Buenos Aires expects surge in international tourism

The city of Buenos Aires in Argentina is expecting a major increase in international tourism during 2018 and 2019.

According to official statistics based on flight bookings released by the government of the City of Buenos Aires, air travel reservations for the period of July-December this year grew by 25 per cent.

London was Europe’s fastest growing point of origin, growing by 76%, followed by Frankfurt (+ 39%), Bogotá (+ 23%), Madrid (+ 17%) and the United States (+ 16%).

Foreign tourist expenditure also increased by 5.2% at some US $25 million more than in 2017, while room occupancy rate in hotels showed a sustained growth rate, peaking at its highest level in the last seven years between January and April 2018 (58%).

The city’s tourism executives say the growth can be attributed to two key factors. First, as a world-class city (recently named the most liveable city in Latin America by The Economist), Buenos Aires has cultural, historical, architectural, artistic and gastronomic appeal to foreigners—preserving its identity while constantly keeping up with the global trends.

Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires

Another factor is the new and increased international air connectivity that the city is enjoying. Norwegian Air has led the way with low-cost long-haul flights direct from London, opening up Buenos Aires to a whole new market, with competing routes also seeing an increase in reservations. In addition, in the coming months, there will be new connections in Zurich and Los Angeles, which are projected to bring in approximately 38,700 more tourists per year.

Gonzalo Robredo, president of the Tourism Authority of Buenos Aires (ENTUR), said: “We have the opportunity to position the city as the most visited place in the southern hemisphere. To achieve this, it is necessary to improve the infrastructure and the value and capacity of our hotels.

“We will also be working closely with the UK trade, media and airlines flying from London, currently our leading point of origin in Europe, to promote our destination. I look forward to meeting with our partners at World Travel Market in November to develop strategies to take advantage of this great opportunity for the UK trade and Buenos Aires.”