I am from Latin America and almost nobody sees the US as a bucket list country to visit. Except maybe for Disneyworld.
I’ve been on travel subs for a while and it seems like majority consensus that the US is not one of the best countries to visit, not even among Americans.
The US is geographically diverse. You have mountains, coastlines, Great Lakes, deserts, big cities, small towns, and everything in between. There’s a LOT to see and I wouldn’t say it’s overrated at all.
No, you won’t find the culture and history that exists in places like Athens and Rome. But not every trip needs those elements to be enjoyable.
As a Canadian, I didn’t grow up with much interest in visiting the USA because I thought it was what I saw on TV—either New York or California (and I do love both). Having been to 38 states now, I can tell you they are all so different and all offer unique experiences. Some are less enjoyable than others, but there are some that are just incredible.
@Emerson
>No, you won’t find the culture and history that exists in places like Athens and Rome. But not every trip needs those elements to be enjoyable.
Even if you want to toss them in anyways, there are museum collections rivalling some found in Europe. Plus, Native Americans actually did exist for thousands of years here before the US was ever a thing with their own civilizations and deep cultures. Cliff palace as one example is a very cool and unique cultural spot to visit in the US.
@Zuri
I spent two weeks in New Mexico and it’s such an interesting blend of indigenous culture, Mexican culture, and Southwestern US.
Ollie said:
@Zuri
I spent two weeks in New Mexico and it’s such an interesting blend of indigenous culture, Mexican culture, and Southwestern US.
Yeah, NM is high on my list of states I need to visit. Absolutely beautiful landscapes too.
It depends on what you’re looking for and your style of travel. When most foreigners think of the US, especially in terms of visiting, they mostly think theme parks and major cities like New York, LA, Las Vegas, etc. They’re not thinking Grand Canyon, Olympic, Zion, Yellowstone. They’re not thinking Alaska and Hawaii. The US, and North America in general, is an outdoorsman’s paradise.
Edit: I’ll add that because of its size, people on holiday rarely see the vast majority of the United States. They go to one place, usually a touristy place, or maybe one specific region and call it a day, then base their entire opinions of the country on Orlando or Times Square. Europeans especially seem to have a hard time understanding just how massive it is. You can fit Great Britain in Texas three times, and Texas isn’t even the largest state.
@Paz
Yeah this. Everyone I talk to can only name a few cities. In Mexico, a holiday to the US is going to San Antonio and shopping in the outlets. Or Vegas, NYC, and Disney if you have money. But most people seem to be interested in Europe for “actual tourism,” if you know what I mean.
@Zen
I don’t know what you mean. What is “actual tourism”?
Paz said:
@Zen
I don’t know what you mean. What is “actual tourism”?
Like visiting a country because you’re interested in it and seeing the highlights. For example, in Switzerland, Mexicans would go to the cities or Alps or take the train, etc.
For the US, Mexicans only see it as a place to go shopping, and that’s it. You go there because a PS5 and other electronics are WAY cheaper than in Mexico. They’re not interested in seeing the nature or visiting the national parks or checking out the best the US has to offer 
Because it’s too expensive for most people and harder to get into as far as VISAs go, especially for LATAM.
Davis said:
Because it’s too expensive for most people and harder to get into as far as VISAs go, especially for LATAM.
I don’t think most people understand how expensive the US has become. It’s $10 for a cheap meal (not including tip), $100 for a cheap hotel, and these are prices for a random city, not NYC/LA/etc. The same price lets you eat/sleep well in Europe, extravagantly in Asia.
It’s unfortunate because the US has so many beautiful places (national parks are untouchable, maybe with the exception of Switzerland). Everything’s just very far apart, domestic flights are expensive compared to budget flights in Europe/Asia, interstate transit’s almost nonexistent, and driving takes too long.
@Ari
Would you say it’s worth it for someone that has money and time? Or would it be better allocated in another country instead?
Zen said:
@Ari
Would you say it’s worth it for someone that has money and time? Or would it be better allocated in another country instead?
With enough money, the US is worthwhile. With reasonable money, the world provides better value. It’s tough to provide specifics for everyone, but I’ll try to find a common interest for us, backpacking. You can hike along alpine lakes, through alpine meadows, into the actual Alps for the same price as hiking a single national park in California. The price includes Swiss chalet or Californian campground. You can camp in Switzerland too for even cheaper.
@Ari
I guess. But would you say it’s the same? I was actually looking into backpacking the Wind River Range. I like that it’s true wilderness. And the scenery looks different from the Alps. Like one can compare cities like Mexico City and Tokyo; CDMX will be cheaper, but is it the same?
I think what’s stopping people is that the US dollar is very, very strong at the moment.
I used to go all the time, before 2008, for the simple reason that it was very good value for money, and now it no longer is.
It’s got plenty of unique things to see and do, and is a highly worthwhile destination. But it’s very hard on the wallet right now, and has been for quite some time.
I think if you love the outdoors (and assuming you have the money and resources to travel - because this country is so damn big), the USA is a great place to visit. Culturally, the architecture and sites may be lacking, but if you love being outside, and exploring nature, it’s a pretty remarkable place.
@Aubrey
Yes this! Each region of the country has amazing natural beauty and things to see. The PNW and the Southwest region (Arizona, New Mexico, Southern CA) itself is enough for someone to want to visit the US.
@Aubrey
Just Utah is incredible - and don’t forget to include Monument Valley! 
As an American, I find our cultural sites pretty lacking. Unless you’re interested in American history, there isn’t much for you. We have a handful of museums that are interesting, but nothing that would necessitate a trip on its own.
You visit the US, in my opinion, for its natural beauty, which I believe is second to none. Sure, there are more beautiful natural sights in other places around the world, but nowhere else has the volume and diversity of them that the US has.
@Arden
The localized history argument can be made for any country. I always see crazy cool cultural activities around me. It depends on what you’re willing to look for and some familiarity which makes it harder to find something novel.