Skiing at the end of the world: Southern Argentina has become a real option for northern tourists who want to go skiing on their summer vacation

Latin CEO: Executive Strategies for the Americas, June, 2001 by Cynthia Plohn

WHEN ONE THINKS OF WORLD CLASS skiing, it is the Alps, the Rockies or even the Pyrennes which come to mind. But the buzz these days is about the Andes and the skiing centers of southern Argentina, which have become in recent years comparable to the finest facilities in the United States and Europe.

Thanks to the Secretariat of Tourism of Argentina, which has developed the "Argentina is Better" program, the slopes of Argentina's south have been attracting more upper- and upper-middle class people who are keen on the sport. These people not only go skiing when it is winter in their countries, but also travel to New Zealand or Australia in summer. But that is because they are unaware of the first-rate skiing centers in South America, says Argentine Secretariat of Tourism spokesman Juan Pablo Reynal.

"At present Argentina has only between 5 and 7 percent" of the global skiing market in the summer months, says Reynal. "We intend to capture between 25 and 30 percent of the market in two years."

In order to lure skiers south, the Secretariat is launching a marketing campaign that combines the state's efforts with those of the country's main ski resorts. In addition to visiting the principal ski fairs in the US, the government has also set up a call center to offer a direct sale service. In the end, however, the biggest lure will be the destinations themselves, especially Las Lenas Valley and Bariloche.

LAS LENAS

Las Lenas Valley - whose name comes from a common local shrub - is one of the most exclusive ski areas in Argentina. The vast, 228,000-hectare resort, which opened in 1983, is located in Mendoza. The valley is surrounded by the Andes mountain chain, providing stunning views for tourists - including the breathtaking Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas. Here, the average temperature in the Southern Cone's winter (July through September, summertime for Europe, Mexico and the US) is minus 3 to 12 degrees centigrade.

Las Lenas is the nearest major ski center to Buenos Aires, a mere one-hour flight - or a 12-hour ride by car or bus. This year the season starts on June 15 and continues until October 14. In high season, a dozen lifts hoist as many as 10,000 skiers an hour to the top of 40 ski runs, divided according to difficulty.

Passes cost about US$30 a day and there is a ski school for beginners, staffed with 100 instructors from Argentina, the US, Canada, Austria, Spain, France and Switzerland, where group, individual, snowboard or cross-country ski lessons can be taken. Apart from using the tracks, both children and adults can enjoy a huge snow slide known as the tubing park.

"Most of our tourists are Argentines, Brazilians, Italians and Americans," explains Patricio Morche, Las Lenas' commercial manager. "In addition, international ski teams come to train here when it is summer time in their countries because of the good geographic conditions, good facilities, the region's best tracks and many off-track ski hectares for expert skiers."

Tourists who don't want to carry their ski or snowboard suits for reasons of security or inconvenience may rent them in Las Lenas. There are 2,000 alpine ski suits all of the sizes, and 400 snowboard suits for rent. Prices range from US$120 to US$200 per week, depending on season and size.

WHERE TO STAY

As for accommodations, tourists can choose anything from five-star hotels (a bit less formal than usual) to apart-hotels, with rates from US$600 to US$1,800 per week, depending on hotel, room size and season.

Piscis, which opened in 1987, is the most exclusive hotel, located at the foot of the Venus track near the commercial downtown area. It is a favorite among Argentine actors and show business types who vacation one or two weeks a year at Las Lenas. The hotel has 99 simple but very comfortable rooms with views of the Andes mountains. Eight of the rooms are suites and 44 have terraces.

Among its other facilities, Piscis has a heated, open-air pool as well as a popular lodge where skiers gather to relax, socialize, and drink hot chocolate and warm wine, which is served every afternoon. There is also a Jacuzzi, a sauna and a massage room - along with a beauty parlor and a small casino which opens at night.

Escorpio, also located at the foot of the Venus track, is a smaller four-star hotel, but every bit as comfortable as the Piscis. It has 47 rooms, a terrace, a solarium, direct access to several ski runs and services that are similar to those offered at the Piscis.

Among the three-star hotels are the Acuario, the Geminis, and the Aries, where the rooms are smaller than the previous two hotels mentioned but the service is still fairly good. There are also four apart-hotels in the Valley: the Esparta and the Atenas, with 58 and 62 apartments, respectively; and the Corinto and Tebas, each with 63 apartments. The apart-hotels offer some advantages over the hotels, not the least of which are the room rates, which are generally lower, and kitchen or kitchenettes that make the apart-hotels ideal for large groups or families.