In the UK More people have passports than have credit cards, the assumption otherwise is precisely the culture-clash that the article is complaining about.

More Brits have passports (86.5% [1]) than credit cards (64% [2]).

[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populati...

[2] https://www.money.co.uk/credit-cards/credit-card-statistics

In the UK? Over 85% of people have a passport.