More Argentines travel internally than to the outside of the country

The goal was to increase the number of Argentineans traveling in the country, to allow more foreigners to arrive on these coasts with their dollars and to the locals to travel a little less outside. That was the goal, at least, measured in terms of internal growth and currency leakage, an eternal and structural problem of Argentina.

In 2019, these three objectives are achieved. After two decades, Argentina will have more pbadengers this year than Argentineans abroad; there is, on average, 20% more foreigners arriving; Argentina's production has dropped 35% and 70% less escaped dollars compared to 2017, the year of bang abroad

The reasons are multiple: low cost they have considerably reduced the pbadages; new connections appeared, many ignoring Buenos Aires; the offer abroad has been reduced and increased in pesos; Long-term plans have come in installments for many destinations and there is a new "vintage weather" for a few days' escape and a local destination.

Internal movement

We must go back to 1999 to find the same phenomenon of internal holidays. They were 6.8 million inside and 6.4 million outside. According to projections, in 2019, 16.6 million pbadengers use cabotage routes, against 15.2 million people will travel abroad, according to data from the National Aviation Administration. presented by Minister Guillermo Dietrich in Córdoba. some days. In 2018, with a 54% devaluation of the peso, there were still more holidaymakers on the outside.

The departure of dollars for travel and visits Shopping was a serious problem in change management. In 2016, $ 8,538 million remained; a little over 10,000 in 2017 and in 2018, a megaevaluation of 5,535 million euros.

This year, it will be 3,379 million euros, a fall of 39% compared to 2018, but 67% compared to 2017.

In 2017, with a shift in trade, two Argentineans traveled abroad for each one of them. "This by twos decreases, but there is always an imbalance. There are more who leave than those who arrive, "says economist Marcos Cohen Arazi, of the Foundation Ieral of the Mediterranean.

"This year we will have between 7.5 and 8 million foreigners; we think that between the fall of the emissive and the rise of the receptive, we will have a fairly balanced balance, "predicts Gustavo Santos, secretary of tourism of the country.

There is a consensus that the expensive dollar has already discouraged what could discourage it: the one who continues to travel will travel in the same way, regardless of the price of the dollar. The journey to a time of global village and to transfer everything on networks has become an object of desire for all. And there are even generations who only aspire to travel.

"We need to transform that number, we need to further promote Argentina. Because countries like Brazil, Mexico and Colombia have more domestic tourism and that Argentina, in number of absolute travelers, has more than Brazil, while they are 210 million and we 45, "says Juan Cruz Lozada of the Lozada Viajes network.

Cohen Arazi warns about how the exchange rate influences differently. "If there is a delay, Argentina flies away; but the receptive does not move much because of that, "he says.

So, if the issuer wants to continue with an apartment of 15 million Argentines, we must work on two things: first, more foreigners come; and another, that there are more Argentines who are flying borders inland.

Both objectives have only one answer: to improve local supply. "Argentina must finish developing its aerial, terrestrial and digital connectivity," admits Santos.

The arrival of the low cost, which began in 2017, tripled the number of destinations and the reduction in the floor of the tariff band caused a new phenomenon in a country where the airlines dominated everything: the competition.

In July, the number of cabotage pbadengers rose to 1.5 million, with Bariloche and Iguazú for stars. According to Transport, the average fare paid per trip was 981 pesos. In July 2015, it was, in constant pesos, 1,988 pesos. That is, even with inflation "in" price, the average rate dropped by 50%.

"You need to continue connectivity because more link destinations are connecting to each other because the routes are leaky, often a few days. So you can not spend 14 hours traveling, "says Santos.

This is true for both Argentina and abroad, especially in a country as large as Argentina, where the desired destinations are thousands of kilometers apart.

"No one is traveling because, at the reception level, services, we are not 100% ready to go sightseeing," said Federico Schwerkolt, regional director of Ola Viajes.

"Salta has an excellent quality-service relationship, they serve you well, you get a good price. In Córdoba, how do you explain that there are many places where cards are not received? ", He asks. And he cites another example: the nasturtium church. "This happens every day and is always closed, while in the world this type of church is always open," he asks. "The foreigner must be maintained, it is not enough to devalue and be cheap," he adds.

"Lack of quality services or quality depending on the price, because Argentina had the habit of going abroad sees the local supply with others eyes; many households have had an outing abroad and the idea that internal services on the coasts or mountains are relatively expensive is widespread, "says Cohen Arazi.

Coins

There, they start engraving other things, such as the weight of taxes or fees. But we must admit that tourism is not very visible as a generator of money.

"Argentina has not developed its potential, the private have done but it is not enough and local governments have not finished exploiting it. ", says the economist of the Ieral. The refund of VAT in hotels to foreigners goes in this direction.

In 2000, 10 out of every 100 Argentines were stealing, and by 2015 they were 21, with a growth of 21%. During the same period, Colombia grew by 147%; Chile 177; Brazil 190 and Peru 231. Today, 55 per cent of Chileans fly each year. Cleaning: the region has been living for a long time "the revolution of the plane".

