Over Columbus Day weekend, I went with my mom to New York City. We went last year as well, and that's when we noticed it: there were more Europeans here than usual. And again this year, it was absolutely crazy. I felt like I everywhere I went, I was just completely surrounded by Europeans. It was almost as if I wasn't in New York, but some European country. At breakfast we sat next to a German couple. In the elevator there was a man speaking Italian. At Macy's there was a father and daughter speaking Spanish with one of the shoe salesman. In line at a burger joint, a French family ordering fries. At dinner, a Swedish family sitting right next to us. A British waiter at one of the restaurants. The list goes on and on. Believe me.
But why so many tourists? How is it that my French would become more useful in New York than in Europe? To me, the answer was obvious. The dollar sucks. Right now, the euro is almost 125% stronger than the dollar. (Use the currency converter to see other exchange rates). So basically, everything in America is dirt cheap for Europeans, considering one euro is equal to almost $1.50. It's so cheap to come to America, that even middle class Europeans can afford the trip. Even though it's from a few years ago, this article, entitled "Money Goes Far in New York, if Your're European," describes and explains almost the exact same experience I had in New York this past weekend. The dollar is horrible and it's not going to get better any time soon. But there could be an upside to the situation. All of this tourism must add something to our economy, even though contributers to the article above express worry of "currency tension" as the dollar becomes weaker and weaker. But it seems to me that European tourists are buying all the things that Americans can't afford anymore: second homes, expensive entertainment, shopping. The article mentions a Bristish tourist in New York City who says that she "had trouble spending all of her money". I wish I had that problem too...
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