INTERNATIONAL travel has never been so popular, but in many respects it has never taken so much initiative to experience the distinctiveness of a foreign culture. At least with respect to travel to developed countries and the tourist areas of developing countries, "le grand tour" is in danger of becoming the big bore.
With increasing numbers of foreign travelers, it becomes more and more difficult to avoid bumping into non-natives in typical tourist destinations, especially in Europe. Even in countries one might think are slightly less popular destinations, such as Japan or Turkey, major cities are overrun with foreigners.
The facts are astounding. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Americans took more than twenty-seven million overseas trips (excluding the much more numerous trips to Canada and Mexico) in 2004. Foreign trips by Americans increased over seventy percent between 1990 and 2000. The UN World Tourism Association estimates that the total number of international trips by citizens of all countries reached 842 million in 2006 and will rise to 1.6 billion by 2020.
Our search for cultural treasures is making those same treasures impossibly congested. Anyone who has tried to enjoy a moment of quiet reflection in the Sistine Chapel or Istanbul's Hagia Sophia knows that I mean. Since individual tourists do not consider the costs of the congestion they contribute to when making their decision to travel, things are only going to get worse
Indeed, even if one avoids other Americans abroad, often the alternative is interacting with foreigners from other countries rather than mingling with the locals. The Australians, for example, are indefatigable international travelers and while in some sense it should not be any less interesting to strike up a great conversation with someone from Perth on a subway train in South Korea than it would be in Australia, it can be frustrating that no matter where you go you experience the same international youth traveling culture, especially at youth hostels.
Not that I would recommend against traveling overseas, just to recognize it for what it is. If you haven't been abroad and feel you've missed something important to your life's development (which was the case for me during my third-year as an undergraduate), this is an important point.
Spending weeks or months shuttling around on trains, enjoying uninterrupted leisure with hordes of other young people from around the world, and experiencing different climates and architectures is a lot of fun. But it is the kind of fun available staying at hostels in New York City and other large American cities.
Traveling overseas is an opportunity to have a good time and make new friends, but is unlikely to be the life-altering experience its cracked up to be (again, at least with respect to travel to other developed countries).
With all that said, there are several ways to improve the international experience: First, know at least some of the local language or at least go to countries with your friends from college who do. Even better, if you are friends with international students see if you can arrange for them to show you around their homeland.
Second, try CouchSurfing.com. While I have only recently discovered this Web site, it is an amazing non-profit resource that connects several hundred thousand people worldwide willing to put up travelers at no cost. There's no better way to get to know a place than to stay overnight with the people who live there. It is in this community that my hopes for future exciting international travel rest.
Third, avoid the major destinations or go to these places in the winter. Though you might miss the nice weather or the Mona Lisa, you won't miss the large numbers of tourists who couldn't do without either of them.
Fourth, consider study abroad. I have no personal experience of this but it certainly seems like a reasonable way to have a more meaningful experience of another country. Just be wary of the international youth culture phenomenon in choosing your program ---- the more interaction with the local culture, the better.
Finally, realize that for those of us so fortuitously placed as students at the University, there are Australians, Africans, Europeans, East Asians, Latin Americans and other international students all around us. It doesn't necessarily make sense to go halfway around the world to strike up conversations with citizens of foreign countries when here in homely Charlottesville they would love for you to come to their student groups' cultural nights.
Andrew Winerman is a Cavalier Daily Viewpoint Writer. He is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Economics.
Read More
WILLIAMS: Donald Trump will be a threat to student loan forgiveness
By Ryan Williams | 16 hours agoTo be sure, this is not a problem of the University’s making. Nevertheless, understanding the uncertainty of financial accessibility in education, the University must step up to the plate.
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | 5 days agoThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 6 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
