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Viewing cable 06BUENOSAIRES727, ARGENTINA'S TOURISM SECTOR CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06BUENOSAIRES727 2006-03-29 12:31 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Buenos Aires
VZCZCXRO5597
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBU #0727/01 0881231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291231Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3989
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5447
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5245
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0882
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 4063
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 5446
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 5051
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 0132
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 1933
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 2835
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BUENOS AIRES 000727 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA'S TOURISM SECTOR CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE 
RAPID GROWTH AND INVESTMENT 
 
1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified, not for internet 
distribution 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
2.  (U) Argentina received a record number of 3.7 million 
foreign tourists in 2005, a twelve percent rise over 2004. 
Argentina's tourist sector was the third most important 
source of foreign exchange revenue, amounting to USD 2.6 
billion and employing 1.5 million people in 2005.  The 
Ezeiza International Airport continues to be the primary 
gateway to Argentina.  Cruise liners are docking in Buenos 
Aires in increasing numbers, leading to a proposal to create 
a separate port.  The hotel industry has made large-scale 
investments throughout Argentina and the construction of 
hundreds of new hotels is underway.  The GOA's current 
tourist plan has made a firm commitment to place the tourism 
sector on an expansionary path.  End Summary. 
 
---------------------- 
TOURIST GROWTH IN 2005 
---------------------- 
 
3. (U) Argentina received a record number of 3.7 million 
foreign tourists in 2005, a twelve percent increase over 
2004.  Argentina's tourism sector was the third most 
important export industry in terms of national income in 
2005, representing 2.5 percent of GDP.  Tourists spent USD 
2.6 billion, a 9 percent increase from 2004.  The tourism 
sector directly and indirectly employs 1.5 million workers 
or 8 percent of the country's workforce.  The industry has 
been expanding at a rapid pace since the devaluation of 
2002. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
FOREIGN ARRIVALS VIA EZEIZA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN 2005 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
4. (U) The number of tourists arriving via Ezeiza 
International Airport was 1.8 million in 2005, up 20 percent 
from 2004.  The U.S. is second only to Brazil with the 
number of foreigners entering Argentina through Ezeiza 
International Airport.  Tourists spent a total of USD 1.330 
billion and over 18 million combined days in Argentina. 
Tourists spent an average of USD 75 per day.  Vacation was 
the primary purpose for tourist travel, accounting for 55.1 
percent of total arrivals.  Business trips constituted 23.7 
percent, visits to family and friends accounted for 17.5 
percent and studying abroad and medical treatment provided 
the remaining 3.7 percent (see Table 1). 
 
Table 1 
Foreign Arrivals Entering Argentina Via Ezeiza International 
Airport (in thousands of passengers) 
 
Ranking             2004           2005      Percent Change 
                                                  05/04 
 
1. Brazil           238.007        304.914        28.1 
2. United States    202.038        250.942        24.2 
3. Chile            188.589        212.566        12.7 
4. Spain            127.937        162.126        26.7 
5. Italy            89.118         96.113         7.8 
6. Mxico           52.511         69.739         32.8 
7. Per             58.521         63.952         9.3 
8. France           57.028         62.262         9.2 
9. Colombia         43.079         53.029         23.1 
10. Germany         46.163         52.568         13.9 
11. Great Britain   39.772         46.650         17.3 
12. Venezuela       20.899         29.323         40.36 
13. Ecuador         24.418         26.542         8.7 
14. Bolivia         25.043         26.126         4.3 
15. Canada          19.121         25.656         34.2 
16. Uruguay         19.879         23.587         18.7 
17. Paraguay        16.140         21.226         31.5 
5 
18. Australia       16.745         20.513         22.5 
 
BUENOS AIR 00000727  002 OF 005 
 
 
19. Israel          14.700         18.235         24.7 
20. Japan           15.624         16.678         6.7 
Rest of the World  260.712        312.458        19.8 
Total            1.473.835       1.769.310       20.0 
 
Source: National Institution of Statistics and Census 
http://www.indec.gov.ar/ 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
CRUISE SHIPS AND PORT ARRIVALS IN BUENOS AIRES IN 2005 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
5.  (U) 54 cruise liners with 65,000 passengers docked in 
Buenos Aires during 2004-2005.  It is estimated that 75 
cruise liners with 90,000 to 100,000 passengers will dock in 
Buenos Aires in 2005-2006.  The cruise liners' primary 
destination is Buenos Aires and they bring in an estimated 
USD 30-40 million per year to Argentina's economy.  Cruise 
liner tourists spend on average USD 150-200 per day and stay 
an average of two days.  Cruise liner companies pay between 
USD 65,000-80,000 for each stopover in Buenos Aires, 
providing an estimated USD five million in yearly port 
revenue.  The city of Buenos Aires is considering a proposal 
to build a separate port for cruise liners because of the 
increase of cruise traffic and the congestion in the 
existing port facilities. 
 
