Alberto Gutiérrez is the founder and CEO of Civitatis, the Spanish platform for guided tours and excursions in Spanish that started as a personal project for travel guides and today is a global reference in experience tourism. An tireless traveler, in recent years he added something that very few people can claim: a flight into space on a Blue Origin mission.
Visiting Buenos Aires for the International Tourism Fair (FIT), Gutiérrez spoke about the origins of Civitatis, the data from his new barometer on experience tourism, what Argentine tourists are looking for, and what excursions those visiting the country choose. He also analyzed Argentina and Latin America's place on the world tourism map, explained why FIT is one of his favorite fairs, and reviewed his experience outside of Earth and his next big trip: Antarctica.
The origins of Civitatis: selling what no one else sold
Gutiérrez claims that the company's growth was "very organic." It all started when he was writing travel content on his own sites like DisfrutaVenecia.com and DisfrutaPraga.com. Once those guides began to generate traffic, he went out to find suppliers to offer services that were not available anywhere else.
The case of Prague sums it all up: "When I started selling in Prague, there was no one online selling guided tours in Spanish." The first guide was a Chilean Spanish teacher looking for a second job in the Czech capital. "He started doing tours in Spanish and I started selling them," he recalls.
Until then, hiring a guide meant arriving at the hotel and relying on the concierge. Civitatis' proposal was to book online, in the traveler's language, and later, with reviews from other users. According to Gutiérrez, the key was to think of the business "as a traveler rather than as a company," focusing on Spanish and low prices. The result: growth based on word of mouth, to the point that "in the first ten years, zero was spent on advertising."
The experience tourism barometer: online bookings skyrocketed
Regarding the new Civitatis barometer, the CEO admitted that the preference for experiences was already known, especially since the pandemic. What he did highlight was the leap in online bookings: since 2019, when it hovered around 19%, it has surpassed 30%, a change he attributes in part to the habits left by COVID.
Another piece of data from the report: Argentines are, after Brazilians, the ones who travel most frequently. "To be honest, I wasn't surprised," he admitted, "but it's good to have it written down."
What the Argentine tourist is like
For Gutiérrez, the Argentine traveler is consistent. "Since the project started, Argentines have been our second market," he explained, adding that they continued to travel despite recurring crises.
When asked about changes in their preferences, he was direct: he doesn't see major transformations. Although trends appear, such as wine tourism or nature tourism, the major capitals still dominate. "Whoever goes to Venice wants to ride a gondola, and whoever goes to Paris wants to go up the Eiffel Tower. The things that worked on day one still work today," he stated.
What excursions travelers choose in Argentina
The same logic applies to those visiting the country. In Buenos Aires, the best sellers are guided tours, tango shows, and excursions to Tigre and Colonia del Sacramento. El Calafate appears as the second most important destination, with boat rides and trekking on the glacier as favorites.
The only oddity he mentioned was the private excursion to Iguazú from Buenos Aires, a very expensive tour that, to his surprise, sells relatively well. Even so, he put it in perspective: its volume is minimal compared to any guided tour. "What works is the usual stuff," he summarized.
Argentina and Latin America on the world tourism map
The CEO of Civitatis believes that the region is growing: he noted that tourism to Argentina is up 6% this year, following a record year. However, he warned that the volume of travelers remains low compared to Mexico, the United States, or European destinations.
In Spain, he said, Argentina is a "very aspirational" destination, but with two brakes: the price, especially of flights, and the perception that it takes a lot of time to explore. "It's not like going to Rome, where you can go for a day or three and go every year. This needs to be planned more," he explained.
Why Civitatis returns to FIT every year
Gutiérrez shared that FIT is one of the fairs he enjoys the most, although he generally attends few. More than attracting new suppliers or agencies, for him the goal is to maintain relationships year after year. "I feel at home here," he stated, describing meetings with suppliers and agencies as "meetings of friends." From a business perspective, he highlighted that the fair allows him to see all collaborators in just two days.
As is customary, he takes the opportunity to explore a new corner of the country: after Iguazú and the northwest (Salta and Jujuy), this time he chose El Calafate and El Chaltén to see the Perito Moreno.
The space trip with Blue Origin
Regarding his flight with Blue Origin, Gutiérrez acknowledged that he is still processing what he experienced: "There are so many new sensations in just 10 minutes that you need time to assimilate it." What he remembers most are the G-forces during acceleration, which left him breathless.
He was also struck by the colors: the infinite black of space, the blue of the atmosphere, and the brown of the Earth, tones that, according to him, cannot be accurately represented. "It's like being inside some artificial intelligence," he described. And he concluded: "I would do it every day if I could."
Antarctica, the next extreme trip
Far from considering his list complete, the CEO of Civitatis already has his next destination: in January, he will travel for a week to Antarctica to reach the South Pole and visit a colony of emperor penguins. Although he will do it "in quite a luxurious way," he believes it will be more extreme than the space flight. "In the end, it's 100% technology, and I trust technology 100%," he explained.
The goal: to get Argentina back to the top 2
To close, Gutiérrez left a business-focused message: Argentina was Civitatis' second market last year, but this year Mexico surpassed it. "We are here to get it back into the top 2," he concluded.
