In my adult life, the global complaint has been that not enough Americans travel abroad.
We’ve probably all heard some edition of this statement, in which other people fill in statistics about how many Americans have no interest in leaving the country (it was recently reported that only one-third of Americans have passports) and why it’s a bad passport thing.
Well, it turns out we’re alone. A recent study suggests that all countries are home to subsets of the population that are unwilling to leave the city, and one country in particular, Japan, appears to be leading the way.
According to the report, only 23% of Japanese have passports and 35% of adults say they will “never again” do so for recreational purposes. So that? The study cites several reasons, most of which are undoubtedly cross-cultural and universal.
Risk Aversion/Health and Safety
One of the lasting effects of COVID-19 is the health risks and protection that other people feel when traveling. Traveling not only reveals more things to you, but it also takes you away from health in your home country, which makes other people nervous. In Japan, there is a “cultural preference for risk aversion,” the study says, encouraging people to stay home.
Stress and anxiety
Although we can get anywhere in the world faster than ever before, traveling is still stressful and anxiety-generating for people.
The study cites anxiety-provoking stresses and delays, as well as realities such as the language barrier (Japanese is not as widely spoken around the world as English, Spanish or other Romance languages).
Work and finances
Like Americans, Japanese people also enjoy high-tension artistic environments, with limited days off and/or efforts not to take holidays.
The cost of travel has become a major driver in recent years, with the yen weaker than before and the effects of the pandemic on the economy still looming.
Sustainability and environmentalism
Although not cited through the Japanese, knowledge from other countries suggests that sustainability and environmentalism are also a barrier for some people, who feel that travel puts pressure on resources and has a negative effect on the environment.
Realities such as the carbon footprint of aircraft, the local resources of megaresorts, and travel-related disruptions to local life have contributed to this situation.
There is no better place than home
Finally, a positive explanation for the lack of interest abroad was the availability of domestic options. The report states that Japan’s natural, historical and cultural wealth has encouraged some to explore closer to home.
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