A week before the meeting on October 6 at the Monumental, Rosario leads the growth of flights and two out of three bus inquiries are concentrated on the day before
Lionel Messi's farewell from the Argentine National Team has started to significantly drive demand for travel to Buenos Aires. A week before the match on October 6 at the Estadio Monumental, flight searches from Rosario increased by almost 5000% year-on-year, while inquiries for bus tickets to Retiro rose by 64% compared to the same date in 2025.
The surge is specifically concentrated around the match and does not reflect a general increase in travel to the capital. At Plataforma 10, searches for Retiro have only increased by 2% year-on-year overall, far from the 64% recorded for the two days leading up to the match.
A similar trend is seen in flights, which recorded a 122% increase in national searches for Buenos Aires, according to data from Despegar, although the behavior varies significantly depending on the city of origin. Rosario ranked well above the average, followed by Jujuy, which saw a 230% increase; San Rafael, Neuquén, and Salta, with 215%; and Tucumán, with 200%.
“When an event captures the attention of millions, it not only fills a stadium, it connects cities, mobilizes travelers, and generates an impact across the entire tourism ecosystem,” said Paula Cristi, general manager of Despegar for Argentina and Uruguay.
The announcement and ticket sales accelerated demand
The interest in traveling began to change as soon as the date of Messi's farewell match was confirmed. Since September 15, searches for buses to Retiro for October 5 and 6 have doubled on Plataforma 10, and the following day they grew another 70%, not returning to pre-announcement levels since then.
The peak was observed on September 22, when inquiries reached a volume 1400% higher than the average prior to the confirmation of the match. Two days later, the release of tickets for sale caused another jump, making September 24 the second day with the highest searches in the entire series, 30% above the previous day.
The ticket sales also accelerated the purchasing decision among those looking to travel by plane. Almundo initially recorded a growth of nearly 565% in the daily average of inquiries to reach Buenos Aires compared to the week before the announcement. Sales progressed at a slower pace in those first days, but since September 24, they increased by nearly 150%.
The difference between inquiries and purchases accompanied the process of organizing the trip, as the initial interest in knowing prices and availability intensified into sales once tickets for the match became available. In the case of buses, demand also showed a strong concentration on the eve of the match.
How much it costs to travel to Buenos Aires to see Messi
October 5 accounts for nearly two out of every three searches to Retiro for those dates, indicating that most travelers are looking to arrive in Buenos Aires just one day before the match. The price difference also depends on the city of origin.
Among the packages offered by Despegar for travel between October 4 and 7, a package from Rosario costs $447,528 per person and includes a direct round-trip flight and three nights of accommodation in a three-star hotel. From Salta, a similar option for the same dates amounts to $932,064 per person, with breakfast included.
For those traveling from Neuquén, the package reaches $1,265,465 per person. Prices reflect a phenomenon that extends beyond the cities with the highest passenger volume. Searches have increased from various points across the country, and there have also been inquiries from foreign tourists and travelers from neighboring countries, in a demand concentrated around a single event.
“According to the movements observed in agencies that are members of FACVE, there is high demand from cities like San Juan, Córdoba, and Rosario, as well as international tourists and those from neighboring countries in the region who want to witness Messi's last match in the Argentine National Team jersey,” analyzed Carlos Nuñez, executive director of the Argentine Forum of Consultants and Travel Companies (FACVE).
