Tourism showed a negative balance for Argentina in 2025. According to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec), throughout last year some 11.8 million Argentines traveled abroad, while around 5.3 million foreign tourists entered the country.The difference between both flows showed a negative net balance of more than 6.5 million people.
The imbalance was also strongly reflected in expenses in dollars.According to the official body, the total spending of Argentines abroad reached USD 7,164 million, while incoming tourism generated income of USD 3,110 million.In this way, the balance of the tourism balance was negative by USD 4,054 million during 2025.
These numbers reflect an imbalance that began in 2024 and deepened throughout last year.According to Indec, during the previous year 8.3 million Argentine tourists left the country – a figure that in 2025 rose to almost 11.8 million – which implied an interannual growth of more than 42 percent.
According to the latest International Tourism report, the gap between tourist income and expenditure widens even further if excursionists—people who do not spend at least one night at the destination—are included.In that case, during 2025, 18.8 million people left the country, compared to 8.7 million who entered, which left a negative balance of close to 10.1 million people.
This phenomenon, which once again put pressure on the outflow of foreign currency, was driven by an exchange rate that favored trips abroad and by an increase in domestic prices, which made Argentina less competitive as a tourist destination.
The last month of the year confirmed the trend.In December 2025, 705,100 Argentines traveled abroad, while the entry of foreign travelers was 535,800.The end of the year was marked by a high movement towards regional destinations.
Brazil, Chile and Uruguay concentrated most of the trips of Argentines, driven by proximity, the greater availability of flights and more competitive prices in dollars.The growth in trips to the United States and Europe was also highlighted.
In addition to traveling more, Argentines spent more time outside the country.In 2025, the average stay of Argentine tourists abroad was 14.1 nights, compared to 12.8 nights in 2024, with special weight on beach trips and shopping.
In contrast, non-resident tourists who visited Argentina recorded an average stay of 9.6 nights, a level practically unchanged year-on-year and significantly lower than that of Argentines who traveled abroad.
The macroeconomic context was key to explaining the phenomenon.With a relatively cheap dollar for much of the year and high domestic prices in comparative terms, traveling abroad was more convenient than vacationing within the country for large sectors of the population.
Added to this was the increase in the cost of local tourist services—hospitality, gastronomy and transportation—which reduced Argentina’s competitiveness against regional and international destinations.The combination of more Argentines traveling abroad and fewer foreigners entering once again placed tourism as one of the factors of net foreign currency outflow in 2025.
Although the country continues to show a greater number of Argentines traveling abroad compared to the arrival of international tourists, sector estimates anticipate that the situation could stabilize or even show signs of recovery in the coming months.
Among the elements that favor a possible improvement in the tourism sector, macroeconomic stability and the reduction of uncertainty after the elections stand out.
Unlike the previous year, the conditions for traveling abroad changed.In the absence of immediate exchange risks, the urgency to take advantage of opportunities decreased, while the Central Bank’s strategy of adjusting exchange bands in line with inflation aims to provide predictability in the evolution of the dollar.
In addition, the rise in prices in Brazil due to the appreciation of the real against the dollar adds to the situation.In contrast, in Argentina the American currency rose more than inflation and salaries during 2025, which can influence travel decisions and the competitiveness of local destinations compared to abroad.
