Argentina Travel and Tourism
The United Sates is a popular travel destination for Argentines for both business and pleasure. Argentina has consistently ranked within the top 10 to 15 countries for inbound tourism to the United States and in recent years, Argentine travel to the United States has grown by double digits as volume approaches pre-pandemic levels.
The peak of Argentine travel to the US occurred in 2017 when over one million Argentines visited the United States, with expenditures totaling US$4.8 billion. However, due to an economic crisis, Argentine travelers to the United States dipped just a few years later in 2019 to 854,442 passengers. This decline was compounded by the fact that the Government of Argentina (GOA) imposed a 30 percent tax in 2019 and an additional 35 percent tax on purchases made abroad using Argentine credit and debit cards in September 2020. Furthermore, in 2020, the GOA enacted several travel restrictions and closed the borders for more than seven months due to the pandemic. When the GOA started loosening restrictions, 197,748 passengers visited the United States. In the following year, despite the fact that not all scheduled flights were authorized, 301,794 Argentines traveled to the United States and spent $1.37 billion in total expenditures, representing 52.6 percent growth for the market.
The growth has continued. For example, in 2022, Argentine travel to the US increased by 73.9 percent resulting in 524,841 travelers and an estimated $2.36 billion in expenditures. In 2023, the number of Argentines entering the United States increased 13.6 percent to 596,000 with an average total of $4,717 in expenditures per traveler, totaling an estimated of $2.81 billion. Estimates for 2024-2025 predict continued increases with the total number of travelers projected to reach pre-pandemic levels. All U.S. carriers are increasing direct flights between November 2024 and April 2025 due to the anticipated increase in Argentine travelers.
Peak travel times tend to be during the Argentine summer holidays (December to February) and winter school holidays (July). Some also choose to travel during the week of September 21, as many children receive a spring holiday.
The top destinations visited by Argentines are Florida (particularly Miami and Orlando), New York, California, and Washington, D.C. The U.S. gateways are Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and New York City.
To enter the United States, Argentines must possess a valid passport and U.S. visa. Many Argentines also hold European passports and are only required to complete the ESTA form.