They come to the United States across borders and oceans, soccer. On the way they encountered american classic: The first bite of Raising Cane’s chicken, an eye-opening tour of the oversized commercial district that is Buc-ee’s Travel Plaza, and the realization that almost everything in America is huge.
but world cup Tourists from other lands aren’t just interested in food or size.
Their view of the United States, often built through sometimes distorted shots of the establishment presented by news media, TikTok, and vague word-of-mouth, is now informed by what they see with their own eyes. And often the sight contradicts, or at least augments, what they knew when they arrived.
Many landed expecting the politically divided country that global headlines frequently tout. Instead, I found Uber drivers full of recommendations and locals willing to open their homes to strangers. While the game participants are working on the problem, sticker shock ticket pricesome of the Americans they met didn’t even know or care that the World Cup was being held.
Here’s what some tourists told The Associated Press about their experiences in the U.S. in recent weeks, and what impressions they’ll take home with them when they visit.
Americans warmly welcome fans
Across thousands of social media posts from Asia to Europe to Africa to Latin America, most World Cup tourists agree on one thing: Americans are nice. Locals joined international fans to cheer on their teams at sports bars, street parades, and of course at World Cup games.
Sebastian Rieder, a 28-year-old from London, has long been fascinated by American culture and decided to take a three-month trip for the World Cup. he followed it english team No matter where he played, he said he experienced friendliness not only in big cities like Chicago and Boston, but also in less populated states like Arkansas.
In Dallas, a guy I met at a Mexican restaurant showed me his truck and revved it up. Another local he met at a bar invited him and a friend to his front porch, where they talked about movies and sports until 2 a.m.
“It felt like a very American experience in Dallas,” Reeder said. “He had very American amenities: a television outside, a beer refrigerator, a giant fly trap, and a giant fan.”
Harry Gans, 30, who also lives in London, visited Texas and California last year. But when he visited for the World Cup, he said it was his first time experiencing “absolutely rich hospitality” from Uber drivers to hotel staff. His online posts are filled with recommendations for places Americans should visit and eat, with some even inviting him to cook for them.
“It feels like I’ve come right back home. That’s the best way I can describe it,” Gans said. “Especially in the UK, it takes a while for people to open up, but here they open up quickly.”
Many of the locals he spoke to didn’t know the World Cup was being held in the United States, but Gans hopes the influx of tourists will open Americans up to the beloved sport.
Zineb Benramri, 28 years old, Moroccovisited New York for the World Cup and was dancing salsa with a group of 50-year-olds in Central Park. “It’s so nice to be able to talk to anyone, like strangers are family,” she said.
Victoria Phillips-Hunter, a resident of Carlisle, UK, who used to work in the hospitality industry, praised the hospitality industry staff.
Phillips-Hunter, 34, said, “Honestly, I can understand why American staff work for tips and live on tips, because they absolutely deserve tips. And they make you want to be there, and you know they’re putting in 100 percent effort to take care of you.”
Tourists feel less divisive than expected
Tourists blamed the media coverage for their sense of political division in the United States, but said they felt the reality on the ground was different.
Phillips-Hunter was nervous before the trip after seeing videos on social media of people being dragged from cars. shot dead by immigration customs and enforcement officers.
“All of that has been depicted in videos on social media, and you can see that it can absolutely happen anywhere. So you always have to keep your wits about you and be a little bit cautious,” she said. But she added that her experience in the United States had been so positive that she would like to take longer trips.
Mr. Gans believes that some people boycotted his visit to the United States for the following reasons: President Donald Trump.
“I think we get the impression in the media that (Americans) are very proud Americans and Texans are very proud Texans, which is great, but a lot of times they’re portrayed as not liking other people or maybe being less accepting of other people,” he said. “But that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Benramri had friends from Chad and Somalia who were eager to participate in the Cup, but were unable to attend due to U.S. commitments. travel restrictions.
“There’s a part of me that’s like, ‘Oh my God, I want to go to the World Cup.’ It’s such a great experience for Morocco,” she said. “And on the other hand, obviously from a political standpoint, we have a very bad global image of the United States right now.”
Rafal Kolankowski, a native of Poland, said that despite America’s reputation in other countries, “there’s a reason why so many people want to move to the United States.”
“Obviously, there’s propaganda in other countries as well: ‘America is this, America is that.’ They come to the United States and have positive opinions about the state of affairs in the United States,” said Kolankowski, who now coaches varsity boys soccer at Plum High School outside Pittsburgh.
The reader said that he had come expecting to meet him. political polarizationhe found Americans friendly throughout the republic.
“I get the impression that there’s probably quite a bit of disagreement about what’s going on here,” he says. Americans wanted to know what he thought about President Trump and America’s robust car culture in contrast to London’s public transport system.
He solved one problem by the simple decision to avoid conversations about politics. That’s something many Americans can understand.
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Associated Press writer Will Graves contributed from Pittsburgh.
