On many occasions, the columns of this newspaper dealt with the great possibilities available to the Region to take advantage of the growing phenomenon of mini-tourism, noting that the three municipalities -La Plata, Berisso and Ensenada- should substantially improve their incoming services.
Now a great door has just been opened, when the dates of the FIFA World Cup in the Under-20 category, which will be held in our country and which defined the dispute of 18 games in the Single Stadium.
The event will begin on May 20 with the opening match, which will be played at the “Madre de Ciudades” stadium in Santiago del Estero and will end on Sunday June 11 at the Ciudad de La Plata.
The draw determined that 18 matches of a tournament will take place at the La Plata headquarters in which representative teams from America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania will participate, many of them with numerous communities based in our country or in neighboring countries.
It is also discounted that a championship of this importance will also convene the presence of tourists from many parts of the world, in addition to the massive arrival of international journalistic media. Of course, there will be live transmissions to all points on the planet and, likewise, the participation of businessmen linked to large companies in the tournament is discounted.
It is clear that La Plata and the neighboring municipalities should functionally coordinate receptive activities and programs, in order to fully develop the multiple attractions available to develop the tourist resource and, why not, to open alternatives to multiply its other potentialities.
It is an essential need to address and solve some aspects that conspire against the aesthetics of the City and that despite being so visible are ignored by the authorities.
The fronts of beautiful public buildings display graffiti that detracts from their splendor. It can be said that they are defaced, as is the case with the walls of many buildings. It is inconceivable that this situation cannot be overcome, although for this the authorities of the City and the Province must coordinate efforts.
Another aspect that must be taken into account is the poor state of the streets, which urgently need repairs and illegal commerce installed on the sidewalks of the central streets.
Of course, the communal authorities should have the advice of the numerous tour operators in the Region, who could contribute their knowledge on the subject.
It has been repeatedly said that our area has an excellent tourist heritage. It was also argued that, since the completion of the First Highway, and the electrification of the Roca, this resource should be used and not wasted. It can also be taken into account that in La Plata and the area the hotel capacity has substantially improved.
But the rapid arrival offered by the highway and the train, as well as the other existing advantages, of course require that the municipalities involved also comply with their basic obligations and guarantee better and more adequate maintenance of the main attractions, which should begin Yes, with adequate signs.
It is true that there are only a few weeks left for the start of the U-20 World Cup and, consequently, for the intense activity that will take place in the Estadio Único.
However, knowing that our area will receive thousands of visitors would require a special effort from the municipalities, aimed at improving the receptive structure and facilitating these presences, in addition to taking advantage of them to document -both experientially and through tourist documentation- the benefits and the numerous possibilities offered by the Region.
