The improvement in the business climate is not the same for everyone
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The survey of the Travel Agency with more than half a thousand businessmen and officials of the sector reveals an improvement in the mood of the activity. But the average hides the weakest 2017 assessments and the weakest expectations for 2018 from receptive operators. A remarkable contrast to the euphoria of those who depend on the emissive. What unites everyone on the same front is the claim against the fiscal backpack and the low profitability.
The survey of more than 1,000 people involved in the actual activity was carried out by the La Agencia de Viajes on the occasion of its 29th Anniversary. is a valuable contribution to measuring the sectoral mood already fulfilled halfway through the mandate of Cambiemos.
A superficial glance at the family photo shows 57% more smiles than last year when it comes to evaluating 2016 (46%). Almost half of them even believes that 2018 will be a little bit or a lot better. But one can fall into a mirage if one tries to define on this basis the events and expectations of the various segments of action, since it is known that "on average the dwarves drown". And the en-survey of La Agencia de Viajes shows just how heterogeneous the results of the last two years have been, of clearly there are winners and losers.
THE PRISMS OF 2017.
The glass of 2017 shines brighter than that of the opaque 2016. In fact, under the uniform light of the 540 respondents, the results for 2017 for companies/destinations are positive for May.
· 46% rated it as a good year and 11% as very good. In average, 31% defined it as regular and only one in 10 said it was a bad cycle (for 2% it was directly very bad). That average is very similar to that of the 275 retail agencies that responded to the call, of which 56% raised their thumbs the year they left.
Of course, the light that reflects the prism of 2017 is very different when it is subjected to the point of view of an entrepreneur working in the emitting segment than when it is made receptive.
· To graph it out, 68% of the receptive tour operators rated 2017 as bad and only 3 each rated it as good or very good. On the other hand, for the thirty organizations, representations and/or hotels of foreign destinations that participated in the survey, the year had its own light: 40% said it was very good (only 3% of the national hotels and incoming operators received the same rating) and 33% good.
No one can be surprised by such a contrast in smoke if we consider that in the last eight years the departure of Argentines abroad via Ezeiza and Aeroparque has increased by 96%, while the arrivals of foreigners have increased with the handbrake on.
HALF FULL
When measuring the confidence indiators in 2018, there is moderate optimism in all segments: 38% believe it will be a little better than in the past and 9% are encouraged to predict a much better one. Thirty-eight percent of them are confident that it will remain stable and 14 percent believe it will be even worse than 2017.
Once again, the general data does not precisely define the mood of the actors, but it is with the analysis of each segment that the spirit is trans-parented.
· In this sense, history repeats itself: the most somber humour comes from those who work in receptive tourism. For example, half of all incoming operators expect the situation to be neutral (35%) or worse (12%), while only 3% of agencies, representatives and/or hotels in foreign destinations expect a decline compared to 2017 (23% believe it will improve a lot and 30% a little).
NATIONAL LIVES
But not everything is yin-yang between emissive and receptive. The recovery of internal tourism in 2017 (which surpassed the record number of travellers and overnight stays in 2011) was evident in the minds of workers and service providers in domestic destinations. Not only because more of the mi-tad rated last year as good or very good, but also because they are among the most optimistic for 2018. Six out of 10 lenders and half of the hotels believe there will be an improvement in their business.
IT'S THE TAXES, STUPID.
Former President Bill Clinton's reversed phrase applies well to understanding that, above all other problems, the biggest concern of tourism entrepreneurs is taxes.
For more than 70% of the 275 retail travel agencies, internal costs and its sister, the physical backpack, is one of the two main ghosts of business. In fact, for 43% the principal. Of all things, it should not be disregarded that for 3 out of 10 agencies the number one concern is the fall in consumption from the competition of foreign websites or direct sales. Both of these are also reflected in tour operators.
But where the problem of the tax burden and the fall in profitability enjoy a monopoly among all the pro-blematics is in those who work in the destinations.
· For 66%, this is the main issue to be resolved by the authorities, while for the suppliers it reveals six out of ten.
In the case of national public organisms, the main risk is the fall in consumption (59%), while for more than a few hotels and representatives of foreign destinations, the fear is the country's exchange rate and economic volatility.
