Walking through San Telmo, sitting in the theaters on Corrientes Avenue, eating in Palermo or taking photos in Puerto Madero.
With a dollar in favor, foreign tourists invaded Buenos Aires.
So much so that the City
has already recovered the level of international visitors
that it had had before the pandemic, in 2019 that had been its record year.
According to the City Tourism Authority, during the first 11 months of 2023 the City received
2,558,357 international visitors
, just 3% less than the 2,627,158 who had arrived in the same period of 2019.
In fact, 2019 had generated enormous excitement in the Buenos Aires tourism sector, because the prospects were upward.
But the fateful Covid made 2020 a completely lost year, a trend that continued in part of 2021. With the relief brought by vaccination in the world and the end of quarantines, foreign tourism began to recover towards the end of 2021. and the beginning of 2022, tempted above all by
a very favorable exchange rate
, in addition to the advantages that Buenos Aires has as a destination.
Anyone who walks through a tourist area and opens their ears will realize that the Portuguese language is increasingly heard in Buenos Aires.
The thing is that, without a doubt,
the Brazilians were the ones who led the recovery
.
Between January and November of last year, 633,176 Brazilians arrived, 25% of the total number of foreigners arriving in the City.
The Women's Bridge, in Puerto Madero, one of the most photographed points of the City.
Photo: EFE
In second place were the
Uruguayans
: more than 428,999 arrived, 17% of the total.
Many, on quick trips of one or two days to visit the City but above all to shop.
The Uruguayans also noted another peculiarity:
they come more now than before
.
The number of tourists arriving from Uruguay last year was 150% compared to what had arrived in 2019.
The Chileans were third in the ranking, with 316,097 visitors (12% of the total).
Then, Americans (275,553, 11%) and Peruvians (118,507, 5%).
The recovery of international tourism occurred even in a context in which Argentina has not yet recovered the total
air frequencies
it had before the pandemic, with many more airlines and routes than the current ones.
An important part of the tourists who visited Buenos Aires arrived on
cruise ships, a modality that has been growing
significantly in recent years, with the obvious exception of the pandemic.
Last season, 439,000 tourists got off the boats, 26% more than the previous season.
Caminito, one of the most visited points by foreigners.
EFE
In fact, 130 ships are expected for the current season, of which 96 will arrive with more than 2,000 passengers.
In the previous season, 89 cruise ships had arrived.
In addition to cruises, another modality that brought foreign visitors to the City were
conferences and congresses
.
In the latest edition of the ranking prepared by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Buenos Aires was ranked as the city with the most events held in Latin America, with 66.
The weight of tourism is noticeable in the Buenos Aires market.
It is not in vain that tourism is considered a kind of "export industry", since it brings foreign currency to the local economy.
In that sense, the average expenditure of foreigners is calculated at
$109.10 per day
, when an Argentine tourist is around 55. Expenses on accommodation, gastronomy, internal transportation, shopping, domestic flights, excursions and shows are considered.
During the first 9 months of 2023, 2,153,975 direct and indirect jobs were registered in the Buenos Aires tourism industry, which represents a growth of 0.54% compared to the previous year.
"Investment in tourism contributes to positioning the City well to provide quality services to those who visit us, but the most important thing is that it creates more and better job opportunities," said Jorge Macri, the head of the Buenos Aires Government.
Meanwhile, Valentín Díaz Gilligan, president of the Tourism Authority, added that "we have a lot of room to continue growing as a destination in this new year. I am convinced that, by supporting the work together with the private sector, we will be able to further increase the last year's values".