Travel cheap: The best vacation destinations in Latin America

Summer and vacations have many things in common. It is one of the most anticipated times for many of us and that not only means rest, but also fun in good company and the best time to travel to fantastic places around the world. Therefore, and thanks to its natural beauties, Latin America is always emerging as the quintessential tourist destination for its own and visitors.

With the blow caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, added to the economic crises that some regions are facing, travel and tourism are reactivating for a summer of 2022 that looks promising for many. Precisely, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) recently reported that a 60% increase in income is expected in everything related to tourism for Latin America and the Caribbean, a fairly high figure compared to 4% in 2021.

Also read: The Devaluation of the National Currency Is Increasing the External Debt in Latin America

It is even worth mentioning that this summer, tourist portals have seen an exponential increase in searches related to Latin America. The company Despegar made one of those analyses, giving results of up to 4,600% growth for countries like Argentina and Colombia, and 3,200% for Brazil. This, obviously, makes clear the intention of travelers to discover destinations beyond the typical ones such as the United States or Europe.

Mexico and Brazil, at the Forefront of Tourism

According to a study carried out by the Statista portal, Mexico and Brazil are the two countries that will receive the most visitors this summer. And it is that the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) of the Central American country estimates that for this holiday period more than 50 million tourists will travel throughout its territory, a growth of 14.5% compared to 2021 and that represents a recovery of 92.3% for the tourist industry.

Among the tourist destinations that will be more crowded in Mexico are Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, and Los Cabos, ideal places to enjoy summer on the shores of the beach. Also, Cuernavaca has buildings that stand out for their architecture such as squares, palaces and archaeological sites. While urban tourism will focus on Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

For its part, Brazil had to face a series of challenges in 2021 so that in the summer of this year they can more comfortably receive foreigners from all over. The Ministry of Tourism of that country was one of the few in Latin America that encouraged domestic tourism to reduce the damage caused by the pandemic and isolation, something that resulted in the possibility of maximizing the global visibility of the Brazilian territory for this holiday period.

In the Brazilian tourist destinations for excellence, there is never a lack of a beautiful beach like those of Rio de Janeiro and Búzios, perfect for surfing. For its part, Maceió offers the best natural pools and the popular Mercado do Artesanato with more than 250 craft stalls. While the Iguazú Falls, in Foz do Iguaçu, is the perfect place to get out of the beach routine and enjoy amazing landscapes.

Holidays in Times of Crisis

Although Argentina is experiencing one of the worst economic scenarios in recent decades, the holiday season aims to be of great help to those who live from tourism. Expectations are great due to the fact that activities will resume in full after the pandemic, but the economic crisis would be playing a trick on the Argentines themselves, who would find it difficult to move throughout the territory.

However, this devaluation is an advantage for foreigners who could take advantage of the exchange rate. In fact, according to the country's Ministry of Tourism, the three most demanded destinations have high levels of hotel occupancy: Ushuaia (94%), Bariloche (93%) and San Martín de los Andes (90%).

In turn, Colombia has aroused immense interest among tourists for this summer season, and according to the EFE portal, air reservations increased by 148% compared to 2021. Much of these falls on Medellín, whose Fiesta de Las Flores will attract all kinds of visitors for more than seven days, and that will be the perfect reason for Colombians from other regions to be encouraged to do internal tourism.

What is summer for some is winter for others. As in Argentina, Chile takes advantage of its high temperatures to welcome tourists looking to get away from the heat or avoid the crowded beaches. For this, the National Tourism Service (Sernatur) and the Association of Ski Centers of Chile (Aceski) are preparing ski activities in their different mountain ranges thanks to the Chilesquía initiative, which aims to bring Chileans and foreigners closer to experiences linked to snow and mountains.

Significant Advances

Two countries whose solid progress in the tourism sector may grow further this summer are Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, according to the UNWTO report. The Central American country had an increase of 71% in the first semester and hopes to continue that pace when foreigners visit the Tortuguero National Park, the Poás and Arenal volcanoes, the Monteverde Cloud Forest or its different beaches and bays.

Finally, the Caribbean nation is one of those that has best recovered from the pandemic crisis. Thanks to tourism, they have managed to recover their economy by almost 20%, a figure that for the UNWTO will continue to rise this summer. Here, in addition to the paradisiacal beaches of Punta Cana and the rich culture of Santo Domingo, the Samaná Peninsula can be highlighted with green, wild and mysterious landscapes.