Tourism in Argentina

Tourism in Argentina is today in many areas of the country one of the main branches of the service sectors. It takes place mainly in areas near the coast and in the many different, attractive landscapes, for which the country is also popular with visitors from abroad.

Unlike in many other emerging markets, there was in Argentina since the end of the 19th century tourism, which was worn by the inhabitants of the country itself. This is related to the rich history and the traditionally strong middle class of the country, which still bears the majority of tourism. In contrast, the tourist from abroad is subject to fluctuations, which have essentially to do with the exchange rate of the currency and the associated price level. So it was in times of devaluations (in particular from 1987 to 1990 and after 2002 ) to an increase of the influx of foreign tourists.

Characteristics

The majority of tourism in Argentina falls on the summer holidays that fall between mid-December and early March. In this case, the month of January is traditionally the. Vacationers with the highest figures since then, the employees in the public services have holiday and many offices are closed or only work with a small staff The cities are at this time is often way extinct. A special feature is that many companies give their employees in so-called quincenas (15 - day periods ) leave; so each month is divided into two " quincenas ". Additional vacation days are awarded in the winter or close to the holidays.

The second season, the winter holiday ( two to three weeks in July). During this time, lying more in the north resort areas are air- conditioned visited (such as Córdoba, Salta, Misiones ), but also the beach resorts on the Atlantic record at this time some visitors. A third season is the Easter weekend (March / April ), in which often the highest levels were observed in total quotas are recorded as they are clustered in four days. Furthermore, the long weekend with movable holidays as well as the dates of various festivals ( eg carnival in the northwest and northeast, Oktoberfest in Villa General Belgrano, Pachamama festivals, the Día de la Primavera or Student Day on September 21, etc.) are popular for short breaks.

A special feature is the Turismo estudiantil, the class trips tourism. Students normally make in the 7th and 12th grade, respectively a ride that takes place in the off season. The most popular destination by far is San Carlos de Bariloche, but also Villa Carlos Paz and Mar del Plata are popular. For these places, this type of tourism is attractive despite the relatively low expenditure of the students, since so the hotels can be utilized extensively throughout the year.

Major tourist areas

The tourism is concentrated in Argentina to relatively small, limited areas. The most important are the Atlantic coast of the province of Buenos Aires with its seaside resorts, the area around the Sierras de Cordoba in central Argentina and the Andes in Patagonia.

Atlantic coast of the province of Buenos Aires

The Atlantic coast of the province of Buenos Aires was the first significant tourist area in Argentina. Development began in the late 19th century in Mar del Plata, which is the largest and most popular seaside resort in the country today. Other cities covered by the course of the 20th century. The region as a result of this development today an excellent infrastructure with a wide range of hotels and restaurants as well as a highly developed transport network (including motorway connections to Buenos Aires ). About 4 million people visit the region each year, with the residents are in the majority; Most tourists come from relatively nearby capital of Buenos Aires and its suburbs. The region gets but since the 1980s increasingly competition from more southerly beach baths.

Popular tourist destinations in the region are next to Mar del Plata Necochea, Villa Gesell, Pinamar, Miramar and the Atlantida Argentina, a continuous chain of resorts on the estuary of the Río de la Plata, the center of Santa Teresita is. The focus will lie between the Atlantida and Mar del Plata, ie on the northern part of the coastal strip. The coast further south, however, is still dominated by small resorts such as Monte Hermoso, there are still vast undeveloped stretches of coastline.

Sierras de Córdoba

The Sierras de Córdoba, an area of low mountains up to 3,000 meters above sea level, has increased since the 1930s to become the second most important tourist center of the country. The first hotel was opened in La Calera in the immediate vicinity of the city of Córdoba, other cities like Río Ceballos moved to. However, in the second half of the 20th century, the focus shifted to more distant from the provincial areas, particularly in Villa Carlos Paz, which is the center of tourism in the region today.

Important places are next to Villa Carlos Paz Cosquín, La Falda, Villa Giardino, Santa Rosa de Calamuchita, Mina Clavero and Villa General Belgrano and many more. There is also a National Park, the National Park Quebrada del Condorito. From backpackers in particular the towns of San Marcos Sierras and Playa de los hippies are visited, two old hippie colonies.

Southern Andes

The southern Andes have been known as a tourist destination since the early 20th century. In 1922 was founded in the west of the province of Río Negro in San Carlos de Bariloche is the Parque Nacional del Sud, now known as the National Park Nahuel Huapi. Today the region, particularly the city of Bariloche itself, as well as San Martín de los Andes is visited by about one million tourists per year. Another focus area is the area around the Los Glaciares National Park in the southern province of Santa Cruz, where the largest glaciers can be seen outside the polar regions. This area is located since the 1980s in a strong upswing, the tourist town of El Calafate grew from 3,000 residents in 1991 to an estimated 18,000 in 2005. A similar development is the planned city of El Chalten was only founded in 1988 that is now a center of mountaineering and trekking tourism.

