Record summer: the 20 most popular destinations in Argentina

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports yesterday published the final report on the summer season, which was described by all sectors of the industry as “the most important of the last decade”: 32.3 million tourists were mobilized, and revenues of over $635 million were generated.

The mobilization of tourists compared to previous years is also remarkable: 22 million in 2021, 31.6 million in 2020, 29.5 million in 2019, and 29.7 million in 2018. Bariloche, San Martín de los Andes, Puerto Madryn, El Calafate and Ushuaia are among the 20 most visited cities in the country.

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4.5 million tourists took advantage of the Pre-Trip program, including more than 270,000 in November, 500,000 in December, 360,000 in March, and 160,000 in April.

At the top of the report is Partido de La Costa, followed by Mar del Plata, Villa Gesell, Bariloche, Villa Carlos Paz, Pinamar and Puerto Iguazú.

Following behind are Salta, Mendoza, El Calafate, Merlo, Colón, Puerto Madryn, San Martín de los Andes, Mina Clavero, Ushuaia, San Rafael, Miramar, Federación and Santa Rosa de Calamuchita.

Partido de La Costa recorded the best December in the last decade, Villa Gesell exceeded the two million visitor mark for the first time, and the Ente Municipal de Turismo de Mar del Plata highlighted that the city recorded the second-best February since 1992.

Meanwhile, according to the report, nearly 5 million tourists visited Córdoba, which had occupancy rates of over 90% in the main destinations; more than one million tourists visited Villa Carlos Paz; San Rafael (Mendoza) had occupancy rates of over 90%; and there was a historic Carnival weekend in San Juan and San Luis, with occupancy rates of 98% and 96% in the provinces, respectively.

THE FIGURES OF PATAGONIA

For the Río Negro Tourism Observatory was the most successful summer in the last decade, with Bariloche as the most voted destination in PreTravel.

In Neuquén, hotel occupancy rates surpassed historic levels; Puerto Madryn recorded the highest occupancy rates in January and February in the last 15 years; El Calafate and Ushuaia, two of the five most selected destinations in Pre-Trip, had a record season; and La Pampa averaged 85% occupancy in January.

TOURIST FLOWS IN THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY

Salta recorded the highest value in the history of tourist activity in the province, while the Tourism Observatory of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Jujuy highlighted the highest average occupancy in the history of the province in January; Tucumán had an economic impact of more than $2 billion, and there were peaks in full occupancy in a dozen destinations in Catamarca and La Rioja during the Carnival weekend and “large tourist movements in Termas de Río Hondo.”

VISITOR ARRIVALS IN THE LITORAL REGION

The report also highlighted that Entre Ríos experienced the best Carnival weekend in the last 12 years for the province and a successful season in Colón and Federación.

There was also a record season in Misiones, with great movement in Puerto Iguazú, one of the most voted cities in PreTravel, and in emerging destinations and “virtually full occupancy in January in destinations in destinations in Corrientes that had to be postponed due to the forest fires.”

Santa Fe had a “great Carnival weekend,” and Formosa and Chaco also saw significant tourist movement during Carnival weekend.