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The tourism industry in Argentina is going through its best moment in terms of the arrival of visitors from all over the world. In the last year more than 1.8 million tourists from abroad visited the country with an economic impact of more than $1.3 million.
In 2022, the United States represented 11 percent of the total number of tourists who visited Argentina and projections indicate that this number will continue to increase in 2023. As a result, Argentina is actively collaborating with airlines and the cruise industry to further develop this market.
Ahead of Seatrade, the world’s largest and most significant congress of the cruise industry, the Minister of Tourism and Sports in Argentina Matías Lammens carried out a robust agenda of meetings with authorities and officials of Miami-Dade County, headed by Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava.
At the meeting, Mayor Levine-Cava extended her congratulations to the minister for the win at the Qatar World Cup. She also emphasized that Miami-Dade would host the Copa America 2024, which will be played in the United States, and it is among the cities selected to host matches of the North America 2026 World Cup.
Mayor Levine-Cava stressed that the Miami International Airport and Port of Miami are open to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism of Argentina towards a shared agenda. She also highlighted the importance of strengthening the tourism and cruise industry, given its significant impact on the economy and job creation – both of which fall under her jurisdiction.
Aligned with the highest authority of the county, which manages an annual budget of $10 billion, Lammens provided an overview of the current state of the tourism industry in Argentina:
“The recovery of inbound tourism has been very powerful. We are surpassing pre-pandemic levels, both with the impulse of the arrival of visitors from the region and from the United States and Europe. International tourism positively impacted all regions of the country through the creation of genuine employment and the generation of dollars, so necessary for our economy.”
The minister took the advantage to speak with the Miami International Airport Director, Ralph Cutié, to discuss ways to increase the volume of direct flights between both destinations. They identified the opportunity to convene a meeting with airlines to explore the possibility of adding frequency and increasing connectivity between the two regions.
In 2022, the Miami International Airport received more than 50 million passengers, making it one of the busiest airports in the United States and the top destination for international passengers across the country. Building on these impressive numbers, Lammens proposed to Cutié the idea of creating spaces within the airport that showcase Argentine experiences. This would serve a dual purpose of promoting tourism to different destinations in Argentina while also creating a point of contact and enjoyment for passengers who transit through the airport on a daily basis.
Lammens also met with Port of Miami Director Hydi Webb, who shared the current state of the cruise industry in the county, and highlighted the ongoing investments being made by both the public and private sectors to continue increasing the number of passengers and new vessels in the industry.
The minister stressed that cruise tourism is a great opportunity for Argentina and that it is growing exponentially every year. During the 2022-2023 season, more than 700,000 passengers visited different destinations in Argentina under this methodology.
Gustavo Hain, President of the Chamber of Tourism of Argentina, also joined the discussion with Lammens and David Whitaker, CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. They emphasized the need for collaboration with the private sector to strengthen destinations as leaders in the hotel, gastronomy and entertainment sectors. Specifically, they highlighted the work being done in Mendoza with the wine industry and in Buenos Aires to establish both destinations as Gastronomic Capitals, similar to what Miami achieved with the Michelin Guide in 2022.
Finally, Lammens highlighted the recent agreement between the Ministry of Tourism of Argentina and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for $33 million, which will be used to promote La Ruta Natural. This initiative aims to enhance the tourist offerings in natural areas and consolidate Argentina as a world-class destination in this segment.
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