Misiones

The Misiones province is particularly due to the set point intact rainforests, but mainly because of the Iguazu Falls are a major tourist destination, with the emphasis, however, is here at short-term visitors. The area around the falls has a very large number of accommodation facilities and restaurants and is also visited by many foreigners. Often round trips are offered, which include next to the Falls also visits the ruins of the Jesuit mission of San Ignacio Mini.

Northwest Argentina

The northwest of the country has become, especially in the last three decades to another touristic center of Argentina. Tourist capital of the Salta area is famous with its colonial architecture. But the old colonial cities Iruya, Humahuaca, Purmamarca and Tilcara in the homonymous scenic Quebrada de Humahuaca very attractive, as well as the places Cafayate, Cachi and Santa María del Yocavil in the Valle Calchaquí are visited by many domestic and foreign tourists. Northwest Argentina is considered a stronghold of backpacking in Argentina, many young Argentines as well as a fairly high number of foreigners traveling from there to Bolivia and Peru on.

Patagonian Atlantic coast

The Patagonian Atlantic coast is also only a few decades ago a tourist center of gravity of the country and still experienced a real boom. The most popular destination is the Valdés peninsula in the north of the province of Chubut with a wide variety of marine animals ( sea lions, whales, penguins ) and the neighboring Puerto Madryn, which is the starting point for tours to the peninsula and seaside resort at the same time. The beach resorts in this area are far from each other; therefore makes the nature of the region as a whole still an intact sense of what is valued by more and more tourists. However, there are plans, especially in Río Negro, to build a paved coastal road and build holiday camps along this route.

Apart Puerto Madryn the major beach resorts of Las Grutas are in Río Negro, and Playa Unión and Rada Tilly in Chubut. All other coastal towns are still small and relatively insignificant, but also grow steadily. Many have the advantage of being able to combine a beach holiday with a visit to the local wildlife, including the coasts of Patagonia landscape with hills and cliffs often more attractive than that of the province of Buenos Aires, in the Golfo San Matías, the water and air temperature is considerably higher even than there.

Buenos Aires

The city of Buenos Aires is a major tourist destination in the country, both by residents of the interior as well as the foreigners who visit Argentina ( of which about 80 % will visit the city). It is one of about a million visitors a year and has an excellent geared to foreign visitors tourist infrastructure.

Land of Fire

An emerging destination continues to be the island of Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of Argentina and there especially the attractive landscaped around Ushuaia, the capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego and southernmost major city in the world ( only is the small Puerto Williams in Chile even further south ). There is also the southernmost national park of Argentina, the National Park Tierra del Fuego, with a forest - moorland and parkland in the foothills of the Andes.

Winter sports centers

In the Andes, there are several winter sports centers. The focus is on the southern Andes. The following centers ( from north to south ) have an infrastructure for skiers:

• Los Penitentes in the Mendoza Province, in the immediate vicinity of the Aconcagua
• Las Lenas in the south of Mendoza, known as the most glamorous ski resort of Argentina
• Caviahue in the north of the province of Neuquen
• Ski park at Villa Pehuenia in the province of Neuquén
• Cerro Chapelco in San Martín de los Andes (Province of Neuquen )
• Cerro Catedral in San Carlos de Bariloche (Province of Rio Negro)
• Perito Moreno in El Bolson ( Río Negro Province )
• La Hoya at Esquel ( Chubut Province )
• Valdelén at Río Turbio (Santa Cruz )
• Cerro Castor in Ushuaia (Province of Tierra del Fuego )

Other Destinations

Although almost all provinces endeavor through targeted campaigns to tourism, there are outside the said territories and places hardly a real mass tourism in the country. Nevertheless, there are in almost all places nowadays a sufficient infrastructure for visitors with simple accommodation.

Mention may be made outside of these areas following locations:

• Tolar Grande (Salta )
• Uspallata and Puente del Inca ( Aconcagua area ) ( Mendoza)
• El Barreal - Province of San Juan
• Talampaya and Ischigualasto ( provinces of San Juan and La Rioja)
• Chilecito and Sierra de Famatina ( La Rioja Province )
• El Rodeo and Balcozna ( Catamarca Province )
• Reservoir Escaba (Tucumán )
• Villa Nougués / San Javier (Tucumán )
• Tafi del Valle / Reservoir El Mollar / Amaicha del Valle / Quilmes (Tucumán )
• Sierras de San Luis ( San Luis Province )
• Miramar / Mar Chiquita ( Cordoba province )
• Villa Río Bermejito ( Chaco Province )
• Empedrado ( Corrientes province )