Argentines are abandoning traditional local holiday resorts in favor of the beaches of Brazil, recent data indicates. However, President Javier Milei’s government has changed how visitor levels are measured and claimed the domestic coastline is booming, drawing criticism from tourism workers who say the sector is on the ropes.

Recent figures from the Brazilian tourist authorities showed that 72% more Argentines (3.4 million) visited Brazil in 2025 than the previous year. In both years, Argentines were the largest group of tourists in Brazil.

Critics of the Milei administration say the artificially strong peso makes holidays abroad cheaper than local destinations, hurting Argentine businesses. Meanwhile, officials have celebrated what they say is a strong season along the coast of Buenos Aires province.

“It’s the best summer season in at least 25 years,” press secretary Javier Lanari posted on X earlier this month. “The main tourist destinations [in Argentina] are bursting with people.” Tourism Secretary Daniel Scioli added that hotels in Mar del Plata, Argentina’s main coastal........

© Buenos Aires Herald