------------------- 
GAY TOURISM IN 2005 
------------------- 
 
6.  (U) Gay tourism represented 20 percent of all tourism in 
2005.  The gay tourists' main destination is Buenos Aires 
which is followed by Patagonia, Cordoba, Mendoza and 
Rosario.  An estimated 80 percent of the gay tourists are 
from the U.S.  Europe, Canada, South Africa, and Australia 
provide 18 percent, and Latin America forms the remaining 
two percent. 
 
7.  (U) Buenos Aires will host South America's first gay 
five-star hotel which will be inaugurated at the end of 
2006.  The hotel will be owned by the Spanish-owned Axel 
hotel chain and will cost USD 3.5 million.  It will be 
located in San Telmo, a growing gay quarter of Buenos Aires 
which markets itself as "gay friendly."  Cruise liners are 
also catering to the growing number of gay tourists. 
Atlantis, a five-star gay cruise liner, recently docked in 
Buenos Aires and ticket costs for the cruise liner range 
from USD 2,500-6,500 per person. 
 
-------------------- 
HOTEL GROWTH IN 2005 
-------------------- 
 
8.  (U) Argentina's hotel sector is expected to attract 
investment totaling more than USD 1.4 billion in 2006, a 207 
percent increase over the USD 456 million invested in 2005. 
There are building projects for more than 200 new hotels 
underway, a sharp increase from the 45 hotels built during 
the 1991-2001 period.  For example, Cordoba Province has 
confirmed hotel investments totaling ARP 170 million (USD 
58.9 million) until 2007 while Neuquen province has 
prospective hotel investment totaling ARP 46 million (USD 
15.9 million) for 2006. 
 
9.  (U) The rapid growth of hotels is attracting 
international hotel chains to come to Argentina.  The 
Spanish corporation Husa gave its brand to the traditional 
Gran Hotel Buenos Aires earlier this year.  One condition 
imposed by the Spanish chain on the current owners is that 
all rooms 40 years or older must be remodeled.  The total 
investment for this remodeling is estimated at ARP 3.4 
million (USD 1.2 million).  Husa's entrance into the 
Argentine market is the company's first experience in South 
America.  Officials from the Husa Corporation have stated 
that their intention is to add more hotels in Argentina, 
Brazil, China, and Uruguay.  France's Sofitel hotel chain 
has opened two five-star hotels in Buenos Aires in recent 
years.  The Hilton international hotel chain will invest USD 
 
BUENOS AIR 00000727  003 OF 005 
 
 
15 million in building a five-star hotel in the Iguazu 
National Park, in a nine-hectare property provided by the 
government of Misiones Province.  Misiones Province Governor 
Carlos Rovira is reported to have said that including this 
and other initiatives, there is about USD 100 million in 
hotel investment in the Iguazu Falls area alone.  The Hilton 
hotel chain also has plans to give its name to a new five- 
star hotel in Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego Province.  The 
Sheraton hotel chain also gave its name to two brand-new 
five-star hotels in Salta and Cafayate in the wine country 
of Salta Province. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW TOURISM LAW AND TOURISM PLAN 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
10.  (U) Law 25,997, passed in August 2004, is designed to 
outline a national tourism plan for the country.  The law 
applies a five percent tax on international flights, and 
directs the appropriated funds into an account that is to be 
used solely for the development of Argentina's tourism 
sector.  The original law, Law 14,574, passed in 1958, 
established a national tourism fund that applied only a one 
percent tax on international flights.  Law 23,522, enacted 
in July of 1987, modified the 1958 law and raised the tax on 
international flights from one to five percent.  The 
national tax fund was insolvent until 2002, when the GOA 
decided to direct the flow of funds back to the fund. 
 
11.  (U) The GOA invested ARP 1.6 billion (USD 554 million) 
in the tourism sector in 2005.  Of this amount, ARP 490 
million (USD 159 million), or 88 percent, was appropriated 
to enhance the infrastructure in underdeveloped tourist 
areas.  The GOA's plan is designed to increase cooperation 
between the public and private sectors.  The plan is to be 
completed by 2016, and is to be initiated in four stages, 
the first began in 2004.  The GOA is expecting the second 
stage to be completed in 2007, and the third and fourth 
stages to be completed in 2010 and 2016.  The GOA 
conservatively predicts that the revenue earned from the 
tourism sector will double to USD 4.727 billion by 2016 (see 
Table 2).  We believe this number understates Argentina's 
potential. 
 
Table 2 
Government Expectations for Tourism Sector 
 
Year        Total        Revenue Earned           Revenue 
Per 
            Foreign      from Tourism             Tourist 
            Tourists     Sector (USD Billion)     (USD 
Million) 
 
2004        3,352,572          2,491              1,345 
2007        4,015,759          3,346              1,200 
2010        4,419,466          3,867              1,142 
2016        5,087,904          4,727              1,076 
 
Source: Secretary of Tourism 
http://www.turismo.gov.ar/esp/menu.htm 
 
---------------------- 
TOURISM GROWTH IN 2004 
---------------------- 
 
12.  (U) The GOA has not published extensive tourism data 
for 2005 although comprehensive tourist information is 
available for 2004.  Argentina received a record 3.3 million 
foreign tourists in 2004, surpassing the 1998 record of 3.0 
million.  Total tourist arrivals to Argentina increased 11.9 
percent in 2004.  The majority of tourists arrived from 
neighboring Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.  The growth in the 
number of tourists was driven by an increase in visitors 
from Chile, Uruguay, Europe, and North America (see Table 
3). 
 
