Ricardo Sosa, Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Tourist Promotion of Argentina (INPROTUR)

Ricardo Sosa, Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Tourist Promotion of Argentina (INPROTUR)

Visit Latin America: What is the situation of the tourim industry in Argentina and what is your provisional calendar for the reactivation of international tourism?

Of course, the impact has been significant because of the impossibility for tourists to travel. In any case, Argentina, through the National Institute for Tourist Promotion (INPROTUR), has never stopped its work and still maintains the country’s tourism image in a very good position.

Since the beginning of the pandemic we have developed an extraordinary digital strategy. This work has been materialised in different projects, one of which is called #viajadesdetucasa (travel from home). It offers you the opportunity to visit the destinations of our country as if it was a dream and, once the pandemic is over, to make this dream come true.

Another of the great achievements of this period was the Content Hub, created to support the tourism sector and provide it with very useful information quickly.

To give even more opportunities to global tourism professionals, we have produced a series of webinars for different markets, with an audience that is growing week by week.

Furthermore, during this period, despite the difficulties in the world, we have achieved a very important success: Argentina has become the leading Latin American destination for meetings tourism, according to the latest ICCA ranking.

Participation in virtual meetings with the main players in the sector also allows us to bring our news closer together and to place Argentina’s tourism image at the highest level.

These are just some of the many measures we have taken.

VLA: INPROTUR has been very active over the last few months in creating web seminars for tourism professionals, what have been the results of these events?

At the beginning of last August, we passed the milestone of training more than 10,000 tourism professionals from nearly 40 countries through various webinars that cover the country’s tourism offer.

Thanks to an important prior analysis of INPROTUR’s Markets section, the webinars were designed according to the interest of each market and dictated in their respective languages. Thus, conferences have been organized for professionals from Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Belgium, Russia, Central America, India, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Malta, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia and Kazakhstan, among others.

The six regions of the country – Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Litoral, Norte, Cuyo and Patagonia -, food and wine routes, LGBT tourism, snow, Route 40, medical tourism and nature were just some of the topics covered in the more than 100 online seminars held from last April until today.

In addition, more than 3,000 satisfaction surveys have been carried out, with an average of more than 9 out of 10 in the results.

The webinars will continue throughout the rest of the year with the aim of increasing the number of participants and trying to achieve the best positioning of the “Argentina” brand in the world.

VLA: Argentina has become the leading destination in Latin America for the MICE segment. What are the country’s main attractions for organising international events?

Argentina is a country that really has it all. Urban life, good climate, nature, respect for diversity, infrastructure and, above all, a qualified population that is open to welcoming tourists from all over the world.

When coming to Argentina, a business tourist has the opportunity to visit a fascinating city like Buenos Aires, which has reaffirmed its leadership in America in MICE tourism, placing it in first place for the eleventh consecutive year, to marvel at Iguazú on the coast, to get to know the heritage of the indigenous peoples of the North, to drink excellent wine in front of the Andes in Cuyo, to smell the mountains and rivers of Cordoba, or to feel the magic of the mythical Patagonia until the end of the world. The list of attractions is endless.

Currently, we have 50 destinations prepared to host international events and 32 Congress and Visitors’ Offices.

When travelling  to Argentina, a business tourist has the opportunity to visit a fascinating city like Buenos Aires, which has reaffirmed its leadership in America in MICE tourism, placing it in first place for the eleventh consecutive year, to marvel at Iguazú on the coast, to get to know the heritage of the indigenous peoples of the North, to drink excellent wine in front of the Andes in Cuyo, to smell the mountains and rivers of Cordoba, or to feel the magic of the mythical Patagonia until the end of the world. The list of attractions is endless.

Currently, we have 50 destinations prepared to host international events and 32 Congress and Visitors’ Offices.

VLA: When tourism is reactivated, it is likely that the demand for travellers will concentrate on less frequented or emerging areas. Which destinations would you recommend?

The tourism of the future is linked to nature and green spaces and, in this area as in many others, Argentina is a destination of excellence, with people who always offer great hospitality. That is why I couldn’t mention a particular destination. The vast territory presented by our country is ideal for tourists to move around in complete tranquillity and safety.

VLA: What message would you like to send to tourism professionals?

That they should not stop betting on Argentina. That they have a country that has been preparing all year round to receive world tourism again without any problems. Tourism professionals need to know that they can count on us and that we need them because they can promote our offer.

Over the last few months, more than ten health protocols have been designed and approved for the different actors in the tourism marketing chain, and the same has been done for the air, sea-river and land transport systems. In addition, all these protocols are published in different languages.

Moreover, since October 13, the country has joined the list of international destinations that have obtained the “Safe Travels” label, awarded by the World Travel and Tourism Council (W.T.T.C.), by complying with global hygiene and sanitation protocols that will help restore the confidence of international travellers.