30 Things You Should Know Before Visiting The United States For The First Time Ever, According To Americans

To learn more about visiting the United States, Bored Panda got in touch with A Lady in London, an adventurous traveler who has already been to 112 countries.

"As a Californian, when I think of the US, I think of the natural beauty the country offers," she told us. "From stunning coastline to national parks like Yosemite, there are a lot of amazing places to discover."

And that's the beauty of this land; everyone can find a corner within it that will resonate with them. "The US is huge, and there are a lot of amazing destinations to discover. Good places to start include New York City, Yellowstone National Park, and Hawaii. They'll give you an overview of how varied the country is in terms of things to do, see, and experience."

According to the most recent figures from the World Tourism Organization, France is the number one destination for international tourists with 117 million in 2020, but the United States is in fourth place with 45 million.

However, the country has to step up if it wants to see the number increase. Some researchers estimate that as many as 412,000 travel and tourism jobs in the United States will remain unfilled this year.

1-in-18 industry jobs may have remained vacant during the first half of 2022, highlighting a talent crunch that has plagued the sector since early 2021. An estimated 321,000 positions went unfilled in the January-June period.

However, when it comes to the locals, A Lady in London said they can be really accepting of tourists. "It depends where you go. Different parts of the country are known for different things. For example, Southerners are known for their hospitality and Midwesterners for their friendliness. I like to think Americans are pretty welcoming on the whole," she explained.

But if you want to meet them, A Lady in London suggests you start locally and see how it goes from there. "My biggest tip is to remember how big the country is. I recommend seeing one state or region at a time so you can experience it fully and meaningfully," she said. "Then make sure to come back again and see a different part of the country. You'll start to get a feel for how diverse the US is."

Reddit user Praglik told Bored Panda they came up with the idea for the post when they were planning a trip to California with their wife. "She's never been to the US," Praglik said. "A little bit later before going to bed I thought about asking this question, and to my surprise, it blew up during the night here in Europe."

"The replies were helpful, they crystallized what I read over the years about the US. Most of them were very similar, falling into 3 categories: danger (don't mess with wildlife), hidden costs (tips, taxes, long-distance travels), and finally people (homemade food is great, they love to share, love to meet foreigners)."

The Redditor said they've been to the US once before. "It was a very short business trip to Colorado. The country seemed very interesting, vast, and full of colorful people. I always dreamt of visiting both coasts, California and New England in particular."

Hopefully, the post will help other travelers too!