European Travel Habits

European Travel Habits

Over the course of my long weekend in Norway, I was able to talk to many individuals about their travel habits and perceptions of America. It often came up naturally in conversation and I also directed questions to get information and opinions for the upcoming tourism project for the State of Utah.

I had a great conversation with a shop owner in Leysin. He was an obvious sports enthusiast. When it came up that we lived in Utah, he immediately knew of the famous snow and was able to spout off several well-known ski resorts. However, despite his travels, he had only been to Utah in the summer time. He did this to hit the national parks. He did a grand loop and said it is what all the Europeans do. Being a sports enthusiasts he did mention it would be cool to see a bigger push towards extreme sports in Utah. Off the cuff he mentioned designated trails for long boarding, mountain bike course, mountain scootering etc. Another Leysin local had visited Utah for it’s famous hang gliding, parasailing at the point of the mountain. My conclusion is that most come to Utah with adventure in mind, however, they really just want to do what the every European does, which is see the national parks.

Talking with Dominque, our host at Leysin, he had travelled to Utah on an extended trans-American journey. I learned several key points about European travel habits in America. The first is that they want to see “all” of America. Distances do not deter Europeans from visiting all of the famous national parks. They will cruise across the nation to visit all the places they have heard about. I believe the root reason is that they do not want to feel like they have missed something. Upon arrival, friends could ask them were they visited and they can spout off several national parks. This means that they can only get a superficial visit to many places as opposed to a deep intimate stay. They won’t focus on one area and see all it has to offer. They would rather take the best of many places. Trying to place myself in their shoes, when in France, I of course want to see all the quintessential iconic places in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph. Europeans want to visit Zion, Yellowstone, Bryce, and Las Vegas. Personally I am moving towards a more personal tour of parts of the world. I feel like my mission gave me a great feel for small cities and towns in the Philippines. I was able to really appreciate the local feel and flavor after a few months stay. In Leysin, it was nice to have a great host and walk the streets discovering the great food joints etc. However, when I get home, no one else will care about the great sandwich shop. But the iconic Swiss chocolate tour was, in the words of Dominque, “Fantastique!”

Another key point is that the journey is part of the experience. Dominque took his motorcycle all around the states travelling up to 600 miles in a day. He talked about his adventures on his “hog.” He really enjoyed the long travel. For Europeans, the journey is part of the fun. They love the bus rides and seeing the countryside. Even though the travel may limit the time they are able to spend in a particular place, it is all in the vacation. In my case in Europe, we took the trains everywhere. I really enjoyed that and it gave me a great feel for the land. Long scenic drives could be an advantage to Tourism in Utah. The question will be about keeping tourists within Utah.

Boundaries are artificial in Europe. They do not relate well to “states.” In Switzerland, people were from Leysin, Montreau, Geneva, Bern and not their respective regions. Only in Catalan might they relate to the concept of states. However, we in America don’t visit Catalan either. We visit Spain and Barcelona. So the advertising perhaps should avoid referencing Utah, because that means nothing to Europeans. They will visit Park City, Salt Lake, Logan, Moab, St. George etc.

In the hostels, I noticed many older European travelers. Dominque also said that he enjoyed camping out but would get a hotel on occasion. I believe that freedom and mobility appeal to Europeans in a way that Americans don’t understand. When my family travels there is a strict itinerary and most of the trip is planned out. Many Europeans like to play it by ear (to use an America idiom.)

Here’s a short list of some of my thoughts:

They visit cities not states.

They want to see it all.

The journey is part of the fun.

They like camping and freedom and mobility.