Nobody Likes Us Anymore, I Wonder Why
Tourism rises globally, but not to US - With a weak dollar, America is a great buy for foreigners, yet visits are falling.
"International travelers toting overflowing shopping bags in Manhattan and those filling Houston's trendy restaurants are exceptions. In all other major US cities and destinations, the numbers of long-haul foreign visitors (which excludes border hoppers from Canada and Mexico) are down – with reasons ranging from perceptions of close scrutiny at airports to the residual impact of a poor US image abroad.
When The Times of London recently suggested that foreigners with a hankering for Mickey and Minnie could save themselves the hassle of US travel by substituting Paris Disneyland, or fill a cowboy craving by visiting France's horse-rich Camargue rather than the American West, it stung in traditional American tourist destinations. Foreign visitors to Orlando, Fla., dropped by one-third from 2000 to 2006; by nearly 40 percent over the same period to Anaheim, Calif. (read Disneyland); and by 22 percent to Las Vegas, a frequent entry point for foreigners to the Southwest."
Not only that - A Growing Trend of Leaving America - 3 million a year become expats
"In his recent book Bad Money, political commentator Kevin Phillips warns that an unprecedented number of citizens, fed up with failed politics and a souring economy, have already departed for other countries, with even larger numbers planning to do so soon. But that may be putting too negative a reading on this little-noticed trend. In fact, most of today's expats are not part of a new Lost Generation, moving to Paris or other European haunts to nurse their disillusionment and write their novels. Some may be artists and bohemians, but many more are entrepreneurs, teachers, or skilled knowledge workers in the globalized high-tech economy. Others are members of a retirement bulge that is stretching pensions and IRAs by living abroad. And while a high percentage of expats are unhappy with the rightward tilt of George Bush's America, most don't see their decision to move overseas as a political statement."
No, it's not a political statement, it's a survival statement. Whether it's financial or political, a lot of people see the trends, hate the direction this country is taking, and fear for their future here.
"International travelers toting overflowing shopping bags in Manhattan and those filling Houston's trendy restaurants are exceptions. In all other major US cities and destinations, the numbers of long-haul foreign visitors (which excludes border hoppers from Canada and Mexico) are down – with reasons ranging from perceptions of close scrutiny at airports to the residual impact of a poor US image abroad.
When The Times of London recently suggested that foreigners with a hankering for Mickey and Minnie could save themselves the hassle of US travel by substituting Paris Disneyland, or fill a cowboy craving by visiting France's horse-rich Camargue rather than the American West, it stung in traditional American tourist destinations. Foreign visitors to Orlando, Fla., dropped by one-third from 2000 to 2006; by nearly 40 percent over the same period to Anaheim, Calif. (read Disneyland); and by 22 percent to Las Vegas, a frequent entry point for foreigners to the Southwest."
Not only that - A Growing Trend of Leaving America - 3 million a year become expats
"In his recent book Bad Money, political commentator Kevin Phillips warns that an unprecedented number of citizens, fed up with failed politics and a souring economy, have already departed for other countries, with even larger numbers planning to do so soon. But that may be putting too negative a reading on this little-noticed trend. In fact, most of today's expats are not part of a new Lost Generation, moving to Paris or other European haunts to nurse their disillusionment and write their novels. Some may be artists and bohemians, but many more are entrepreneurs, teachers, or skilled knowledge workers in the globalized high-tech economy. Others are members of a retirement bulge that is stretching pensions and IRAs by living abroad. And while a high percentage of expats are unhappy with the rightward tilt of George Bush's America, most don't see their decision to move overseas as a political statement."
No, it's not a political statement, it's a survival statement. Whether it's financial or political, a lot of people see the trends, hate the direction this country is taking, and fear for their future here.
posted by nolocontendere at 6:04 AM
4 Comments:
Survival?
I read recently that illegal immigration in the US is also down by 11%.
While moving abroad, most Americans are not giving up their US citizenship. Most are also going b/c many countries once with State owned economies have now opened up to Western style capitalism.
Only a small group of American "expats" are moving abroad b/c of the "direction" the US is taking or "fear for their future." Those who fail to succeed abroad - or run out of funds will be back.
While "a growing trend of leaving America" may sound dire and political and for survival etc. etc. it's merely the normal effect of globalization and business.
I dunno, anon, got some links?
Anybody paying attention should easily see two extremely worrisome trends - the dollar is about to move to pesoville, and day by day the country is becoming a fourth reich. The US is fast becoming a shell of what it once was and I'd like to see some statistics on how many of those yearly 3 mill who leave plan on returning, if any.
nolo,
Most of the expats are employed by major corporations - they have not fled the US for any reason other than job offers.
There are many reasons the US is "a shell" of what it once was, many social reasons as opposed to economic or political.
The fact that most expats keep their US passport suggests they have no plans to become citizens of another country and therefore likely to eventually return to the US.
I lived abroad for 10 years, and considered making it permanent. And may yet leave again. But if I do it will not be b/c the US has become the 4th Reich or b/c of a falling dollar.
If the dollar collapses - so will the global economy - and regardless where one lives life will be difficult.
Also consider that 3M is a guesstimate by the writer and is 1% of US population - hardly a mass exodus.
Just like Haliburton didn't "flee" the country, and will likely return to the US once they run out of money...
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