CNN) -- The numbers tell the story: Of the 308 million-plus citizens in the United States, 30% have passports.
That's just too low for such an affluent country, said Bruce Bommarito, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the U.S. Travel Association.
"Americans are comfortable in their own environment," Bommarito said.
There were 61.5 million trips outside the United States in 2009, down 3% from 2008, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. About 50% of those trips were to either Mexico or Canada, destinations that didn't require a passport until 2007.
I think this is really sad--experience with other cultures and exploring fascinating places in the world adds so much to one's life IMO. It has certainly made a difference in mine--and my son's. He says the thing he enjoys the most are all the different people he has had the opportunity to meet and talk with and get to know. Travel opens up a whole new world...and affords us the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, which I think adds to our understanding of each other and that understanding helps us to be more compassionate, more tolerant, and better people. I am delighted that my son's family also loves to travel and meet new people.
