The 2005-2015 decade was the golden era for tourism in Latin America. The number of Latin Americans began traveling tourism, within their country, in the region or to Europe, multiplied several times. Economic growth and increased air links, and lowering ticket prices, has led to a change in the social perception of tourism that went from being a luxury to a habit in emerging middle classes.
Igor Galo Anza, director of Communication at IE Business School points out that not coincidentally tourists in the region, as Brazilians, Peruvians, Colombians and Mexicans, were regarded as VIPs customers in Europe or Miami. Many spent in leisure and shopping. They have been years of wine and roses, however, they have come to an end by the fall of most of the regional currencies against the Euro. Are we witnessing a fall in passenger numbers?
Experience in other markets such as Europe, says no. The number of travelers usually hold up well in the crisis, although the consumption profile change. Traveling as "new rich" no expense spared, to "careful" or "low cost" traveler will happen than usual in Europe, one of the continents with more tourists. With crises like traveling, but the cost is regarded more than ever.
The profile of the regional tourist walk towards an increasingly rapid transformation in this direction in the coming quarters. The goal is to keep traveling, but with the budget adjusted to reality.
1. Traveling glued to the phone. Smartphones can be a great ally for travelers both its usefulness and its potential to save money. Uptodown offer platforms like apps that serve as tour guides (free), free Wi-Fi signals to locate, or to compare prices. Information is power, and power is savings.
2. Preparation 100% online. The crisis ended with most of physical travel agencies in Europe, where the business moves and online by offering better services and more competitive prices for users. And in the world of online Turiso the metasearch engines like Kayak Trabber.com or offer price comparisons to find the best option for each trip.
3. Hunters offers. It is a new profile, common in Europe, for which the destination is decided based on offers at a time and not the reverse. Traditionally a destination is selected and then comparing prices. Some online tools provide this information at all times as Trabber that allows real-time query the cheapest deals for travel, with no set destination, from a city.
4. Rise of collaborative tourism. Platforms like Airbnb or sharing trip in Europe (which allows travel throughout the continent sharing private car at very low prices) will allow travelers (especially the younger ones) cover more destinations for less money. In Europe they work very well and are safe.
5. Tourists careful with purchases. Only a small part of shopping travelers, those who do mainly for shopping, demanding the return of their taxes in times of fat cows.
But the increase in the dollar and the euro makes it now more than ever worthwhile information that countries offer the possibility to recover VAT on expenses incurred abroad. Most European countries offer 10-15% back on purchases (clothing, perfumes, electronics, etc ..)