America's National Parks are European Playgrounds
Here are some observations from last week's National Parks road trip across Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion:
- Europeans love nature and were visiting en masse. Sometimes you saw European women walking in dresses on the hiking trails. Foreigners were so dominant that we felt we weren't in America.
- At Grand Canyon North Side, the dining staff were hired predominantly from Eastern Europe. Our Czech waitress explained that she was participating in a summer "program" to learn English while working in America. We noted some amusing translation issues as she tried to explain the menu to Russians who were English challenged. At Bryce Canyon, there were many Jamaicans on dining staff. Their service was more enthusiastic than that of bored locals. There's a cottage industry of international recruiters working with Xanterra, the parks' concessionaire.
- Asians still like group bus tours
It's refreshing to see America's national parks inundated with global tourists and workers.
With the dollar so low watch out they dont end up buying them ( remember the Victor Kyam ad's!)
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The Dollar is gaining steam as the rest of the world is feeling recessionary pressure
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Ten years ago in Moab, UT, I met a waiter that spoke 7 languages. He loved the foreign tourists, as they were a large part of the local economy. That hasn't changed with the more favorable exchange rates.
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