"We currently have around 75,000 Argentines visiting Portugal each year. We aim to reach 100,000 by the end of 2026 and double that number in the following two or three years," Lídia Monteiro, director of the Board of Directors of Turismo de Portugal, told Lusa during the opening of the Buenos Aires International Tourism Fair (FIT), the largest in Latin America and third largest in the world.

Until the 30th, Portugal has the unique opportunity to take advantage of the showcase that comes with being the guest country at the Argentina event.

"We hope that being a guest country at this fair will spark curiosity about Portugal within the Argentine market and, therefore, increase the number of travellers from Argentina to our country," Monteiro says, as fairgoers discover cheeses and sweets at the Portuguese booth.

The path to the goal of at least 200,000 Argentine tourists begins at FIT2025 and appears to be a conservative number, given the relatively untouched terrain for Portugal's tourism authorities, who are more familiar with Brazil in this region.

"It could be more than 200,000 because we truly believe that this is a market with which our cultural ties are already strong, encouraging Argentines to be interested in visiting Portugal," he admits.

Alongside Lídia Monteiro, the institution's coordinator for South America, Bernardo Barreiros Cardoso, is aiming for even bigger numbers.

"I want to reach one million Argentine tourists in Portugal within 10 years. That's a reasonable number, considering that Spain receives 2.5 million Argentines, right next door. It's a matter of working this market well," he believes.

New flights

The dates could be brought forward if Portuguese authorities can overcome the challenge of establishing a direct flight between Lisbon and Buenos Aires, which currently doesn't exist. All diplomatic efforts point to TAP.

"Yes, this is a major challenge, without a doubt. Whether this happens will depend on the volume of connectivity itself (flight frequency and aircraft capacity), but we must always consider that connectivity directly increases tourist flow by at least 25%. And we know that tourism has an indirect impact on the economy, stimulating other businesses," explains Lídia Monteiro.

The other alternative would be to get the state-owned Aerolíneas Argentinas to connect Buenos Aires to Lisbon, but the company is undergoing a profound internal restructuring, with a shortage of aircraft and even plans for privatization. When contacted by Lusa, Aerolíneas Argentinas president Fabián Lombardo ruled out the possibility of a direct flight for now.

This is Portugal's first time participating in the Latin American International Tourism Fair, bringing thirteen tourism companies (agencies, tour operators, and hotels), in addition to three regions of the country represented (Porto/Norte, Alentejo, and Central).

"As soon as we were chosen as the guest country, Portuguese companies showed great interest in the Argentine market. We are beginning a business relationship that represents a great challenge for these companies," observes Lídia Monteiro.