Sounds like a good expo.
Did he mention anything about the current attitude towards Americans in Europe? In February we’re headed out for a 3-week Mediterranean cruise on Windstar (small 300 passenger ship), hitting Croatia, Italy, Spain, and Gibraltar. Not to get into politics, but I’m a bit concerned about how Europeans will receive us.
He did spend a bit of time addressing current anxieties related to European travel and did specifically mention fear that Europeans would be anti-American. Without crossing too far into politics, he said that unless you come over with an attitude, you will be fine. Most Europeans just can't understand what's happening in the US. He also said not to worry about visas as they are still very easy to obtain.
He did say that there is a fair amount of resentment of cruise travelers (not so for those who stay locally) because the cruise ships bring thousands of visitors at one time that often overwhelm the ports, and cruise passengers don't stay overnight and so they don't contribute as much to the economy as those who stay 1-2 nights (or more) who spend more money and usually take more time to learn about the culture. So that may be something to be aware of, though being on a smaller cruise hopefully means you won't be part of the horde.
More than anything, his big push is to get away from the tourist areas to meet the locals and gain an understanding and appreciation of local culture, that's more difficult to do when on a cruise with limited time in port.
