SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) – British electrician Geoff Skipper, 50, and university administrator Valerie, 47, traveled to San Francisco earlier this month for several weeks. What I saw for a while now was the unhelpful to see the pound/dollar continue to fall in a straight line.
As a result of the devaluation of the pound, they were forced to cut back on some plans, although they had intended to indulge in luxury in the already expensive San Francisco.
“The main topic since we’ve been here is the exchange rate,” Skipper said. “Everything is very expensive. We stopped eating and drinking in the shop and bought food in the fresh food shop because it’s not worth the price at all when converted to pounds. It’s very expensive ,” she screamed.
All foreign tourists to the United States, including both, are suffering from the strong dollar. Britons, in particular, have been hit even harder by the plunge in the pound. The pound/dollar hit a new low of $1.0327 on Friday, down 20% for the year.
Colin Taylor, a retired communications engineer from Britain, who was also visiting San Francisco with his wife, said: “Now $1 is £1 and we’re in big trouble. Breakfast costs £50. UK. We could have won £20-25, which is a huge price increase for us.”
It’s not just the pound, of course, but the euro, the yen and many other currencies have fallen against the dollar. The dollar index against six major currencies hit a 20-year high on Thursday.
Jose Albado (48), a certified public accountant who traveled from Argentina to New York with his wife and two daughters, said, “We are in a cheap restaurant. We also went to the Disney store, but we didn’t buy anything. No, I go through it and leave.”
Still, foreign leisure travelers to the United States will spend $87 billion this year on an inflation-adjusted basis as coronavirus-related travel restrictions are lifted, according to forecasts released by the American Travel Association in the month of June. surpassing the 2020s and $33 billion last year.
And some foreign tourists won’t let the strong dollar spoil their fun. App designer Gilles Nolorguet (48), who came to the United States from Paris, said, “We have to enjoy New York at all costs.”
In contrast, Americans who travel abroad with dollars in their pockets are more likely to spend their money.
In July, when the dollar and euro were equal for the first time in 20 years, American tourists “bombed out” on expensive items in Paris and enjoyed a variety of “hospitality” at bargain prices in London’s West End.
Americans are spending 11% more on domestic and international travel this year than they did in 2019, according to consumer survey data compiled by the Association of Travel Advisors.
“I feel like I’m using it for money,” said Armstrong, 26, who visited London from California and was interviewed in Trafalgar Square.
In Bali, Indonesia, Johnny Follin, 39, of Los Angeles, was happy that the strong dollar allowed him to enjoy more delicious food, drinks and massage services than he otherwise would have.
The dollar has gained about 7% against the Indonesian rupiah this year.
(Reporting by Noel Randwich, John McCrank, Alun John)
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