Breaking the Mold! (some snarky statistics)

You know how I said that we Americans don't tend to think beyond our borders?  That's a bit of a gross generalization. Americans travel. They just are traveling for the wrong reasons.

Allow me to do some statistical inference: 

(USA data taken from here and here; Australia data taken from here and here)

18.7 % of Americans traveled abroad in 2011

The trend has been going up every year, so it can be assumed that the percentage is higher this year.

Of this 18.7 %: 

34% To Mexico:

6.4 % of USA population

(SPRING BREAK! WOOOOO!!!!!)

19.6% to Canada

3.7% of USA population

(These are all the people who say "if ______ happens" or "if _____gets elected... I'm moving to Canada. I mean it! This country is going to be divided at the 38th parallel soon enough!")

18.4 %to Europe: 

3.4% of USA population

(The yuppie family vacations to get some old-world culture, The Euro-trippers, The Study abroad once-in-a-lifetime "experiences")

10.2% to Caribbean

1.9% of USA population

(Cruise and Cigar loving types)

7% to Asia 

1.3% of USA population

(I bet some of this is business related travel... )

2.7% to  South America

.5% of USA population

(Save-the-world types)

2.2% to Middle East

.41% of USA population

(Some more potential entrepreneurs here, although There Will be Oil )

.85 % Oceania

.15% of USA population

(Mostly hobbit-loving types, BUT ALSO  people who are taking advantage of Australia's economy...like myself in 2011!)

What does it mean? 

This is what I gather from all of it.

•  It's harder for Americans to travel in general, because most Americans don't make enough money to save up for the cost of an airplane ticket. This explains why North American travel is more common.  It also explains why, relative to say... Australia where 30.5% of population travel t,here are fewer people traveling.

•  When traveling, Americans tend to travel for experience in lieu of business opportunities. Mexico and Europe are not places to start a career. Most business opportunities abroad come from large companies operating overseas. 

•   When we travel for Business, it seems that Australia is completely off the radar! 

 Sure, Canada and parts of Europe have done well to avoid the GFC- and it looks like the numbers are high enough to deduce that some of those statistics representing business related travel... but who would want to move to Canada when there is a much warmer English-speaking country available to travel to?  One which is arguably more economically viable! In 2011, it ranked 5th highest for GDP per capita (IMF) and 2nd for Human Development Index (UN).  It's amazing that it doesn't crop up in the news more often.  This Article, for instance, encourages Americans to seek jobs elsewhere, much like I am doing now.  It gives no mention of Australia.   

Going back to a more general commentary on American labor migration.  We've never had to consider looking for work elsewhere before.  It's always been other people trying to get across our own borders and we are used to a very US-centric world. It frightens us to think that the reality is different.  Perhaps by admitting that other economies are relatively stronger, we are admitting that things might not get better here. 

As I mentioned before, there seem to be a lot of young people, just graduated, who are taking temporary trips abroad to do volunteer work.  Sure, the economy sucks.. but they, as Americans, are better off than lots of people.  Why not try and escape the crisis, help others to be better off, and also gain experience in the field? 

It's a lovely thought, but eventually you have to get a job.  You can gain experience and gain an income at the same time.   There's an amazing niche just waiting to be filled... and so very few Americans are taking the opportunity to do it. 

NEXT UP: Some proof of why Australia is a good move.