Amid Flu Fears, Tourism Tumbled in July

As the A/H1N1 swine flu virus scared people away, international tourism plummeted in July, leading to Argentina’s worst month in ages. Fearful tourists avoid the country like the plague.

The Brazilian government even warned its citizens to avoid Argentina. Many of them did.

The number of people visiting Argentina tumbled by almost 39% from July 2008, making this the tenth consecutive annual decline.

July’s numbers were terrible, but they were tempered slightly by news that outbound tourism was up 11%. That’s partly because many Argentine families took advantage of extended vacation time for millions of school children whose classes were suspended amid mass hysteria about the flu epidemic.

The number of visitors to Argentina fell to 123,190 in July, compared with 200,999 a year ago.

While here, tourists spent around $162 million, down almost 44% from a year ago, the national statistics agency, INDEC, reported last week.

In July the average tourist spent about $69 day, about 32% less than a year ago.

Brazilians spent the most per day ($114) while Europeans spent the least ($49).

But Brazilians stay an average of just nine days while Europeans stay almost 29 days, meaning, perhaps, that they have to be more frugal while they’re here. Brazilians, it seems, come to shop and then get out of town quickly.

A tourist agency operator in Recoleta told me that while Europeans used to be “the best” tourists, “they’re now the most grumpy and stressed out of all.”

“They spend less money and they seem concerned about the economy back home,” he said. “It’s a drag.” He said Mexican tourists are now the most fun to deal with because they are the happiest to be traveling. “They’re humble, and you get the sense that they feel lucky to be traveling at all. They don’t complain about things.”

INDEC’s measurement is based on the number of visitors who arrive to the country via Ezeiza, or EZE, the airport located outside Buenos Aires. About half of the country’s tourists arrive through EZE.

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