In February, 1.6 million Argentines traveled abroad, less than a year ago, but the tourism deficit widened again

According to a report from Indec, in February the difference between tourists who left the country and those who entered was 1.095.000 personas. In January it had been 1,082,000.

The statistical institute also considers excursionists, who are those who cross the border (inward or outward) but returned the same day. By adding this additional tourist movement, the balance was deficient in 1.3 million people.

“82.2% of outbound tourism isand headed to the neighboring countries. The main destinations were Brazilwith 36.4%; Uruguay, with 16.5%; and Chile, with 15.3%. 53.5% of resident tourists left the country by land; 37.1%, by air; and 9.5%, by river/sea route,” indicated the organization led by Pedro Lines after the departure of Marco Lavagna in February.

Regarding incoming tourism, they reported that “the 19.5% of incoming tourism resides in Europe; 19.4%, in Brazil; and 15.4%, in ‘United States and Canada.'” 48.8% of non-resident tourists arrived in Argentina by air; 39.6% by land; and the remaining 11.6% by river/sea.

Last year ended with a record tourism deficit. There were 18.8 million Argentines leaving abroad and 8.7 million foreigners entering the country. The negative balance, of 10 million, has no history in the last ten years.

The tourism statistics were the cause of internal controversy in the Government regarding the closure of 2025. The Ministry of Tourism that leads Daniel Scioli decided to cut financing to Indec to carry out the monthly survey.

The underlying reason was a disagreement with the methodology with which Indec technicians record the expenses made by foreigners in Argentina. For Tourism, the figure was underestimated and caused the balance of tourism expenses to be higher.

One of the central changes that caused this conflict between Tourism and Indec was that the daily expenses of tourists were no longer measured on a monthly basis and became a quarterly data. For that reason, that metric was not included in the February report.

“After two uninterrupted decades of joint work with the former Ministry of Tourism of the Nation and, given that the financing agreement with the current Ministry of Tourism and Environment will not be renewed, Indec reports that, starting in January 2026, changes will occur in the dissemination that will affect the presentation of the information and its periodicity,” Indec noted at the time.