Table 3 
Number of Foreign Tourists-By Country of Origin 
 
 
BUENOS AIR 00000727  004 OF 005 
 
 
Country             2003      2004      Percent Change 
                                             04/03 
 
Bolivia             590,678   690,321        16.2 
Brazil              350,298   361,699        3.25 
Chile               767,758   831,938        8.36 
Paraguay            429,792   458,967        6.8 
Uruguay             363,107   429,681        18.3 
North America       224,472   259,360        15.5 
Rest of S.A.        229,630   242,411        5.6 
Europe              455,998   242,411        21.7 
Rest of The world   114,538   144,337        26 
Total             2,995,272 3,352,572        11.9 
 
Source: Secretary of Tourism 
http://www.turismo.gov.ar/esp/menu.htm 
 
13.  (U) Tourism revenue of USD 2.491 billion in 2004 
surpassing the grains sector (USD 2.704 billion) and oil 
exports (USD 2.200 billion) and has more than doubled that 
of meat exports (USD 1,200 billion).  European tourists 
generated the largest percent of foreign revenue (29 percent 
in 2004), followed by Chileans (17 percent), North Americans 
(13 percent), and Brazilians (9 percent).  European tourists 
had the longest average stay with 19 days, although they 
spend the least, USD 62 per day.  Chileans, Brazilians, and 
Paraguayans have shorter average stays, 6 days, but spend 
the most, USD 91 per night.  This is because many of the 
South American visitors come to take advantage of 
Argentina's low exchange rate (see Table 4). 
 
Table 4 
Revenue from Foreign Tourists-By Country of Origin 
(USD Millions) 
 
Country             2003           2004      Percent 
Increase 
                                                  04/03 
 
Bolivia             26             34             30.8 
Brazil              195            226            15.9 
Chile               346            425            22.8 
Paraguay            173            225            30 
Uruguay             117            154            31.6 
Rest of S.A         195            231            18.5 
Europe              529            723            36.7 
United States       247            315            27.5 
Rest of World       114            158            38.6 
Total               1,942          2,491          28.3 
 
Source: Secretary of Tourism- 
http://www.turismo.gov.ar/esp/menu.htm 
 
--------------------------------- 
U.S. TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN 2004 
--------------------------------- 
 
14.  (U) Buenos Aires was the primary tourist destination 
for U.S tourists in 2004.  Some 87 percent of U.S. tourists 
visited Buenos Aires where they stayed an average of 8.5 
days in 2004.  Approximately 75 percent of businesses that 
operate in the tourism sector are concentrated in the city 
of Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires Province.  The second-most 
popular location was Patagonia, attracting 14.9 percent of 
the U.S. tourist population with an average stay in of five 
nights.  Iguazu falls attracted 7.1 percent of U.S tourists 
with an average stay of two nights.  The Atlantic coast, Mar 
del Plata in particular, took 4.9 percent with an average 
stay of five nights.  Cordoba received 4.8 percent but had 
the longest average stay of 11 nights.  Mendoza, Argentina's 
largest wine producer, secured 4.1 percent with an average 
of eight nights (see Table 5). 
 
Table 5 
Percentage of U.S. Tourists that Visited Tourist Locations 
and 
Average Nights Stayed 2004 
 
Area                     Percent of 
 
BUENOS AIR 00000727  005 OF 005 
 
 
                         Tourists            Number of 
                                             Nights 
 
Buenos Aires             87.1                9-10 
Patagonia                14.9                5 
Cataratas de Iguazu      7.1                 2 
Atlantic Coast           4.9                 5 
Cordoba                  4.8                 11 
Mendoza                  4.1                 8 
 
Source: Secretary of Tourism: National Tourist Development 
Agency 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
 15.  (U) The collapse of the convertibility regime and move 
to a market-based exchange rate regime in 2002 made 
international travel to Argentina relatively inexpensive 
leading to the rapid growth of international tourism. 
Argentina is now considered a "dame dos" country in that 
tourists from neighboring countries now buy two items 
instead of one because the prices are so attractive in their 
own currencies.  The rise in tourism has spurred investment 
and created employment in all parts of the country which 
helps explain the GOA's commitment of resources and revenue 
to the tourism sector.  Tourism revenue could easily exceed 
the GOA's 2016 estimate of USD 5 billion, according to some 
industry analysts. 
 
16. (U) To see more Buenos Aires reporting visit our 
classified website at: 
hhtp://ww.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
Gutierrez