Tourism direct GDP (2022) | Tourism direct employment (2022) | Travel exports (2024) |
|---|---|---|
1.7% of total GDP (up 0.8 percentage points since 2021) | 5.5% of total employment (up 0.5 percentage points since 2021) | 28.9% of total service exports (down 4.3 percentage points since 2023) |
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026
National tourism strategy: National Tourism Policy
Responsible government agency: Secretariat of Tourism and Environment
National tourism budget: ARS 41.1 billion (2025)
Key tourism policy priorities and actions:
Promoting and attracting tourism investment – Driving investment through the Tourism Doing Business: Investing in Argentina guide, the Private Tourism Investment Promotion Programme and the development of Tourism Investment Forums, to position tourism as a strategic activity.
Co-ordinating tourism promotion and incentives – Working with destinations and the private sector to better promote tourism in Argentina through the International Tourism Promotion Plan, the Elegí Argentina promotional platform and support of the open skies policy implementation.
Strengthening and diversifying the tourism offer – Improving efficiency systems, providing guidance to support tourism destinations, establishing guidelines for the preparation of statistical information and promoting the adoption of technological innovation within the sector.
Tourism continues to play a key role in the Argentine economy, standing out as a generator of foreign currency and exports. In 2024, travel and tourism accounted for 28.9% of services exports, confirming its importance as a source of external income.
Argentina received 5.7 million international tourists in 2025, compared to 6.6 million international tourists in 2024. The top international markets in 2024 for Argentina were Brazil (23%), Chile and Uruguay (15% each). Tourism generated almost USD 5.0 billion in revenues in 2024, a 9.6% decline compared to 2023 figures, which can be attributed in part to the appreciation of the Argentinian Peso.
Domestic tourists remain important to the tourism sector, with 14.1 million domestic overnight visitors staying in commercial accommodation in 2024.
The Secretariat of Tourism and Environment, operating under the Office of the Chief of Cabinet of Ministers, is the national tourism authority in Argentina. The Secretariat is the implementing authority of the National Tourism Law, and is responsible for the formulation, co-ordination and implementation of national tourism policies, and co-ordination with provincial and municipal agencies. It provides support to the sector in areas such as competitiveness, sustainability and tourism safety, establishing guidelines for the preparation of statistical information, encouraging investment and financing for tourism development and the promotion of domestic tourism. Co-ordinated efforts are often carried out with other government areas and ministries, including Foreign Affairs and Transport and Security. The National Institute of Tourism Promotion (INPROTUR) is responsible for the international promotion of Argentina.
Each Argentine province has its own tourism authority with exclusive responsibility to plan, promote and regulate tourism activities and to define their own tourism development strategies. Municipalities are key actors for operative management and implementation of tourism, especially in destinations with many visitors.
There are also mechanisms for collaboration with the private and academic sectors through business chambers and federations (such as the Argentine Chamber of Tourism), as well as professional associations, NGOs and universities, which participate in tourism policymaking and in the management of tourism programmes.
The Federal Tourism Council is the key co-ordinating body and includes representatives from all provinces, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, and the national government. The Tourism Council provides a platform to discuss, reach consensus and co-ordinate common policies and strategies at the national level.
In 2025, the national tourism budget was ARS 41.1 billion.
Source: OECD, adapted from the Secretariat of Tourism and Environment, 2026.
Tourism in Argentina is guided by the National Tourism Policy and in accordance with the National Tourism Law. The Policy aims to consolidate tourism as a strategic driver of economic development, job creation and international reach while redefining the role of the government from direct intervention to facilitating conditions that stimulate private investment, innovation, competitiveness and the long-term sustainability of the sector. The strategic pillars of the policy are:
Promotion of private investment and international competitiveness: establishing a stable, predictable and secure environment for investment, with efficient legal frameworks, tax incentives and reduced administrative bureaucracy.
Regulatory simplification and modernisation: reducing unnecessary regulation, optimising administrative procedures and promoting co-ordination among national, provincial, and municipal jurisdictions.
Development and diversification of the tourism offer: designing and supporting integrated tourism circuits, corridors and zones, supporting the value of heritage and natural and cultural diversity, and driving policies focused on efficiency, innovation and sustainability.
Strengthening the private sector and local capacities: fostering public–private co-ordination to support MSME development and promote decent employment.
Each of the 23 provincial jurisdictions, and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, has its own tourism strategy, as well as official tourism agencies and private sector representatives, which set the sector’s priorities within their respective jurisdictions.
