Ushuaia, Argentina's southernmost city and a key hub for Antarctic cruises, is facing an uncertain future after being linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak. The 'end of the world' outpost, which attracts increasing numbers of tourists to see Magellanic penguins and humpback whales, now fears for its tourism-driven economy.
Argentina's Health Ministry is investigating whether the outbreak's first victims, a Dutch couple who died in April, contracted the rat-borne virus in Ushuaia before boarding their cruise ship. However, local authorities have dismissed the claims as a 'smear campaign,' and the ministry says it 'can't rule out any destination' visited by the couple during their monthslong road trip through Argentina and Chile.
Despite a lack of evidence linking the outbreak to Ushuaia, tourism operators report cancellations and concerns. 'This is a place we’ve tried to promote as being as far away as possible from all the world’s problems — war, racism, health problems, too,' said Julio Lovece, former tourism secretary of Ushuaia. 'There’s concern because our main attraction is clean and pure landscapes.'
Winter has left Ushuaia quiet, with only a trickle of Brazilian tourists. Vinícius Pezzini, 38, an investment banker from São Paulo on his honeymoon, said, 'We got a little worried this was something similar to COVID. But from what it seems, everything is functioning normally.'
Tour operators are already looking ahead to the high season, when deep-pocketed passengers plan summer cruises to Antarctica. Several travel agents said fears about the Andes variant of hantavirus have caused some Americans and Europeans to scrap cruise bookings for next season. 'We have seen a number of passengers canceling trips, but my main concern is not the cancellations but people who were thinking about going to Ushuaia but had two or three destinations to choose from and now may go to Southeast Asia or Africa,' said Ángel Brisighelli, owner of the Ushuaia-based Rumbo Sur travel agency.
Ushuaia relies on tourism for over 25% of its revenue, and 90% of Antarctic cruises depart from the city. Any drop in visitors can have ripple effects throughout the economy, said Patricio Cornejo, head of local travel agency Tierra del Fuego Aventura. 'Everything would exist in a different reality without the dynamism that tourism creates here.'
