Horizons narrow for ill-at-ease US travellers

The Advertiser

3 days ago

This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
It was hard not to feel for the American couple seated behind us in the long-tail boat off the Thai coast.
A chatty Englishman was doing his best to strike up a conversation and it was immediately apparent they wanted none of it, especially when he asked where they were from.
We could sense their self-consciousness as they muttered their answer. The Englishman said he'd love to go there but it would be avoiding the US for another four years "because of what's been happening".
The quiet Americans fell silent.
They might have been naturally reticent about answering questions from a complete stranger. Or embarrassed by the never-ending drama of the White House reality TV show. Or Trump supporters, tired of defending their president. We'll never know.
But during their moment of awkwardness it occurred to me that being an American abroad these days would be challenging when so much of the world is appalled by the behaviour of Donald Trump and the sycophants gathered around him - and people you meet are not afraid to tell you so.
That could partly explain the 7 per cent decline in Americans planning to travel to Europe this northern summer, as reported by the European Travel Commission. While the ETC said concern about the cost of travel during a period of economic uncertainty was a factor, "worries about being negatively perceived overseas under Trump's confrontational foreign policy" also played a role.
The ETC found Americans from Democrat-leaning states were more comfortable about travelling to Europe than those from Republican parts of the country.
And it's not just Europe.
An Ipsos Consumer Tracker survey published in May found that 27 per cent of Americans report they have international travel plans in the works for summer 2025 compared to 34 per cent last year.
And if Americans are dialling back their international travel plans, the rest of the world is giving the US a wide berth as well.
Canada leads the pack when it comes to avoiding its querulous southern neighbour. It normally accounts for the largest number of visitors to the US during the northern summer. Last year, 20 million Canadians visited. This year, the number of border crossings by car is down by a third and visits by air are also tanking.
Britons and Germans are also turning their backs on the US as a destination.
Australians are also thinking twice about US trips. Last year, the US was our fifth most popular destination; this year it's slipped to seventh position. The unfavourable exchange rate no doubt weighs heavily but stories about heavy-handed treatment at the border haven't helped either.
The self-imposed isolation the US is undergoing is regrettable, undermining the long-held notion that travel broadens the mind.
I wonder where those two Americans in the long-tail boat are now. And whether their minds were broadened by their experiences in a foreign land, where smiling is good manners and respect ingrained. Hopefully, they shared those values when they got home.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Would you be embarrassed if you were an American travelling overseas in 2025? Do you know any Americans who feel shame at the direction their country is taking? And if you're one of Echidna's handful of American readers, have you changed your international travel plans? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target as he accuses the renewable rollout of "tearing families apart" across regional communities.
- The Albanese government is seeking to expand the powers of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to kick MPs out of the chamber if they misbehave and reduce the number of questions Coalition members get during question time.
- A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the Federal Parliament have been sharply criticised.
THEY SAID IT: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - Saint Augustine
YOU SAID IT: There are compelling arguments to lower the voting age to 16. But there are also compelling reasons not to.
Mark supports the idea: "The young adults of today do inherit the outcomes of government policy; they do work and pay taxes, they tend to care more about the environment on balance than older people, they tend to care more about love and issues like the treatment of refugees. If they get it right then it has the potential to make change in the political landscape."
Not Murray, who suggests: "If they honestly want to improve politics they should raise the voting age to 30."
Patricia writes: "A massive yes to civics education, although I prefer the term involvement. Having campaigned for community independents, I have seen the enthusiasm of people who realise they can become part of the political process. Even one-off community action, writing to or meeting with local representatives is a learning and empowering experience. People shouldn't feel that they can tick a box, walk away then complain about issues and do nothing."
"When the question of voting at 16 was raised with my kids, the 18- and 10-year-old opposed it vehemently because 'they don't know enough' and the 16-year-old thought she would like to be able to vote, but 'not everyone else because they're idiots'," writes Wendy.
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
It was hard not to feel for the American couple seated behind us in the long-tail boat off the Thai coast.
A chatty Englishman was doing his best to strike up a conversation and it was immediately apparent they wanted none of it, especially when he asked where they were from.
We could sense their self-consciousness as they muttered their answer. The Englishman said he'd love to go there but it would be avoiding the US for another four years "because of what's been happening".
The quiet Americans fell silent.
They might have been naturally reticent about answering questions from a complete stranger. Or embarrassed by the never-ending drama of the White House reality TV show. Or Trump supporters, tired of defending their president. We'll never know.
But during their moment of awkwardness it occurred to me that being an American abroad these days would be challenging when so much of the world is appalled by the behaviour of Donald Trump and the sycophants gathered around him - and people you meet are not afraid to tell you so.
That could partly explain the 7 per cent decline in Americans planning to travel to Europe this northern summer, as reported by the European Travel Commission. While the ETC said concern about the cost of travel during a period of economic uncertainty was a factor, "worries about being negatively perceived overseas under Trump's confrontational foreign policy" also played a role.
The ETC found Americans from Democrat-leaning states were more comfortable about travelling to Europe than those from Republican parts of the country.
And it's not just Europe.
