Utah experiences a lot of tourism, but the roads that are being built here are largely the result of large families and a high birth rate resulting in annual population increases.
Tourists don't have yards that require lots of watering every summer. That hits home to me because Utah is a desert and we are looking at a future looming water crisis.
You say "their dollars go into just a few businesses". What a superficial statement. Every business pays taxes. The sales and income taxes from businesses fund much public education here (tourists don't need public schools). The tax revenue from tourism here is large.
Tourist dollars are important source of jobs and tax revenue in many states.
I think traveling is good to a certain extent. It is natural for humans to be curious about the world they live in.
We want to see new attractions, explore natural wonders, discover cultures we've never seen and maybe learn to speak some words from different languages. These are all good things.
But I agree that, after you have done some traveling, a lot of places start to look pretty similar, even if they are continents apart. There is a lot of repetition - airports, office buildings, cars, roads, houses, stores, restaurants, mountains, beaches, and tons and tons of people everywhere.
The novelty and excitement of traveling can wear off. Personally, I have hobbies that I enjoy more than traveling.
That's what I'm getting at. A good analogy is a food pyramid, some meat or dairy or starch is good for the diet, but too much of any one thing get unbalanced.
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Originally Posted by MarisaAnna
Point 3 is only partly true. For all the locals who resent tourists there are many others who depend on them for their income. Some countries get 10% of their income from tourism. Our government is very happy that China is now allowing group tours back to Australia, and this country is not as dependent on tourism as many.
Everyone I know who is retired travels, but we have always done so. We get more paid leave when working than the US. A friend’s son is off overseas for the third time this year. He is 44, a senior police officer and has been working 24 years. He has over a year’s accumulated paid leave and often employers require some to be taken.
Yes, the flights are supposedly not good for the environment and it seems we will have to deal with them being a lot more expensive when the fuel is more green.
It's true that tourism supports a lot of beautiful areas that don't have many economic drivers otherwise. But now there's other options besides just migratory tourists, there's work from home people and retirees that can move in and stay in areas, boosting a community with $$ while being permanent members of the community. That's what a lot of mountain towns here in the US are looking at trying to do a little pivot towards. Some tourism is good and a boost. A big dependency on tourism is unbalanced economically and socially and leads to boom bust periods.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocko20
1. Most Americans don't even have a passport
2. Most American don't have the time, money, or willingness to travel
3. Traveling, for pleasure not business, is one of the best things someone can do.
So, to correct your statement: *we are too obsessed with working and staying within America. *
In 1989 there were 3 passports for every 100 americans. There are now 45 passports for every 100 Americans and we'll probably eclipse over half here in a couple years, which is quite a lot considering how many young kids, not in labor force but of working age, and elderly people there are that aren't really travel candidates. passport numbers All this is despite the worst airport experience there's probably been to date and rapidly rising fares.
Your assumptions are outdated, I don't think you've realized how fast things have changed. And business travel has taken a big dive, but leisure travel is record breaking without much sign of letting up. It's the same with national parks, the popular ones are pretty much well beyond capacity for how many people you have have in an area and still get some semblance of a wild experience.
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