Travel to Europe
Despite travel restrictions from the government, travel to Europe by Americans continues to be popular. Since Americans now have to use a passport to go anywhere outside the U.S., many travelers would rather take the longer flight to Europe with a passport than take a trip down to the Caribbean or Mexico.
In fact, 13 million Americans visited Europe in 2006, a 4 percent increase from the previous year, according to U.S. Commerce Department’s Office of Travel & Tourism Industries. The European Travel Commission expects those numbers will increase another 2 or 3 percent this year.
So why are Americans traveling to Europe and where do they go? Americans continually travel to Europe because of the cultural experience of art, architecture, and local cuisines. Of course, Rome, London, and Paris continue to be big spots for American travelers because of the cultural symbols of Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower.
However, American travelers also regularly visit Switzerland to hike the Haute Route, visit the countryside of Italy and other countries to try regional cuisine, and experienced travelers are moving east to less explored countries like Croatia. Eastern Europe is mysterious because many people are curious about the former Communist countries. Plus, the U.S. dollar goes farther in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe.
Wherever you travel, Europe will continue to be popular because of the closeness of the countries and the vastness of cultural tourist activities that are available there.