Americans make millions of trips outside the U.S every year. They travel to different destinations across the world. But, most Americans prefer travel destinations that do not require them to have passports. However, there are Americans that travel to distant countries. Majority of the Americans find traveling abroad difficult for varied reasons. Here are the major reasons why some Americans find traveling abroad difficult.
Geographical and Cultural Diversity
Some Americans believe that they go to different ethnic enclaves in a city like Los Angeles and experience different cultures. This saves them time and money when compared to making a trip abroad. This is the case for many parts of the U.S. Nevertheless, the experience of enjoying a regional culture is different from that of visiting natives in their country.
Ignorance and Skepticism
Relying on media reports has led to ignorance and skepticism among some Americans when it comes to traveling abroad. For instance, some Americans see Nicaragua as having negative connotations due to the civil and political unrest that is reported by the media. Generally, foreign countries do not feature in the news for good things. They are featured when they have bad news or natural disasters. This has led to fears among Americans when it comes to traveling abroad.
Work Culture
Americans are known to work hard throughout their lives. From high school to college and at work, Americans are always working hard. Extended vacations are not promoted in the United States. The hard work mentality makes it hard for many Americans to travel abroad for an extended time.
Logistics and Costs
Some Americans require convincing that they can afford international travel. Americans have favorable exchange rates yet they don’t take advantage of it to travel abroad. What’s more, there are many international flights from America to different travel destinations every day. These make logistics easier for American travelers.
Changing the international travel mindset and adapting to cultural shifts is not easy. Nevertheless, Americans need to travel abroad more often to advance their society.