Source: InvestBA
06.15.2012
MasterCard Worldwide has released their Index of Global Destination Cities, a beautifully researched report which measures international passenger arrivals and expenditures in 132 cities worldwide, and Buenos Aires ranks well in both categories.
In terms of inbound tourism, Buenos Aires ranks #3 in Latin America with 2.2 million international arrivals. São Paulo ranked #1 in the region with 2.7 million passengers and Mexico City (DF) was #2 with 2.4 million arrivals. MasterCard sums up the positive regional growth story: “In cities in emerging markets in Asia and Latin America, there are simply no signs of a recession at all; they look like the boom towns that they are.”
In terms of international visitor spending, Buenos Aires ranks #2 in Latin America with BA visitors showering hotels, gallerias and restaurants with US$3.0 billion in greenbacks and MasterCard swipes. São Paulo inched out BA with US$3.1 billion; the other LatAm top five include Bogota ($2.1 Bn), Mexico City ($1.7 Bn) and Lima ($1.6 Bn). Buenos Aires visitor expenditures grew 19.1% in 2011.
The Top 5 cities of origin ranking makes the case that BA and SP have broader regional and global appeal compared to DF. The Top 5 cities of origin for Buenos Aires visitors were São Paulo (360k), Santiago (312k), Madrid (256k), Miami (160k) and Rio de Janeiro (132k). São Paulo boasts a similar inbound global mix, while Mexico City relies on 4 US cities to round out its Top 5. To download the complete MasterCard Worldwide Insights PDF, click here.
For more information about Buenos Aires travel and tourism, download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.
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