Argentina has doubled its influence on the global tourism market since 2003. The attempts to host more conferences, attract more people and get them to spend more money have done wonders for the country’s reputation.
In the last decade, Argentina has been trying to move away from being a relatively unknown South American giant with good beef, horsemeat and footballers. It is fast becoming the leader in South American tourism. Not only are many Argentineans traveling abroad, but a large number of tourists have been visiting Argentina itself. The figures prove it: in 2003, Argentina hosted a total of 17 conferences and was ranked 40th in world tourism. Last year the country hosted 145 conferences and climbed up to 19th place.
This meant that a total of 2 million tourists arrived to Argentina last year, leaving revenue in the region of $2.7 billion. Many of the visitors have been coming from neighboring Brazil, with the big spenders arriving also from North America. People are starting to realize that Argentina has the best educated population in South America, thus leaving them most prepared for the influx of new tourists. Argentina is also relatively safe, in comparison to many countries nearby.
The airline industry has reacted to the surge in Argentinean tourism by arranging more flights to and from the South American country. For example, there are going to be non-stop flights between London and Buenos Aires starting in 2011. As Argentina becomes more popular, other cities are certain to come into play.