Papal tourism: Leo’s visit generated more than US$88 million

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina sparked a tourism boom, with millions of people traveling to the main sites of the religious celebrations.

The impact extended from Buenos Aires City, Córdoba, and Luján, boosting lodging, restaurant, transportation, and retail sectors, according to the Argentine Confederation of Medium-Sized Enterprises (in Spanish, CAME).

Initial figures show that the economic impact exceeded US$88 million in Buenos Aires City, while hotel occupancy in Luján is estimated to have reached around 90%, compared to 60% in Córdoba.

The largest crowds during the religious celebrations gathered in Buenos Aires City and Buenos Aires Province. More than 2.5 million people are estimated to have attended the mass at the Monumento a los Españoles, while Luján welcomed more than 3.5 million faithful on Wednesday in front of its iconic basilica, where thousands of people make an annual pilgrimage from different parts of the country to pray to the Virgin Mary for her blessings.

Domestic tourists and international visitors The Buenos Aires City Tourism Board estimated that 1.24 million visitors arrived between November 6 and 10. Of that total, 242,000 were overnight visitors, including approximately 165,000 domestic tourists and 77,000 international visitors, while nearly one million were day-trippers.

The celebration at the Argentine Aircraft Factory (FAdeA) site in Córdoba drew more than 650,000 people on November 10, according to figures released by the Vatican. 

Hotel occupancy in the provincial capital stood at around 60%, although some establishments, particularly high-end hotels, reached full capacity. Meanwhile, accommodation searches in Córdoba and Alta Gracia on Airbnb increased by more than 400% year over year.

Luján, meanwhile, received an estimated 3.5 million faithful for the mass held on Wednesday, November 11. Before the celebration, hotel occupancy had already exceeded 90%, while accommodation searches on Booking rose by more than 1,800% y-o-y. Airbnb searches increased by more than 500%.

A significant share of this tourism activity was not necessarily reflected in hotel industry statistics. Same-day round trips, short stays, and travel to the religious celebrations also boosted transportation, restaurant spending, and retail consumption.

In Entre Ríos, traffic through the subfluvial tunnel that connects the province with Santa Fe — the route to Buenos Aires or Córdoba — doubled its usual level. Between midnight and 1 p.m. on Saturday, 4,200 vehicles entered the province, compared with the usual 2,000.

To accommodate travelers heading to Luján, the Sarmiento railway line added 42 special trains departing from Moreno between Tuesday and the early hours of Wednesday. Services on seven metropolitan railway lines were also increased. Organizers distributed 24,000 SUBE transit cards, providing free rides for volunteers, and arranged buses to transport approximately 4,000 people from Buenos Aires City.

With information from Ambito.