Attracting and facilitating private sector investment is pivotal to the sustainable growth of the sector. The ‘Tourism Doing Business: Investing in Argentina’ guide, developed jointly with UN Tourism and with the support of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2025, provides a comprehensive instrument focused on attracting tourism investment in Argentina. The guide outlines the country’s competitive advantage, the unique characteristics of its regions, business opportunities, federal- and provincial-level tax incentives, and the new regulatory framework that promotes economic openness and private sector participation. To support the guide, the Private Tourism Investment Promotion Programme provides a website with centralised information on sector-specific incentives, investment opportunities and financing lines applicable to tourism projects. Tourism investment forums have also provided opportunities to foster connections between public and private stakeholders, showcasing projects, incentives and national investment promotion policies.
Argentina’s International Tourism Promotion Plan identifies 28 markets and six lines of action including digital ecosystem and innovation; strategic alliances, co-operative partnerships and memberships; positioning the “Visit Argentina” brand and international communication; market intelligence and impact measurement; development of markets and commercial channels; and editorial and promotional support materials. Guides have also been developed to provide destinations with tools to facilitate the development and promotion of national tourism products. The Government is also working with specific destinations under the Best Tourism Villages initiative, led by UN Tourism to better position and promote their tourism offer (see box below).
The Visit Argentina Intelligent Agent will be integrated into the Visit Argentina website to provide multilingual conversational support to international travellers. It will operate through automated, asynchronous interactions without continuous human assistance, supporting tourists throughout all stages of their journey. The system aims to enhance digital personalisation, improve visitor satisfaction and increase tourism spending. Additionally, its internal analytics capabilities will help identify demand patterns, understand visitor preferences, optimise promotional strategies and better distribute tourist flows across destinations. In addition, key statistical data and knowledge is available from Argentina’s Tourism Information System (SINTA) and the Promote Summer in Argentina programme provided support to tourist destinations during the summer season, by financing projects for the promotion, innovation and digitalisation of the tourism offer.
The “Elegí Argentina” promotional platform, launched in early 2024, offers travellers a showcase of benefits and discounts for travelling throughout the country. It is implemented jointly with the provinces, the private sector (associations) and the banking sector. Currently, the site brings together more than 3 000 benefits in tourism services, with particular emphasis on those provided by Banco de la Nación Argentina including interest-free instalment financing, signature-only loans and discounts on hotel accommodations, gastronomy, beach resorts, tickets, car rentals.
Argentina is pursuing a high quality and diversified tourism offer through the design and implementation of both regulatory instruments and voluntary mechanisms aimed at the development and competitiveness of the sector. The Argentine Tourism Quality System promotes improvement programmes and national and international standards related to sustainability, digitalisation and resilience, strengthening local capacities, supporting SMEs and promoting decent employment and inclusion. Following its 2025 update, the Quality System is a consolidated institutional co-ordination strategy for enhancing tourism services and positioning Argentina as a destination of excellence. The system is expanding through agreements with various provinces and sectoral associations to improve territorial development and local capacities.
Safe and secure tourism remains a priority for Argentina. The Recommendations Guide for a Safe Summer, launched in December 2025, provides recommendations to ensure a safe, calm, and enjoyable tourism experience. The Tourist Consumer Protection Program, introduced in 2024, allows all domestic or foreign tourists to file a claim through the National Consumer Arbitration System in the event of disputes related to the contracting and/or provision of tourism services in Argentina, with a resolution provided within 24 hours.
Since joining the UN Tourism ‘Best Tourism Villages’ initiative in 2021, Argentina has achieved significant results, with eight Argentine localities being honoured in 2025 – Caspalá, La Carolina, Caviahue-Copahue, Gaiman, Trevelin, Villa Tulumba, and with Carlos Pellegrini and Maimará making the list for the first time. Argentina joined the programme to help showcase its diverse rural tourism destinations, highlight the work of local communities, and position Argentina’s tourism product to an international market. Key outcomes to date, include:
Caspalá (300 inhabitants) increased its accommodation and gastronomy offer, reaching 5 establishments with a total of 50 beds, almost three times the amount before the award.
La Carolina (300 inhabitants) has incorporated four new gastronomy establishments and two lodgings and has transformed into a "pedestrian” village.
Trevelin (7 900 inhabitants) set up new establishments to enhance the tourism offer, reaching 1 580 beds. Since its first nomination in 2022, the number of beds has increased by almost 70% and tourists have increased by 28%.
In Argentina, the implementation of the programme includes comprehensive and strategic support from the national government, working in co-ordination with the selected local villages and prioritising actions of positioning and promotion. As a result, a high media impact has been achieved, with an average of one article published every two days, positioning Argentina with significant international impact from this initiative. Tangible local impacts have also been recorded, including at least eleven investments in tourism services, an increase in hotel capacity and a rise in visitor numbers across various destinations.