"The opening of Argentina to the world as a political event is strategic," defends Santos. Do not forget that Margarita Island was like a destination in the Caribbean, while no one plans to travel to Venezuela. "The political conditions of a country are not neutral as to its overall results," he said.

This gives Argentina a huge opportunity for the appetite to travel. "You have to develop options," insists the secretary of tourism. "There are Argentineans who know Niagara Falls and not Iguazu, or who went to Colorado Canyon and not to Talampaya," he said.

Santos emphasizes that emerging destinations will continue to develop, such as the Puna or Esteros del Iberá. "Concepción del Yaguareté was a ghost town and now has hotels, restaurants and a network of Iberá cooks," he says.

It is an authentic work: the pesos that remain in these economies, in which he sold the ticket, carried and visited the place. And if you reach abroad, the better.

Cordoba Hub

From 2015 to today, seven more cabotage routes.

2015 In Ambrosio Taravella, there were 10 cabotage routes, four airlines and 161 frequencies.

2019. There are now 17 cabotage routes, 11 active companies and 273 frequencies. The growth in the number of pbadengers was 274%.

achievements Between January and June of this year, through Córdoba, 1 809 573 pbadengers pbaded, a number almost identical to that of 2015, with 1 947 798 pbadengers, including cabotage, international and transit flights. .

improvements In June of this year, improvements to the runway were inaugurated; The expansion of the parking lot and a new beacon system are under construction. According to the Ministry of Transport, the automatic weather observation system (AWOS) will be installed for the month of December and the expected ILS system for December, which will allow the airport to operate with minimum visibility conditions. It will move to category 3A.

As travelers as developed countries

Out of 100 Brazilians, five go abroad. Nine out of a hundred Peruvians travel. Out of 100 Americans, 27 are traveling, and coming from Argentina? 28! "While the trend is on the rise in the world, Argentina stands with high emissive indicators compared to its neighbors," said economist Marcos Cohen Arazi, of the Ieral of the Mediterranean Foundation. . It is located near countries with a higher average income, like the 37 in Spain.

Moreover, in the countries of the region, outbound tourism is not a problem of this type, because it leads to a current account deficit which has notably resulted in the exchange rate of Kirchnerism or debt in Cambiemos dollars.

"The Argentines will not stop traveling because it's in their DNA," said Tourism Secretary of the Nation, Gustavo Santos. "Maybe we are in the world conditions us, because below and beside, we have nothing and we have to go up; or maybe it's our origin for immigration, "he suggests.

"Argentina likes to change language, country. The 90's have left that mark, "adds Juan Cruz Lozada of the Lozada Travel Chain. "They say that they like to know Argentina, the falls, El Calafate, but they know that it will always be at hand," he adds.

In his opinion, the growth of domestic tourism was due to the devaluation. "The growth of domestic tourism would never have happened if it was not combined with the devaluation. There are more offers and there are fees. It's the devaluation that ended the demand for a vacation abroad, "he concludes.

"It was not fair to the dollar. The internal growth is due to the extension of the offer, to the reduction of the tariff range, so that the airlines themselves have had to aggravate to face the competition and to the low costs that allowed pbadengers who had not yet done so to leave, "explains Santos.

Connections

There were 94 cabotage routes in Córdoba in 2015 and today, 156. The internationals went from 92 to 124, with a figure that values ​​Córdoba: in 2015, 15 out of 92 did not pbad through Buenos Aires and now they dodge 40.

In addition, the average number of pbadages has been reduced by the presence of competition. As of 2017, Flybondi, Norwegian, JetSmart and Avianca (the latter having problems) were added to the lowest costs.

20% of the pbadengers who travel do so at a lower cost, without leaving the airlines. In addition, the state-owned airline has grown from 7.5 million pbadengers per year in 2015 to 10.5, which should take 2019. What has happened, is that the cake has been expanded: people who previously did not travel were flying.

It is also true that the rise in the exchange rate has delayed the departure of travelers abroad, which rose from 17.70 pesos that a dollar cost in January 2018 to 45.60 today. hui.

"The international pesos has increased by one hundred percent, which has resulted in a drop in demand and a contraction in supply, as there are fewer routes," said Federico Schwerkolt, regional director of Ola Viajes.

For example, the Copa de Córdoba flew two daily flights to Panama and now has one; Lan had 27 weekly flights to Chile and today he has four; Latam flew daily to San Pablo and today counts three per week. In addition, Tucumán lifted the route to Santiago and Lima and all Asians also reduced their frequencies.

Everything is a consequence of a 35% drop in demand.

"In dollars, prices to leave the country are cheaper; But they are in dollars. There are 15 thousand pesos in Rio, and cheap, in Bariloche, you go and come for four thousand and, in addition, you pay now with 12 and 18, "says Schwerkolt.

Of course, whoever has dollars or dollar earnings finds pbadages that cost up to 50% less. "Airlines can not save the stock, the plane leaves yes or yes. In the United States, you receive $ 600 and $ 1,200; In Europe, you had 1,500 euros (1,200 promo) and now you win 800 or 900, and Miami, which costs a thousand, it's $ 500, "he said.