Thankfully not that way in my part of the USA. While we have shops that stock imported goods, there is plenty of local made wares, and not just crafty trinkets. In theory, I could go to one of the local leather crafters and get a decent glove made. Still, as the article states, this is not always economically feasable always, but the community thrives when we pay the 'local tax'.

By my reckoning it's like that everywhere. Just recently it took me an hour of walking and a good half hour of furious Googling to find authentic Venetian glass in Murano.

Last century, my grandmother went to Ireland and brought me back some stickers as a souvenir. Fine print at the bottom: Made in the USA.

My wife went to Wisconsin (not exactly a tourist destination, I know), and happened to visit a dairy. As a cheese lover, I asked her to bring back some Wisconsin cheese, maybe a nice, sharp, hand-made Colby? Knowing I like to try things, in a gesture of love, she brought back a sampler pack of various sharp cheeses from the dairy's gift shop - English cheeses, made in England. I never told her, never will.

Why buy tourist trinkets? Buy something the place is known for rather than junk that will eventually get thrown away.

I wanted clothing. I had hoped to buy "special series" made in the USA and only sold in the USA. (Converse, Harley, NYC police from their museum, etc). I love Japan for that strategy: usually they have a special serie made in Japan which is better quality (and more expensive).

What is NYC known for?

Overpriced cocktails and the arts.

Neither is particularly easy to pack in a suitcase.

I think buying artwork (or prints) from local artists is one idea. You can find them in gift shops or art shops, and can be fun things like magnets, small knick-knacks or large posters.

I had precisely the same problem when I visited the UK about 18 years ago. Finding authentic souvenirs was not at all easy.

Why go to a souvenir shop? In one place, I took home a map as a souvenir. Don't care where it was made but it was in the historic (now little used) local language so it was interesting.

I felt the same way visiting Switzerland souvenir shops..