Salta: Tourism Jobs Grow and Record Season Projected

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec), in 2019 Salta had 50,000 jobs directly or indirectly linked to tourism activity. This figure fell sharply with the coronavirus pandemic, but it was able to recover, and in 2022 not only were the same jobs in tourism reached again, but the activity had a slight growth, to include 50,355 jobs. The local Ministry of Tourism and Sports presented a plan to increase the number of people employed in this activity, which is already bearing its first fruits. In 2023, there are 55,311 jobs in tourism, 10% more than last year. In these years, in order to generate more work, the offer grew, but at the same time the number of tourists who tour the province; Another interesting fact is that the overnight stay increased from 2.2 to 4.5 nights, which has a direct impact on the economic impact generated by each tourist. These figures correspond to the Observatory of Employment and Business Dynamics (OEDE) of the Ministry of Labor of the Nation and the Permanent Household Survey (EPH) of Indec. Other news known in the last few hours foreshadows a record season for this summer in the province. Governor Gustavo Sáenz reached an agreement with the Ministry of Economy of the Nation to reduce from 57 to 15 dollars the so-called airport tax for international flights arriving in the province, which lowers costs for the passenger. Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport is considered by the tourism and airline industry as a distribution center for tourists and passengers for the entire north of Argentina. In addition, it is located relatively close to Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile, so it is also used by those whose final destination is nearby bordering towns. The airport tax is paid by passengers at the time of purchasing the air ticket for scheduled commercial flights, and its value is different depending on the type of flight, whether national, regional or international. From January 1, 2024, it will cost 15 dollars, a measure that is expected to increase the number of tourists and flights, and at the same time strengthen commercial links for local producers and entrepreneurs.” A year and a half ago we were working together with other provinces on the possibility of reducing the airport tax, which in our case, due to our geographical location and the border with three countries, will consolidate Salta as a regional reference center, collaborating with the growth of international inbound tourism. generating more foreign currency for Argentines,” said Governor Gustavo Sáenz.At the same time, expansion works were launched at the international airport that will increase the surface area of the air station by 65% and double the capacity to receive passengers. Salta is the main air access route to Argentina from the north of the country, with connections to 9 destinations (all regions of the country) to which is added the direct flight with São Paulo and the link with Lima from December. Another factor that may contribute to the increase in tourists is the recent rise of the so-called tourist dollar, which the national government raised to a value close to 1,000 pesos. The measure seeks to reduce the outflow of dollars abroad, making it more expensive for Argentine tourists to spend outside the country, especially before the imminent start of the summer season. On the other hand, it is expected that more people will choose national tourist destinations, including the province of Salta.The exchange rate is an incentive for the arrival of foreign visitors, which is why Aerolíneas Argentinas has experienced an increase in occupancy on the Salta-San Pablo route, which will double its frequency, while also changing planes. replacing its Embraer E190AR with Boeing 737-800.Tourism has recently become an important source of foreign exchange income for the province, to such an extent that in the recent long weekend there was a net tourist occupancy rate of 54.5 percent, with an economic impact of more than 1,800 million pesos. 

Original source in Spanish