How does an economic crisis like that of Greece affect the traveller with an inferior currency? I was in Malaysia and Thailand during the Asean currency crisis, and food and accomodation was really cheap...
Prices in Greece are now the same as before the present disaster.
Airplane tickets are based on fuel prices, which are based on the American dollar. They remain about the same.
The West has some very poor people who cannot get jobs or benefits in some countries. Often illegal immigrants. America has lots of very poor people who live day to day existences and sleep in cardboard boxes. It also has lots of very rich people, so the present protests on Wall Street.
A lot of Americans do have all the luxuries: New car, top of the range computer and iPhone, latest high tech TV's, designer clothes, etc. Many are also up to their neck in debt.
Visas are peculiar to each country and it takes a long time for things to change. Can you not get a non-immigrant visa for America?
I never applied for a Visa to the west. I just know some friends who were denied, even if their passports had so many stamps from other 1st world countries. Well, I'd probably hit Korea or India.
So nothing has changed, Greece is still expensive and if I am from Greece, I can work at Mc.donalds and save enough money to travel in Morocco and Egypt.
If you are basing your American political and economic knowledge on a TV show, then you are going to get a very skewed perception!
If you are basing your American political and economic knowledge on a TV show, then you are going to get a very skewed perception!
It's HBO, it can't be that bad... and it has good screenplay. And I'm refering to an episode, which probably written as response to fans and critics, who say that it is IMPOSSIBLE for a newspaper columnist like Carrie to afford designer labels, so they made it more logical, she went wrote broke and about to be Homeless.
Swept Away,
Very well written note i must say.
Swept Away,
Very well written note i must say.
Thanks. I had to be careful, didn't want to sound like I am hoping for an economic meltdown so that barriers to my European dream will be removed. Flights to Paris are so cheap. But then you have this note: Taxes and fees not include, so I need a fortune teller to know the exact price.
In my opinion a weaker economy usually helps. I am from India and its always easier to go to the other South East Asian countries. But travelling to Europe or even US needs a lot of funds.
Swept Away,
Very well written note i must say.Thanks. I had to be careful, didn't want to sound like I am hoping for an economic meltdown so that barriers to my European dream will be removed. Flights to Paris are so cheap. But then you have this note: Taxes and fees not include, so I need a fortune teller to know the exact price.
Actually in my experience it is not just about economic weakness in countries you intent to travel, most of the cost benefits come only if your home currency is strong.
For example- Although India is doing relatively better (growing at 7% GDP growth vs Developed world growing at 1-1.5%)and wages in general are up by 12-15%. However, because India is a net importer of Oil & other commodities its currency has depreciated by 8-10% in last 3-4 months. So US$/INR which was Rs. 43 is Rs. 50. Now even if hotel rates, flight rates, etc in US would have comed down by 8-10% because of low occupancy and recession, the benefit does not really flow through to someone travelling from India.
So its all about home currency? specially when you are travelling out of your savings and not on work visas, etc.
So it's really about who has the stronger currency.
The other week, we heard the drama in the US congress, blaming China for keeping the value of the Chinese yuan low, which a factor to the so-called Economic crisis that plagues the US.
Who is complaining about the dollar being stronger than the Chinese Yuan, definitely not the thousands of Americans, who pay 200 dollars to hold an infant Panda in Chengdu.
One minute you hear the "Occupy Wallstreet" saga with people asking for JOBS, and then you get another "Steve Jobs is a hero" news. What has he done, he gave us iphones 1-4. No, thanks, I love my Nokia flip phones and I would never trade the laptop for ugly tablet.
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