An Ipsos Consumer Tracker survey published in May found that 27 per cent of Americans report they have international travel plans in the works for summer 2025 compared to 34 per cent last year.
And if Americans are dialling back their international travel plans, the rest of the world is giving the US a wide berth as well.
Canada leads the pack when it comes to avoiding its querulous southern neighbour. It normally accounts for the largest number of visitors to the US during the northern summer. Last year, 20 million Canadians visited. This year, the number of border crossings by car is down by a third and visits by air are also tanking.
Britons and Germans are also turning their backs on the US as a destination.
Australians are also thinking twice about US trips. Last year, the US was our fifth most popular destination; this year it's slipped to seventh position. The unfavourable exchange rate no doubt weighs heavily but stories about heavy-handed treatment at the border haven't helped either.
The self-imposed isolation the US is undergoing is regrettable, undermining the long-held notion that travel broadens the mind.
I wonder where those two Americans in the long-tail boat are now. And whether their minds were broadened by their experiences in a foreign land, where smiling is good manners and respect ingrained. Hopefully, they shared those values when they got home.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Would you be embarrassed if you were an American travelling overseas in 2025? Do you know any Americans who feel shame at the direction their country is taking? And if you're one of Echidna's handful of American readers, have you changed your international travel plans? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target as he accuses the renewable rollout of "tearing families apart" across regional communities.
- The Albanese government is seeking to expand the powers of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to kick MPs out of the chamber if they misbehave and reduce the number of questions Coalition members get during question time.
- A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the Federal Parliament have been sharply criticised.
THEY SAID IT: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - Saint Augustine
YOU SAID IT: There are compelling arguments to lower the voting age to 16. But there are also compelling reasons not to.
Mark supports the idea: "The young adults of today do inherit the outcomes of government policy; they do work and pay taxes, they tend to care more about the environment on balance than older people, they tend to care more about love and issues like the treatment of refugees. If they get it right then it has the potential to make change in the political landscape."
Not Murray, who suggests: "If they honestly want to improve politics they should raise the voting age to 30."
Patricia writes: "A massive yes to civics education, although I prefer the term involvement. Having campaigned for community independents, I have seen the enthusiasm of people who realise they can become part of the political process. Even one-off community action, writing to or meeting with local representatives is a learning and empowering experience. People shouldn't feel that they can tick a box, walk away then complain about issues and do nothing."
"When the question of voting at 16 was raised with my kids, the 18- and 10-year-old opposed it vehemently because 'they don't know enough' and the 16-year-old thought she would like to be able to vote, but 'not everyone else because they're idiots'," writes Wendy.
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
It was hard not to feel for the American couple seated behind us in the long-tail boat off the Thai coast.
A chatty Englishman was doing his best to strike up a conversation and it was immediately apparent they wanted none of it, especially when he asked where they were from.
We could sense their self-consciousness as they muttered their answer. The Englishman said he'd love to go there but it would be avoiding the US for another four years "because of what's been happening".
The quiet Americans fell silent.
They might have been naturally reticent about answering questions from a complete stranger. Or embarrassed by the never-ending drama of the White House reality TV show. Or Trump supporters, tired of defending their president. We'll never know.
But during their moment of awkwardness it occurred to me that being an American abroad these days would be challenging when so much of the world is appalled by the behaviour of Donald Trump and the sycophants gathered around him - and people you meet are not afraid to tell you so.
That could partly explain the 7 per cent decline in Americans planning to travel to Europe this northern summer, as reported by the European Travel Commission. While the ETC said concern about the cost of travel during a period of economic uncertainty was a factor, "worries about being negatively perceived overseas under Trump's confrontational foreign policy" also played a role.
The ETC found Americans from Democrat-leaning states were more comfortable about travelling to Europe than those from Republican parts of the country.
And it's not just Europe.
An Ipsos Consumer Tracker survey published in May found that 27 per cent of Americans report they have international travel plans in the works for summer 2025 compared to 34 per cent last year.
And if Americans are dialling back their international travel plans, the rest of the world is giving the US a wide berth as well.
Canada leads the pack when it comes to avoiding its querulous southern neighbour. It normally accounts for the largest number of visitors to the US during the northern summer. Last year, 20 million Canadians visited. This year, the number of border crossings by car is down by a third and visits by air are also tanking.
Britons and Germans are also turning their backs on the US as a destination.
Australians are also thinking twice about US trips. Last year, the US was our fifth most popular destination; this year it's slipped to seventh position. The unfavourable exchange rate no doubt weighs heavily but stories about heavy-handed treatment at the border haven't helped either.
The self-imposed isolation the US is undergoing is regrettable, undermining the long-held notion that travel broadens the mind.
I wonder where those two Americans in the long-tail boat are now. And whether their minds were broadened by their experiences in a foreign land, where smiling is good manners and respect ingrained. Hopefully, they shared those values when they got home.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Would you be embarrassed if you were an American travelling overseas in 2025? Do you know any Americans who feel shame at the direction their country is taking? And if you're one of Echidna's handful of American readers, have you changed your international travel plans? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target as he accuses the renewable rollout of "tearing families apart" across regional communities.
