Argentina's tourism sector could contribute nearly $39 billion to national GDP by 2025

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that, by the end of this year, Argentina's travel and tourism sector will contribute nearly $39 billion to the national GDP, equivalent to 6% of the country's total economy.

This projection represents a year-over-year growth of 8.4% compared to 2024 and reflects the sector's consolidation as a fundamental pillar of Argentina's economic and social development.

According to the latest Economic Impact Research (EIR), conducted by WTTC in collaboration with Oxford Economics, the travel and tourism sector is projected to employ more than one million people in Argentina by the end of this year, representing nearly 8% of national employment and a year-over-year increase of nearly 6%.

A look back to 2024

According to the same study, last year, Argentina's travel and tourism sector contributed nearly $36 billion, representing 5.8% of the national GDP.

The sector also supported 956,000 jobs, representing more than 7% of the country's total working population.

Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, said: “Argentina is showing solid progress in strengthening its tourism sector, with sustained growth and increased diversification of its tourism offering. Tourism continues to be a pillar of recovery and economic development for the country.”

Tourist spending and travel trends

Last year, international tourism spending reached $4.4 billion, representing 17.5% of total spending. Domestic tourism spending reached nearly $21 billion, representing 82.5% of total spending.

Leisure trips accounted for 72.9% of the total, compared to 27.1% for business trips.

Among the main issuing markets were: Brazil (23%), Uruguay (15%), Chile (15%) and the United States (8%).

Travel and Tourism Sector Projections to 2035

By 2035, the WTTC projects that the travel and tourism sector will reach $53.2 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 3.2%.

Furthermore, the organization predicts that tourism will generate nearly 1.3 million jobs, with the creation of more than 277,000 new jobs over the next decade.

International spending could reach $114 billion, while domestic travel spending could reach $26 billion.

Regional data

In 2024, the travel and tourism sector in Central and South America contributed $358.7 billion to GDP, representing 7.5% of the regional economy. This exceeds 2019 levels by more than 9%. Jobs in the sector reached 17.5 million, equivalent to 8% of total jobs in the region, with year-over-year growth of 4.4%.

By 2025, the WTTC projects that travel and tourism in the region will contribute $372 billion to GDP, representing 7.6% of the economy. Furthermore, employment in the sector is expected to increase to 18.2 million jobs, or 8.2% of total employment in the region.

Source: WTTC.