Argentina is the most visited country in South America and the fourth most visited in the American continent. According to official figures from the World Tourism Organization, in 2010 the country received more than 5,300,000 foreign tourists, which meant some 4.93 billion dollars in foreign exchange income. [58] Foreign tourists come mainly from Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Venezuela and Paraguay and Europeans from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom and Switzerland.
The extensive territory of the Argentine Republic, a country located in South America according to MILITARYNOUS.COM, is endowed with great tourist attractions. The valuation of the local currency after the devaluation of 2002 favored the arrival of large numbers of foreign tourists, [59] making the country more commercially accessible than in the 1990s. As the costs of traveling abroad became more expensive, many Argentines also became they turned over to national tourism.
The Valley of the Moon or Ischigualasto, in San Juan, has an incalculable paleontological value. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
Buenos Aires stands out as the favorite center for foreign and national tourists (5,250,000 in 2007). [60] They are attracted by a populous, cosmopolitan city with extensive infrastructure. Among many other factors, tango is one of the reasons for visiting the Argentine capital.174 The characteristic Buenos Aires night is one of the great attractions due to its varied cultural, gastronomic and entertainment offer.
Cerro Catedral in Bariloche, Río Negro, the largest ski resort in Latin America.
Another outstanding center of attraction is the Iguazú Falls, in the Province of Misiones, declared in 1984 Natural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. The fall of the mighty Iguazú River is complemented by the subtropical jungle that surrounds it. Argentina has an important variety of mountainous sites, in several of them mountaineering is practiced and others base their tourist attraction on contact with the snow or on their characteristic landscapes. The main ones are found in the west of the country, in the Andes Mountains, although there are also mountain formations in the Sierras de Córdoba. Among the sites used for mountaineering is the Aconcagua hill, the highest mountain in America. The most important tourist spots for their snow are Bariloche and Las Leñas. An internationally known formation is the Quebrada de Humahuaca. The Train of the Clouds is one of the three highest railways in the world. It starts from the province of Salta, and crosses the Quebrada del Toro passing through Tastil —considered one of the main pre-Hispanic urban centers in South America— where archaeological ruins are found.
Ischigualasto Provincial Park, also known as “Valley of the Moon”, is located in the extreme north of the province of San Juan, 330 km from the city of San Juan. It is a protected area where the entire Triassic period can be seen completely uncovered and perfectly differentiated in a complete and orderly manner, for which on November 29, 2000 it was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Glaciers are one of the main attractions of Argentine Patagonia. The best known is the Perito Moreno Glacier, whose accessibility and characteristic periodic rupture give it a unique attraction. It expands on the waters of the South Arm of Lake Argentino, with a front of 5 kilometers and a height above the level of the lake, between 70 and 60 meters. This ice wall covers an area of 230 square kilometers. The area of continental ice and glaciers is a natural treasure, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.
In recent years, the implementation of wine tourism has been important, a thematic tourism based on viticulture with the initiative of the so-called “Wine Routes” in the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza as well as in the Calchaquíes Valleys of Salta, tourism that attracts numerous foreigners to taste Argentine wines. [61]
Winter tourism has its greatest exponent in the Lake District, located at the foot of the Andes Mountains in the Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut Provinces; In addition to the practice of mountain sports, the area has as attractive glacial lakes and National Parks surrounded by lush vegetation. In the center of it, the city of San Carlos de Bariloche on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi and a few kilometers from Cerro Catedral, is positioned as the main winter center in South America, attracting most of the national and foreign tourism. [62]
During the summer, a good part of Argentine domestic tourism goes to various cities on the Atlantic coast of the Province of Buenos Aires, the largest of which is Mar del Plata. Most of these cities concentrate their economic activity in the summer season. The second destination in terms of attracting internal tourism is the Sierras de Córdoba, its main tourist center being Villa Carlos Paz in the Punilla Valley. The Argentine coast with its river beaches, thermal complexes and carnivals in the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Ríos, among others, constitutes the third destination for national tourism. [63] Traditionally, the month of January is the one that generates the highest demand for rentals.
