Reflection on the development of tourism in Formosa
🖋 All countries, but especially those with populations living in poverty and lacking quality employment, have an obligation to professionally manage its resources in order to offer the best possible create jobs e income in the form of sustainable.
Formosa is a province with a very interesting location for the tourismParaguay: has almost 900km of border with Paraguay, including the capital of that country which is only one bridge away from this province and the capital Formosa which is only 370 km away from the Brazilian city of Foz de Iguazú.
In addition, this province has a natural tourist resource "El Bañado La Estrella which, if well managed, could be very attractive for a national and, above all, international segment that seeks to unique nature experiencesThe region's birdwatching community, which includes a considerably affluent segment of fans of tourist experiences in regions such as this, but demands a minimum and acceptable degree of comfort.
🎯 The team of Country Plan Argentina Tourism toured a large part of the province of Formosa and was in this, its main tourist resort, to see that it is in a very good state. total state of abandonment and without the minimum amenities to attract, transport, house, feed, recreate, provide and, in short, minimally satisfy international and most domestic tourists.
To get there we follow the directions given in the brochures of the provincial ministry of tourism.
We travelled 300 km on the road to Las Lomitas and there we took the dirt road 32, which is in bad condition, with wells, very dry earth and therefore a lot of dust raised by the cars and a lot of loose animals that make it dangerous. After 70 km on this road, we arrive at Fortín La Soledad.
⚠️ This locality does not have a single accommodation registered with Booking and not a single room registered in Airbnb.
A few minutes from there, the path ends in a very precarious place, with no visitor centre or interpretation centre, no restaurant, bar, toilets, kiosk or facilities for people with mobility disabilities, in short, there is nothing except some shifting boards on the mud that serve as an unstable jetty for boarding flimsy canoes made of worn fibreglass (when sailing you could feel the semi-submerged trunks lifting the floor).
The walk was majestic from two points of view: the nature i.e. the extraordinary and exceptional landscape, the quantity and variety of birds, and at the same time the hospitality, empathy and quality information that the local guides provide with their personal effort and their very limited resources.
👎🏼 The minimal infrastructure and services in the surrounding area are non-existent, access is exhausting and this, coupled with the lack of hotels, makes it unattractive to locals, let alone foreigners.
As it is, it is very difficult to think of anyone to recommend it to.
✍🏼 Summary: In contrast to all that we found incredible, on a natural and human level, the government's ineptitude and lack of action in the face of the spectacular that nature offers as its greatest tourist resource became very clear to us.
That awareness was strengthened when we learned that there is a large operational military airport in Las Lomitas and that Formosa has a ministry of tourism!
*****
💭 Now imagine what would happen if resources were managed that Formosa already has with serious planning and a desire to create jobs and attract foreign exchange:
✈️ On Formosa there would be at least a couple of small propeller planes for 12 to 20 passengers, of which there are hundreds for tourism in Africa and Australia.
On Saturday mid-morning we would go to Formosa airport, 4.2 km away from the best hotel in the city, take a very short air taxi and in less than an hour we would land in Las Lomitas.
The flight would be shared, for example, with a médico🧑🏻⚕️ carrying medical supplies to attend to an emergency at Fortín La Soledad, two European birdwatchers and a Japanese couple.
The four of us would leave early in the morning, on the same plane, from Puerto Iguazú (360 km away) after two days at the falls. The Europeans would fly to Formosa to stay two days touring the wetlands, the Japanese only until Sunday and the four would stay in the same boutique hotel as us.
On Sunday the Japanese would fly 460km on this same airtaxi line to Jujuy, where the airtaxi flies every other day, and the Europeans on Monday to equidistant Salta.
🚐 At the airport in Las Lomitas a van would have been waiting for us to take us on a tarmac road to the village of Fortín La Soledad (which in this imaginary future would not be so lonely).
There, we would have checked in at the lodge located on the banks of the marsh, they would have told us that they had already booked our canoe trip at 17hs to return at sunset, and immediately guided us on a short walk along the marsh to the Integral Visitor Centre (CIV).
There we would find different options for lunch and we would have a few hours free to do whatever activity we liked until 17:00, the time to embark at the VIC dock.
Those in a hurry to get active would choose the fast food restaurant and others would sit on the deck of the gourmet restaurant offering more elaborate dishes made with local ingredients.
At the end of lunch, one of us would ask the chef what is the ingredient that gives it that special taste and he would indicate the name and say that in the gift shop in the centre you can get it packed in different sizes by the local family that supplies the restaurant.
👨👩👧👦 Then, everyone would choose some of the activities that could be done in or from the visitor centre: multimedia museum to learn about the flora and fauna; watch a film to understand the origins and history of the wetland; watch another film filmed with underwater cameras to understand what goes on underwater; sit in a deck chair for a drink or go up to the first floor viewpoint and contemplate the landscape listening to the birds; browse the gift shop to buy souvenirs, provisions, local ingredients, regional items, photo and interpretation books written by local specialists, sun hats and caps, sunscreen, etc.A hot air balloon ride, a guided walk or bike ride along the marshland or, for those who prefer or need it, a walk back to the hotel to rest or work until 16:45.
At 5 p.m. we would get into very firm and comfortable canoes inside, but whose exterior has a façade that resembles the wooden canoes of the aborigines; we would travel along the marsh until sunset and return to the hotel where they would be waiting for us with comfortable beds around a fire and some cold beers.
For those who would like to sign up, at 11 p.m., after dinner there is a canoe trip from the VIC dock, to tour the marshes and listen to the birds by starlight or moonlight (if there is any) and at 6 a.m. there is another trip at dawn.
At 9 o'clock we would have breakfast on the terrace of the lodge, overlooking the marshlands, and at 10 o'clock our vehicle would leave to take us and the Japanese to the airport in Las Lomitas.
We would arrive back in Formosa at 12:00 to catch our plane to Buenos Aires and the Japanese would arrive at 12:30 in Jujuy for lunch.
We spent almost nothing on the trip and arrived back in Formosa at midnight on Saturday, after an exhausting day.
Practically zero resources for the province and for its inhabitants.
At our proposal would provide quality employment for some 40 families. in Las Lomitas and Fortín La Soledad and foreigners would be happy to have avoided flying Iguazú - Buenos Aires - Formosa - Buenos Aires - Salta, 4000 km and their long waits at airports.
We would all upload countless photos to our social networks and recommend Formosa to our local and foreign acquaintances in a virtuous chain of prosperity.
📌 Tourism is one of the 5 pillars which proposes Plan País Argentina for the growth y development federal of our homeland together with Bioeconomy, Energy, Mining y Knowledge Economy.
Let's develop our country to the last corner! 🙌🏼
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