Comments on: The American Travel Ethos

By: America Is the “No Vacation Nation”

America Is the “No Vacation Nation” — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:26:02 +0000

[...] you want to!Here is a frightening (or enlightening, depending on how you look at it) passage from Wanderlust and Lipstick about the American approach to vacations: A 2009 survey from Expedia found that 1/3 of employees [...]

By: daffodil1209

daffodil1209 — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:59:06 +0000

I might add, too, that a lot of Americans get their news from a limited number of news outlets- many of whom offer sensationalized and slanted stories about other countries. People already have just a handful of days off, are concerned for the security of their jobs, and are carefully counting their vacation budgets. Is it a wonder that a lot of people get scared off from taking a chance on different cultures? They want guaranteed relaxation where they don’t have to worry whether the kids will eat or deal with language issues and converting money. I definitely think that the new passport rules may entice more people to travel outside N. America. I’ve already heard a few armchair travelers say: “well, I’ve already got the passport….”

By: Beth

Beth — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:43:12 +0000

@Cheap Traveler – we might be the #1 market for LP because we have so many people here. I don’t think it’s because we have a high percentage of travelers. I would venture to say that a higher percentage of Australians travel more than we do.

Lost Wanderer makes a great point that other countries provide far more vacation than US-based companies, providing more opportunity and encouragement to venture out.

By: Nancy D. Brown

Nancy D. Brown — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:11:53 +0000

Are we really doing ourselves a favor by not giving ourselves a
break from the 9-5? I think not.
I agree. Unfortunately, my husband works for a Japanese-owned
company and they appear to vacation less than Americans. What a shame.

By: Emma - iloho

Emma - iloho — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:16:31 +0000

Being a Brit I’ve grown up with the notion that everyone gets at least 20 days of paid holiday a year – a treat huh! In Hong Kong the norm is about 10 days of paid holiday a year, quite a difference. I guess the difference between HK and the States though (from an expat’s perspective) is that we’re so conveniently located to other Asian destinations – e.g. Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines – that as soon as there’s an opportunity to combine paid holiday days with public hols, e.g. Chinese New Year and Easter, everyone flocks out of HK and hits the Asia trail. I’m not sure how Americans survive on so little time off – I agree with Beth, everyone needs downtime.