Raise your hand if you’ve been daydreaming about a vacation away from home, ever since you got back to work after the Christmas holiday.
You can’t see it, but I’m raising my hand too.
If you’re looking to have a full-on experience that includes activities such as hiking, dancing and wine tasting, while also trying to avoid starving your wallet, know that Argentina has got your back.
The South American nation recently announced that all international tourists will get a refund of the Value Added Tax (VAT) from their hotel and lodgings stays, anywhere in the country. The initiative was a joint agreement between Argentina’s tax authority, AFIP, and the Ministry of Tourism, and not only does it apply to all forms of accommodations, it even covers any tax associated with breakfast services included in the cost of lodging.
Considering Argentina’s 21 percent VAT has been one of the highest in the world for years, the direct and automatic refund makes the destination much more appealing that it was before.
This means your trip will either include a whole lot of savings or the extra treat you’ve been daydreaming about.
“With this new initiative, we hope to encourage more visitors, which will, in turn, help boost jobs in the tourism industry,” said Argentina’s minister of tourism, Gustavo Santos, in an e-mail release. At a time where the value of the Argentinian peso has recently dropped and the unemployment rate stands at approximately 10 percent, this initiative brings a good dose of optimism to the country.
According to the officials’ forecasts, they’re expecting an additional 95,000 tourists this year, which is a considerable boost compared to the 5.74 million visitors in 2015. Those numbers would create 8,000 new jobs and favour the local economy by nearly AU$100 million.
It’s a win-win situation.
What’s even better is that the refund process doesn’t include any lengthy paperwork. All you have to do is prove that you live abroad by showing a valid passport or ID, and pay for your stay with a foreign credit card or via bank transfer from another country. Quick and easy.
So what are you waiting for? Grab your bags and go enjoy a bit of tango dancing, top notch BBQ and some fine Malbec. Doesn’t that sound like the ultimate vacation?