The numbers confirm that the city of Puerto Iguazú, birthplace of the Iguazú Falls – one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in the world – continues to consolidate itself as one of the main tourist centers of the country.
The 74% occupancy rate reflects a steady flow of visitors throughout the winter break, sustained by both national and international tourism. Added to this is the performance of the Iguazú National Park, which recorded a daily average of more than 5,000 admissions, concluding the month of July with a total of 166,266 visitors. And thus ratifying its place as the central attraction of the destination and one of the most visited in Argentina.
This behavior accounts for a sustained demand, in line with the destination’s ability to combine nature, hotel infrastructure and a service offer that continues to expand.
The Global effect: a restated impact
One of the factors that was closely monitored during the season was the dispute of the World Cup, an event that historically reconfigures the consumption and travel habits of Argentines, focusing attention on sports broadcasts and, in some cases, postponing travel decisions.
Although there was a slight retraction in demand during the match days of the Argentine National Team, the impact was narrow and did not change the general trend of the season. The operators of the sector highlighted that the fall was minimal and punctual, and that the flow of visitors quickly resumed its usual rhythm once the matches were over.
“The results of this season reaffirm Iguazú as a reference destination inside and outside the region, with a demand that remains firm even in the face of global-scale events that compete for the attention and free time of travelers. The local tourism sector agrees that these indicators are an encouraging starting point for the coming seasons,” said the president of Iturem, Leopoldo Lucas.
Iguazú River flood prevention
On the other hand, in this context of high tourist influx, and based on the meteorological projections associated with the El Niño phenomenon (ENOS), advances were made in preventive measures to protect the infrastructure of the Cataratas area, prioritizing the safety standards for visitors and the work teams of the companies providing tourist services.
Within the framework of a joint action for the integral management of risk, the concessionaire company Iguazú Argentina S.A. requested the National Parks Administration for authorization to initiate the preventive folding of the walkways of the Garganta del Diablo Circuit.
The decision is based on the forecasts and technical analyzes that anticipate floods of the Iguazú River in the coming months. In that sense, the companies in charge of the climatic and hydrological monitoring of the river system in the Brazil basin agreed to point out that during September and October high flows are expected, with the potential to generate extraordinary floods that could affect the infrastructure of that sector.
In this context, the Iguazú National Park will close from this Monday, August 3, the access to the Garganta del Diablo circuit for 40 days as a preventive measure against the floods of the Iguazú River that are expected due to the intensification of the El Niño phenomenon. During that period, the metal walkways will be dismantled to protect the infrastructure and avoid damage such as those recorded in 2023. The decision was announced by the Naciones Parks Administration (APN) and the concessionaire company Iguazú Argentina S.A.
These preventive actions are part of an early planning strategy that seeks to preserve one of the main attractions of the destination, minimize risks and ensure that, once the period of greatest flow has passed, the facilities can be restored in optimal conditions to continue offering a safe and quality experience to visitors.