The tourism policy around the beach in a mature destination. Mar del Plata (Argentina), 1976-1983

The aim of this article is to analyse municipal tourism policy regarding the beach resource in Mar del Plata, during the last Argentinian military dictatorship (1976-1983). To do so, a qualitative methodological approach has been carried out. Municipal and provincial legislation, official reports, and local and national press are used as sources. The transfer of the beaches from the province to the municipality in 1976 led to a change in the scope and form of their management in that they became an economic resource for the local government. In the context of the formulated tourism policy, organisational and regulatory instruments, plans and projects around the beach resource were designed and implemented. In particular, the aim was to generate a "distinctive" and "exclusive" seaside offer in the southern coastal strip with a market strategy that privileged economic interests over social ones and the private sphere over the State.