- The Albanese government is seeking to expand the powers of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to kick MPs out of the chamber if they misbehave and reduce the number of questions Coalition members get during question time.
- A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the Federal Parliament have been sharply criticised.
THEY SAID IT: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - Saint Augustine
YOU SAID IT: There are compelling arguments to lower the voting age to 16. But there are also compelling reasons not to.
Mark supports the idea: "The young adults of today do inherit the outcomes of government policy; they do work and pay taxes, they tend to care more about the environment on balance than older people, they tend to care more about love and issues like the treatment of refugees. If they get it right then it has the potential to make change in the political landscape."
Not Murray, who suggests: "If they honestly want to improve politics they should raise the voting age to 30."
Patricia writes: "A massive yes to civics education, although I prefer the term involvement. Having campaigned for community independents, I have seen the enthusiasm of people who realise they can become part of the political process. Even one-off community action, writing to or meeting with local representatives is a learning and empowering experience. People shouldn't feel that they can tick a box, walk away then complain about issues and do nothing."
"When the question of voting at 16 was raised with my kids, the 18- and 10-year-old opposed it vehemently because 'they don't know enough' and the 16-year-old thought she would like to be able to vote, but 'not everyone else because they're idiots'," writes Wendy.
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
It was hard not to feel for the American couple seated behind us in the long-tail boat off the Thai coast.
A chatty Englishman was doing his best to strike up a conversation and it was immediately apparent they wanted none of it, especially when he asked where they were from.
We could sense their self-consciousness as they muttered their answer. The Englishman said he'd love to go there but it would be avoiding the US for another four years "because of what's been happening".
The quiet Americans fell silent.
They might have been naturally reticent about answering questions from a complete stranger. Or embarrassed by the never-ending drama of the White House reality TV show. Or Trump supporters, tired of defending their president. We'll never know.
But during their moment of awkwardness it occurred to me that being an American abroad these days would be challenging when so much of the world is appalled by the behaviour of Donald Trump and the sycophants gathered around him - and people you meet are not afraid to tell you so.
That could partly explain the 7 per cent decline in Americans planning to travel to Europe this northern summer, as reported by the European Travel Commission. While the ETC said concern about the cost of travel during a period of economic uncertainty was a factor, "worries about being negatively perceived overseas under Trump's confrontational foreign policy" also played a role.
The ETC found Americans from Democrat-leaning states were more comfortable about travelling to Europe than those from Republican parts of the country.
And it's not just Europe.
An Ipsos Consumer Tracker survey published in May found that 27 per cent of Americans report they have international travel plans in the works for summer 2025 compared to 34 per cent last year.
And if Americans are dialling back their international travel plans, the rest of the world is giving the US a wide berth as well.
Canada leads the pack when it comes to avoiding its querulous southern neighbour. It normally accounts for the largest number of visitors to the US during the northern summer. Last year, 20 million Canadians visited. This year, the number of border crossings by car is down by a third and visits by air are also tanking.
Britons and Germans are also turning their backs on the US as a destination.
Australians are also thinking twice about US trips. Last year, the US was our fifth most popular destination; this year it's slipped to seventh position. The unfavourable exchange rate no doubt weighs heavily but stories about heavy-handed treatment at the border haven't helped either.
The self-imposed isolation the US is undergoing is regrettable, undermining the long-held notion that travel broadens the mind.
I wonder where those two Americans in the long-tail boat are now. And whether their minds were broadened by their experiences in a foreign land, where smiling is good manners and respect ingrained. Hopefully, they shared those values when they got home.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Would you be embarrassed if you were an American travelling overseas in 2025? Do you know any Americans who feel shame at the direction their country is taking? And if you're one of Echidna's handful of American readers, have you changed your international travel plans? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target as he accuses the renewable rollout of "tearing families apart" across regional communities.
- The Albanese government is seeking to expand the powers of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to kick MPs out of the chamber if they misbehave and reduce the number of questions Coalition members get during question time.
- A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the Federal Parliament have been sharply criticised.
THEY SAID IT: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - Saint Augustine
YOU SAID IT: There are compelling arguments to lower the voting age to 16. But there are also compelling reasons not to.
Mark supports the idea: "The young adults of today do inherit the outcomes of government policy; they do work and pay taxes, they tend to care more about the environment on balance than older people, they tend to care more about love and issues like the treatment of refugees. If they get it right then it has the potential to make change in the political landscape."
Not Murray, who suggests: "If they honestly want to improve politics they should raise the voting age to 30."
Patricia writes: "A massive yes to civics education, although I prefer the term involvement. Having campaigned for community independents, I have seen the enthusiasm of people who realise they can become part of the political process. Even one-off community action, writing to or meeting with local representatives is a learning and empowering experience. People shouldn't feel that they can tick a box, walk away then complain about issues and do nothing."
"When the question of voting at 16 was raised with my kids, the 18- and 10-year-old opposed it vehemently because 'they don't know enough' and the 16-year-old thought she would like to be able to vote, but 'not everyone else because they're idiots'," writes Wendy.