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Argentina Reclassifies Tourism Dollar Outflows as Experts Flag Persistent Deficit

The Tourism Secretariat ended funding for INDEC travel surveys, prompting concern over data transparency.

Overview

  • The BCRA now separates card spending on travel and passenger fares from digital subscriptions and certain courier e‑commerce, a shift requested by Tourism Secretary Daniel Scioli via Economy Minister Luis Caputo.
  • Using the revised classification, 2025 outbound tourism outlays are estimated at US$10.241 billion versus US$13.350 billion previously, cutting the reported gap to US$6.935 billion from US$9.983 billion.
  • INDEC’s latest tally for January–November 2025 shows 11.19 million resident departures against 4.78 million foreign arrivals, a net negative flow of 6.41 million people.
  • IERAL–Fundación Mediterránea estimates the tourism foreign‑exchange deficit still totals roughly US$7–8.5 billion after accounting for inbound receipts, noting the figures remain provisional.
  • Minister Federico Sturzenegger defended outbound travelers as “heroes of the production,” a stance that drew pushback from government‑aligned digital influencers and economists.