Mar del Plata in full swing: record number of visits, less expenses

The beaches were crowded with people last weekend / Photo: Télam

With a start to the season that far exceeded what happened in previous years, national tourism is going through one of its best moments. Since the last days of December, vacationers began to move to the different locations on the Atlantic coast that at times exceeded 90% hotel occupancy. But within this good present there was a city that became one of the most chosen destinations by Argentines and it was Mar del Plata.

With hotel capacity about to reach 90% occupancy, businessmen linked to tourism assured that a season of these characteristics had not been seen since the 1980s and 1990s. It is that during the first half of January a total of 696,104 tourists arrived in the city, a number that in addition to exceeding by 9.2% what happened in 2022, also broke the record of visits registered by the Municipal Entity of Tourism (EMT).

Faced with this promising panorama, the authorities in the matter expect the number of vacationers to continue to grow during the last week of January, for which reason the EMT asked the owners of real estate, lodgings, and hotels to communicate their availability and, if desired, offer their properties for rent make their offer official because the city “is full”.

In this context, from the Association of Public Brokers and Brokers, they detailed that the extra-hotel occupancy, that is, that referred to private houses, apartments and chalets, also has a high demand rate and in the last weekend the occupancy was 90%

Holidays with savings

Beyond this auspicious present, local merchants noticed that the similarity with those glorious seasons only has to do with the flow of tourists and not with the style of vacation they used to do.

That is why it can be conjectured that so far in 2023 the “gasoline” vacations prevailed, in which vacationers reduced their expenses to the minimum, avoiding the most expensive plans and outings from the city.

Those who spend every summer in “La Feliz”, assure that tourists are no longer seen studying the billboards of the theaters on Avenida Luro to define which shows they would attend during their stay in the city, as if it happened in other times. The same scene is repeated in the Roxy gallery, a mecca for independent theater. In any case, theater lovers who want to go despite everything, can do so while taking care of their pockets by taking advantage of promotions, discounts and 2×1.

The key that vacationers seek to avoid spending too much is to stick to the budget they manage daily in their home cities. For that, those who stay in apartments or houses choose to cook there and thus avoid going out to bars and restaurants.

But what happens on beach days? There the expense is inevitable, although the most cautious take portable refrigerators full of sandwiches, fruit and drinks, avoiding being tempted by the offer of street vendors is very difficult.

The prices of typical beach meals vary depending on the resort and the service. For example, if you buy in the stalls located on the boulevard in front of Bristol, the super hot dogs cost $400, the hamburgers with lettuce and tomato range between $800 and $1,000 and the milanesas sandwiches between $1,000 and $1,200. Now if you wait for the street vendors who bring the same food to the coast, everything increases by about $100.

Hostels

For those looking to treat themselves and get out of savings mode, the gastronomic establishments in the inns on the beach are the indicated option. In that sense, Helena Beach is located on the southern beaches, where diners can enjoy a plate of squid rings for $2,800 and if they wish for $800 they can accompany it with a portion of French fries.

The menu also has hamburgers for $1,700, grilled chicken for $1,800, and full tenderloin for $2,200. In addition to pizzas that cost $1,400 for mozzarella, $1,800 for Neapolitan and $2,400 for arugula and raw ham.

In another of the restaurants in the same complex you can access a more elaborate offer where the star dish is the prawn brochette and smoked bacon accompanied with bravas potatoes ($3,700), while another option is the catch of the day with vegetables which is $3,000.