Why Americans Don’t Travel Overseas

Oct. 11, 2013

By Matthew Kepnes

VinothChandar

We’ve all heard the depressing statistic that only 36% of Americans own a passport. That’s really low (about 70% of Australians and 70% of Brits hold a passport) and though that number has been rising the last couple of years, it’s only because Americans are now required to have a passport when entering Mexico and Canada.
As I’ve traveled the world, I’ve noticed a shockingly low number of American tourists when compared to citizens of other countries. And while the post-graduate backpacking trip to Europe is still a lively tradition, I’ve been to many parts of the world where American tourists are as rare as a white tiger.

Americans don’t travel internationally that much.
Why is that?

Why is it that the United States, a country with 350 million people and the world’s superpower, turns a blind eye to the rest of the planet, and political figures tout their lack of overseas travel as a plus?

I believe there are a few things that have brought us here: http://thoughtcatalog.com/matthew-kepnes/2013/10/why-americans-dont-travel-overseas/