Argentine tourism faces a perfect storm: economic crisis, lack of rules of the game and a future that threatens to leave 300,000 people without work. An urgent warning for those who still do not take dimension of the problem.
The national tourism industry is on the verge of a historical crisis. If the course is not corrected or any national political decision is made to accompany this economic activity, 30% of the SMEs in the sector will close their doors before 2027dragging hundreds of thousands of jobs.
In the next 48 months, tourism activity in Argentina will face a critical scenario. It is not an alarmist hypothesis but a projection that arises from the cold analysis of the data and what can already be seen in the territory: the progressive closure of tourist SMEs is a real and close threat.
Today, under the current rules of the game and in this economic context, the system does not resist. When observing any annualized statistics, it is clear that 50% of the tourist offer. We talk about accommodation beds, combis for excursions, rental cars, restaurants with tourism orientation, receptive agencies and much more. All that productive framework, which was built for decades, is now in danger of crumbling.
If the conditions do not change, At 2027 it will close at least 30% of the total of these SMEswhich will entail a proportional loss of employment. Tourism in Argentina generates about one million direct and indirect jobs. The projection is clear: 300,000 jobs could be lost. It is not just numbers: they are families, projects, entire communities that depend on this economic engine.
It is true that some entrepreneurs will resist more than others. Some will be sustained for some more years, adapting or reinventing themselves. But many others will not arrive. And the most serious thing is that the authorities of the national state do not seem to notice (they do not want or cannot) the magnitude of what is coming.
We saw it in campaign, tourism, outside! And the already famous there is no money. At that precise moment we already glimpse what we are living, today no one can be surprised. Of course, we ask the State very little, almost nothing: if you are going to withdraw in the abrupt way that was withdrawn, that at least propose clear rules and that gives SMEs the possibility of competing. Today those rules of the game point, without turns, to the destruction of this wonderful industry without chimney.
Winter vacations: a sample of the tourism crisis
The July 2025 holidays have just finished in our country and the data are eloquent: more point, point less, on average No destination in Argentina exceeded 50% or 60% of the occupation of the available beds. For those who do not know about the industry, these are unfortunate figures for the strongest time of the whole year.
Imagine for a moment, when we listen to referent, strong and consolidated destinations of Argentina, such as Bariloche, Iguazú, Mendoza, Salta, Córdoba and City of Buenos Airesand its public and private referents express in a living voice that the situation is critical, how is the situation of SMEs in those emerging destinations as El Superbio, San Javier, Villa Pehuenia, La Caldera, Isla del Cerritoas an example of a tourist country with different realities and needs.
To simplify the approach, we are going to put on the table reference data so that we understand the cost structure of our activity and the situation in which the sector has been located for two years:
Dollar value December 2023: $ 1,350 // Dollar value as of July 31, 2025: $ 1,380
Energy value today, compared 2023: 400% increase
Workers’ salaries (more social load salary) today, compared to 2023: 380% increase
Rate of average pesos of tourism services from December 2023 to today: between 45% and 55% increase
Tourist balance in 2025: For each tourist who entered the country, 2 Argentines traveled abroad on average.
Just as we go, it’s not
The phrase sounds simple, but it contains an urgent call to reflection and action. Because if the country does not redefine its economic policy, if it does not protect one of its most federal, inclusive and multipliers sectors, the price to be paid will be too high.
The private tourism sector, of course, has proposals to get out of this situation and generate conditions that allow everyone, in some way, cross to the other side of the river in the middle of this tremendous storm:
- Reduction of national and provincial and municipal taxes.
- Specific social load plan for an activity with intensive labor.
- Conversion plan for solar energy use.
- And as a stimulus to demand: to be able to deduce the total expenditure of a tourism trip from Argentines throughout the country from the income tax. The mechanism is: the national tourist asks for the invoices of all its expense in tourism companies during their trip and those invoices then present to deduce profit expenses, as other expenses such as rental or workers of private houses are deduced. The effect can be immediate: Argentina for Argentinos becomes 35% more interesting economically. The tourist wins and, on the other hand, the government that puts 2 million “inspectors” in the streets of the whole country to ask for invoices that are not being issued today (and perhaps manages to increase the collection of both national, provincial and municipal) by 50%. And the tourist SMEs with more passengers for each company and commerce win, which is what the sector needs today. We all won.
These are some ideas on which there is an important consensus among the different sectors of the tourism industry but surely there are many other initiatives, which on a smaller scale are applying some provinces, which can help sustain the sector in this critical context.
The question that is imposed is: Do we have a national state that can recognize the situation of an economic activity in crisis and that depending on that is put in charge of the problem and put together a table with decision -making power that can take a package of measures that allows you to continue working to all the actors (large, medium and boys) of this deeply federal industry? Or will this kind of jungle law continue to work in which each one tries to save themselves on their own so as not to be part of that 30% of the tourism sector that will have to close in the coming months?
ANDPyme Tourist Mressary, former president of Fedecatur, former Secretary of Tourism of the City of Salta and former Minister of Tourism and Sports of Salta.
Source: Ambito
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