Argentina Strengthens Its Presence at Next Global Tourism Economy Forum
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With the presence of the nation’s Secretary of Tourism, Gustavo Santos, Argentina will attend as Guest of Honor, the next Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), to be held from October 13th to 15th in Macao, People’s Republic of China.
The event is consolidated as an international platform to promote exchange and debate on the sustainable development of the global tourism industry, with special emphasis on China. Argentina and Brazil will offer the possibility of consolidating their presence in the Asian country and enhance tourist influx.
“We continue working on the promotion of tourism in Argentina, we are looking to multiply investment opportunities and continue to attract international tourists. On this occasion, our joint promotion with Brazil in China gives us greater visibility not only for our tourist destinations but for the entire region.”
“In addition, being a Guest Country of Honor in this event brings us closer to the sector’s main references to generate future investments. This way, Argentina joins the world and opens its doors to all those who seek new challenges in our country,” said Santos.
Over three days, government tourism officials, businessmen and a number of industry players will meet to discuss the development of different areas related to tourism, investment, and international cooperation.
Since 2012, the GTEF has grown to exceed 10,000 visitors and more than 500 exhibitors from over 80 countries.
The GTEF will be an excellent showcase through which Argentina will present its tourism offer and investment opportunities aimed at the target audience.
In addition, the national delegation will take part as a speaker in several panels and conferences that make up the Forum and will have a stand in the exhibition hall where it will show typical Argentine products such as wine and gastronomy.
There will also be business roundtables to promote strategic and bilateral meetings, among other actions. It will be an international event where the Marca País (“Country Brand”) will have outstanding visibility during the Forum’s three days and in all the publicity related to this event.
Positive statistics
Between 2010 and 2018 Chinese arrivals to Argentina tripled, amounting to an average of approximately 72,000 tourists last year (20 percent more than in 2017).
Similarly, in the first eight months of 2019, more than 50,000 Chinese travelers visited Argentina. This was 8 percent more than in the same period in 2018.
Likewise, in 2018 China ranked 16th in the foreign tourist influx to Argentina. For obvious reasons related to the distance between the two countries, 77 percent traveled by plane, 15 percent by land – within this group, 71 percent traveled from Brazil across the Tancredo Neves bridge in Iguazú – and the remainder by sea.
The summer is their preferred season. The majority of tourists are between 30 and 44 years old (35 percent) and between 45 and 59 years old (27 percent). Buenos Aires, the Patagonia region – Ushuaia, El Calafate, Bariloche and Iguazú top the list of the most sought-after destinations.
Measures hvave been adopted, such as promotion in Argentina’s Digital Pavilion in Fliggy, the Alibaba Group’s tourist travel platform, the activity developed in Weibo and WeChat social media, working together with influencers (this year Argentina welcomed celebrities Mingyang Peng, Yudong Xiang, Lin Chang, and Sijing Lin.
In addition, an unprecedented digital production for the YouKu platform (Argentina will have two exclusive chapters dedicated to gastronomy), the refund of 21 percent of VAT for lodging foreign tourists, the reciprocity of visas with a validity of ten years and the ease for Chinese who have a visa to enter the US or the EU to obtain the Electronic Travel Authorization (AVE) are among the reasons behind the growth of the Chinese market in Argentina.
In addition to INPROTUR and Aerolineas Argentinas, the Argentine delegation will be made up of the Ente de Turismo de Buenos Aires (“Buenos Aires Tourism Board”), the Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (Tourism Institute Fueguino) and private companies convened by the Cámara Argentina de Turismo (Argentine Chamber of Tourism).
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