A group of chambers of commerce in the interior of Neuquén faced the possibility of reactivating the Zapala airport in order to decentralize the arrival of tourists to the mountain area. from Caviahue to San Martín de los Andes which is now centralized in the city of Neuquén.
“Traveling here is tedious for a tourist. And we have the particularity in Neuquén that we have both summer and winter tourism, both very strong. That is why looking for an audience that can arrive by plane, from any part of the country or another place in the world, to Z“Apala and redirect to the tourist centers,” said the head of the Plottier chamber of commerce, Fernando Zurita.
He said that the idea is that a charter flight can be done as a test. They already discussed the topic with the head of the Neuquén airport and it turned out to be a good idea, although forAerolíneas Argentinas is not part of the game, so they will try to do it with other airlines.
Tourists heading to Caviahue or Pehuenia yqThose who arrive by plane must take the bus that passes through the airport and arrive at their destination after 5 or 6 more, it was diagnosed.
Those who use this service will receive discounts from businesses and service providers. Zurita, speaking to UNC CALF radio, said that he was also interested in the concessionaire of the Zapala free zone to combine cargo needs with tourism.
“A cargo airport is needed in the area and Zapala would be very strategic. lLogistically, an airport is needed in the interior, but with connectivity to Buenos Aires. And we also remember, for example, that Villa Pehuenia is 100 kilometers from Zapala and today it is the third tourist destination in the province,” he described.
“Today we are trying to make a charter, once a week, that a plane comes with tourists and takes cargo or brings cargo as well, and that tourist who comes with that ticket, with this coupon that they will have, they present it in any tourist place and they will have commercial discounts. From going to a ski center, to having an ice cream, to eating something somewhere, you will have a special discount,” he noted.
He clarified that it is an initiative that faced the commercial sector without state support and that will serve to measure, in some way, the entrepreneurial capacity that one of the sectors has.It is the most dynamic economy in the Province.
Less sales per unit
Since Father’s Day last year, Pl merchantsottier record that there was a decrease in units sold.
At the end of the year, an incentive was put in place with a raffle for 1 and a half million pesos in prizes with coupons from the merchants themselves.
There was a growth of the movement in the city, but in units they all sold 30, 35% less than in 2022. And in January the same thing happened.
The phenomenon, according to the vision of the chamber of commerce, is similar to other towns in the suburbs of the city of Neuquén where neighbors consume what is necessary and avoid expenses that could mean an increase in the level of debt.