THE Top 10 Trends, Market Movers& Headlines of 2011

10 U2’s Permanent Vacation in Argentina

Story: They came, they rocked, they never left. Bono and U2 bring the world’s top-grossing 360° Tour to Buenos Aires for 3 sold out shows in La Plata. The band loves Argentina so much, the Dublin quartet spend two full weeks in country. After the gigs, Bono and The Edge are spotted vineyard hopping and shopping in...where else...Mendoza.

Link: Under A Blood Red Malbec

Date: March/April 2011

9 Quaint Colonia Continues to Seduce

Story: Tiny Colonia del Sacramento slept silently across the river from BA for decades. Suddenly, a wave of foreign investment is transforming Colonia into Uruguay’s next major tourist destination. New condos, luxury resorts and golf courses are all in the works. The quick Buquebus ride to BA makes it a natural for the ideal porteño live:work commute.

Link: Working in BA, Living in Colonia

Date: January to December

8 San Rafael on the World Stage

Story: We fell in love with San Rafael, Mendoza during this year’s wine harvest. Exactly one month later Fortune Magazine and CNNMoney named this Mendoza gem one of the World’s Best Places to Retire. Pure coincidence, but the word is officially out on what will soon be one of the most sought after destinations in South America.

Link: San Rafael: Best Places to Retire

Date: June

7 Will A Perfect Storm Impact Punta?

Story: Will he or won’t he? That is the billion-dollar question that could severely impact the decades-long wave of Argentine real estate investment in Punta del Este. If President Mujica and Uruguay cave to external pressure and make tax information more readily available to Argentine authorities, look for more Argentina staycations in 2012.

Link: Perfect Storm for Punta del Este

Date: October to December

6 Condo-Hotels Booming in Argentina

Story: Luxury condo-hotels in Argentina and Uruguay continue to gain favor with foreign investors looking for their own income-producing pied-à-terre in the Southern Cone. We launched IncomeBA in May and both projects sold out within months. The next hotel is being built in Mendoza and new destinations are coming in 2012.

Link: Condo-Hotel Sales Are Booming

Date: January to December

5 Copa America Was A Total Bust

Story: Empty stadiums, bad weather, scoreless matches made the much hyped Copa America a complete bust, especially for host Argentina who played poorly and lost to eventual champions and InvestBA favorite, Uruguay. Two delicate flowers from Peru grab most of the headlines by dropping their tops for anyone with a camera and a pulse.

Link: Copa America Was A Total Bust

Date: July

4 One Word: China

Story: China’s love affair with both Argentina and Uruguay got serious in 2011. Financial Times began the year by labeling Argentina, “China’s Next Great Investment Frontier.” Then the Chinese backed it up bringing their 3-year DFI total up to US$15 billion in everything from soy to petrochemicals to mining and now major infrastructure loans.

Link: Chinese Investment in Argentina

Date: January to December

3 The Brazilians Keep Coming, Spending

Story: The French love Jerry Lewis, Germans love David Hasselhoff. Add to the list of universal truths, the Brazilians love Argentina. Buenos Aires reigns as the #1 preferred travel destination for our real-toting neighbors to the north, they love to ski in “Brasiloche” and now they are beginning to fall in love with Mendoza. Look for more sedução in 2012.

Link: Brazil’s Impact Felt Daily in ARG

Date: January to December

2 Puyehue & The Impact on Bariloche

Story: Definitely one of the hardest stories to swallow in 2011, especially when you consider the impact on the families, hotels, restaurants and travel operators who depend on tourism in southern gems like Bariloche, San Martín de los Andes & Villa La Angostura. Better days are ahead and we vow to do our part with more coverage of the region in 2012.

Link: Puyehue Volcano & Bariloche

Date: June to December

1 Argentina & Uruguay’s Tourism Boom

Story: The most important storyline of the year hands down for anyone who is long Argentina or Uruguay. If you are, go ahead and double down. 2011 saw record numbers of airline arrivals, cruise ship arrivals, foreign tourist arrivals & hotel bookings for the two countries with the highest Quality of Living scores in all of Latin America. 2012 will bring more of the same.

Link: Argentina, Uruguay Tourism

Date: January to December

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