international perceptions
Spoke with my Canadian cousin today. She said that people aren't traveling to the US anymore because it doesn't seem cool. Not a problem with me, I don't live in a city so I never thought of the US as cool; more of a suburban hellscape.
I do wonder where the next major cultural influence will come from. Hollywood was a huge cultural export. But its no longer popular, it cant sell the dream anymore.
I'm thinking South Korea? With the Hallyu and such. Meaning that they will see a ton of tourism in the next 10 years or so. I don't think SK is a great country; its a hyper-capitalist hellscape with awful laws, misogynist culture, high suicide rates, and sex crimes that make Japan's perverted pop culture look like nothing. But they're also good at covering it up, like the US used to do and how Japan does.
SK is a dream for rich foreigners, not for migrants or native Koreans living in the lower class.
What they do right is safety. I don't think life-threatening, violent crimes (not sex related) are as high there, meaning it is marginally safer. That will be the big appeal.
Just my late night thoughts.