A 'very complicated' cocktail buried coast tourism and consumption during the long holiday weekend

The long holiday weekend offered little relief for businesses along Argentina's Atlantic coast, continuing a trend of poor performance that has plagued the tourism sector throughout the year. Hoteliers and restaurateurs report critically low occupancy rates, with some establishments seeing less than 50% of rooms filled. Restaurants, usually a draw for visitors, were notably sparse with diners.

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The last few holidays were very weak and accommodation occupancy has not exceeded 50%.

This lack of activity has direct economic consequences. According to the Union of Hotel and Gastronomic Workers (Uthgra) in Mar del Plata, around 40 establishments have closed or announced closures in the past two months, resulting in the loss of approximately 400 jobs. Business owners cite rising expenses coupled with a severe drop in tourist numbers as the primary reasons for their struggles.

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In the last two months, 40 establishments have closed or announced their closure, with the loss of about 400 jobs.

The situation is a stark contrast to previous years, where long weekends often provided a much-needed boost before the winter vacation period. While Carnaval offered a brief peak, Easter saw a decline from historical numbers, and this latest holiday period has been described by the Argentine Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (CAME) as the "least active of the year" nationwide. Even improved weather on the final day did little more than attract local visitors for day trips, failing to significantly impact the overall economic downturn.

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Between Sunday and this Monday, with better weather, we worked a little more and it has to do with people from the area who come, walk around, eat something tasty and go back the same day.