So I haven't read through everyones replies, but as someone who loves traveling and has done a lot of it, I am always surprised by how many Americans that can travel have almost zero interest in it.
Here are the main reasons why most Americans (who have money) don't travel:
They are scared to leave their comfort zone, everywhere in the world with the exception of Western Europe, is "dangerous" and your safety will be at risk. More than anything they are just scared of the unknown, a foreign language, culture, food, people, etc.
Americans are told that the U.S. is the greatest country in the world, and they believe it, why would they travel to an inferior country. America is a really big, diverse country and Americans are often incouraged to travel within the U.S. as opposed to going abroad.
Americans are lazy... traveling, especially to "exotic" places takes a lot of planning, commitment, etc., that's why Americans go on cruises and packaged tours, so they don't have to think and spend all the time planning/researching their itineraries.
U.S. is a status/material/career driven culture, there is no concept of a "gap year" here, you graduate high school and either go to college or get a job, or do both. It's not like in Europe/Australia where their is a tradition/culture of young people taking a year off to travel the world after high school/college.
Everyone in the U.S. is so stuck on material things... Most people spend their extra cash on a new TV with blue ray, new clothes/shoes/watch, new car, phone, laptop, etc. Money they could use to travel.
I have a good friend with a 300,000 + trust fund, who not only hasn't used a penny of that money on traveling abroad, but he's a total meizer who barely spends any cash at all. I could tell he really thought I was "crazy" for traveling to Brazil and S.E. Asia alone for long periods of time.
Here are the main reasons why most Americans (who have money) don't travel:
They are scared to leave their comfort zone, everywhere in the world with the exception of Western Europe, is "dangerous" and your safety will be at risk. More than anything they are just scared of the unknown, a foreign language, culture, food, people, etc.
Americans are told that the U.S. is the greatest country in the world, and they believe it, why would they travel to an inferior country. America is a really big, diverse country and Americans are often incouraged to travel within the U.S. as opposed to going abroad.
Americans are lazy... traveling, especially to "exotic" places takes a lot of planning, commitment, etc., that's why Americans go on cruises and packaged tours, so they don't have to think and spend all the time planning/researching their itineraries.
U.S. is a status/material/career driven culture, there is no concept of a "gap year" here, you graduate high school and either go to college or get a job, or do both. It's not like in Europe/Australia where their is a tradition/culture of young people taking a year off to travel the world after high school/college.
Everyone in the U.S. is so stuck on material things... Most people spend their extra cash on a new TV with blue ray, new clothes/shoes/watch, new car, phone, laptop, etc. Money they could use to travel.
I have a good friend with a 300,000 + trust fund, who not only hasn't used a penny of that money on traveling abroad, but he's a total meizer who barely spends any cash at all. I could tell he really thought I was "crazy" for traveling to Brazil and S.E. Asia alone for long periods of time.