Eduardo Tuite is riding a wave, and he couldn’t be happier. Because he manages IVI Destination Management’s operations in South America, which has become one of the world’s hottest tourism and incentive travel destinations. He reports that tourism in Argentina has grown an astounding 80% during the past five years, and his city of Buenos Aires has ranked between 2nd and 4th on Travel & Leisure magazine’s list of the world’s top destinations for the past three years.

Mr. Tuite and the IVI teams in Argentina and Brazil have known about South America’s many attractions for years. Now they just are having more opportunities to help visitors enjoy the scenic beauty and varied attractions to their countries.

Eduardo was born in Venado Tuerto, Argentina, and earned a B.A. degree in economy at the University of San Andres. His professional career began in sales with Toyota, but he soon succumbed to the lure of owning his own business. He became the founder and owner of Friendly Visit, a DMC in Buenos Aires, and ran this enterprise for five years until partnering with IVI and becoming part of its network of destination management offices throughout the Americas.

Mr. Tuite is very active in his profession as a member of ADME, the Buenos Aires convention and visitors bureau, and Camara Argentina de Turismo. He also is pursuing the professional challenge of building IVI’s team in South America with the stated goal of growing a team that serves clients with passion, dedication, attitude and hard work.

Eduardo is married, and he and his wife Patricia have a young son, Simon. When he is not helping visitors experience Argentina’s scenic outdoors, the tango halls in Buenos Aires or the country’s world-class wine regions, he enjoys golf, tennis and reading. And as a native Argentine, he is almost required by law to cheer for his favorite soccer team, the Boca Juniors.

Personal Favorites

Local Attraction – The awesome glaciers in Patagonia, at the southern tip of Argentina. There are 356 of them in a national park, some of them gigantic. And it’s a never-ending “ice show.” You can watch ice blocks of different sizes separate from a glacier, fall with a roar into the water, and become wonderful floating icebergs.

Recreational Activity – I really enjoy playing soccer on a beach at Rio de Janiero. (Remember the “Girl from Ipanema” in the famous song? It’s a well-known place, but Ipanema Beach is just one of many super beaches there.)

Restaurant – Sottovoce has the best pasta in Buenos Aires. And while there are countless great places for Argentinian beef, La Brigadad is my favorite.

Local Tour – Visiting the famous Mendoza wine region. It’s a fantastically beautiful region, with scenic vineyards and charming wine towns. Wine tasting is a great experience at any time, and even better during the wine harvest.

Local Event – For colorful fun, Carnival at San Salvador de Bahia is hard to beat. I’m a tennis fan, so I also love the Davis Cup matches held in Argentina, Brazil and Chile.