In 2010, over 5.2 million international tourists visited Argentina and spent approximately US$4.8 million. In short, tourism is big business for Argentina’s economy and is very important for its people. Colonia Carlos Pellegrini and Puerto Iguazú are two communities that have been heavily affected by tourism and are also forced to deal with various challenges that arise from tourism.
With the exception of 2009, over one million tourists a year have visited the Iguazú Waterfalls since 2007. In the city of Puerto Iguazú the growth of tourism caused the population to more than double in a decade, from 32,000 in the year 2000 to nearly 70,000 in 2011, as people flocked to the city in search of work. This in turn has led to a number of serious problems including high unemployment, a large uneducated workforce and infrastructure issues.
The town of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini has only been developing its tourist trade since 1997. With a population of 881 residents, Colonia Carlos Pellegrini has seen the growth of “mass†tourism in Puerto Iguazú and has decided that they do not desire to become a big tourist draw. Colonia Carlos Pellegrini has done its best to try and limit its tourist industry to those who are particularly interested in viewing spectacular flora and fauna. They have been assisted in this, until recently, by 120 kilometers of poor road that a visitor had to travel to arrive at the town. Thus, tourists had to really want to visit the Esteros del Iberá – no one arrives there by accident. While tourist numbers have nearly quadrupled between 2002 and today to approximately 20,000 people, this is far fewer visitors than there could be if Colonia Carlos Pellegrini made some of the same choices that Puerto Iguazú made regarding hotels and tour guides. Nonetheless, the town faces a number of infrastructure and other issues that must be addressed quickly, lest they suffer the same fate as Puerto Iguazú.