The Bagú hotel chain has invested hundreds of millions of pesos in Misiones in recent years, employing more than 300 employees among four hotels, restaurants, a brewery and real estate investments. A provincial airline is now being prepared for launch.
Meanwhile, the Meliá chain bought the former Sheraton five years ago and is now investing nearly a billion pesos in the former Savoy Hotel.
Both chains have chosen Misiones to carry out an investment process of billions of pesos, create thousands of jobs and elevate the category of tourism in Tierra Colorado to the best standards in the world.
The joint work of the provincial government, the binary strategy of combating and overcoming the pandemic, as well as the policy of stimulating the economy have become factors that have encouraged the major players in international tourism to perceive the pandemic not as a problem, but as an opportunity. to grow, invest and promote development for the benefit of not only tourism, but also trade, restaurants, transport, among others.
The scheme of government in all areas has clearly defined objectives from the leadership and from the governor’s office, which are aimed at creating new investments that create real jobs and wealth for the missionaries. The results are visible through economic indicators that position Misiones as the province that best overcame the economic crisis of the pandemic in areas such as investment, private sector job creation, consumption levels, construction and trade, car sales, rentals, etc.
Group of God
The South American Group is the company that has grown the most in the country in recent years. He arrived in Misiones in September 2020, at the height of the pandemic, and made many strategic investments totaling hundreds of millions of pesos, including the Bagu hotels in Posadas, Obera and Puerto Iguazú, the Patanegra Mercado Gourmet, Cashalote, Pata Negra Beach and investments real estate with the firm Desarrollos del Litoral. Now he’s doubling down with the launch of a provincial airline that will soon be operating to serve missionaries and guests in need. It will be the first provincial airline in Argentina.
This is a group of companies whose capital comes from Mar del Plata, which, in the midst of the pandemic, decided to bet on its expansion in the province of Misiones due to the potential of its tourist attractions, its geostrategic position and the propensity of the provincial state to facilitate the access of companies that, apart from expanding their service offerings mean more formal employment for missionaries.
It was the vision of partners Max Brog and Ernest Casareto to be present at brands such as Bagu Hotels, Patanegra Mercado Gourmet, Cachalote or Desarrollos del Litoral.
Casareta explained that “I haven’t come to Posadas for many years and when I came in 2020 I was surprised, I couldn’t believe the quality of the city with the new Costanera and all the transformations that are happening,” he explained.
He explained that first they started in Puerto Iguazú with the Hotel Cabañas del Leñador, then in Baguio Grande Cruzera in Posadas, they continued with the acquisition of Hotel Azul in Obera, and from December the Hotel Urbano in downtown Posadas, which will reopen in February with a big action that is being prepared on the sidewalk of Bolivar Street.
A nationwide hotel reservation center operates in Pasados, thanks to an agreement with the municipality to provide human resources from the Primer Empleo program. “We have a building where resources work for the rest of the country from Posad. We became missionaries, we came to live here, we are very happy,” said Casareta.
At the same time, Pata Negra gourmet restaurants appeared in Gran Cruzera de Pasadas and Costa Sur Beach, as well as a large beer garden with a restaurant located at Torreferas 155 in Puerto Iguazú.
One thing led to another. With the arrival of Patanegra Mercado Gourmet also comes the fine craft beer Cachalote, hailing from the Happy City, which has eight varieties and is sold both on draft in Patanegra stores and in cans, with a very original and attractive packaging design.
missionary airline
The group has now decided to launch the first missionary airline, which will be the first provincial airline in the country. “We are going to make a big investment in attracting two planes and creating a missionary airline that can connect Posadas with the rest of America and the country, and connect the province with each other: Iguazu with Posadas, El Soberio with Iguazu, Posadas and Eldorado, everyone thought of development as a highly touristic province”, – noted Casareta.
These are two very modern jets with a few hours of service and a capacity to carry eight people each.
“We’re going to make it available to any missionary who needs it, has an emergency, has to move, or has health issues. Both have eight seats,” he said.
The planes already operated as an air service in Buenos Aires, but will now be based in Misiones and in the province.
The investor said that “we noticed that people come to Iguazu and to get to know Macona they have to take a bus and spend five hours there and five hours back, with this you can take a plane to Iguazu and be there in 40 minutes. .. Moconá or 45 minutes in Posadas, get to know other places in less time.’
“The planes will be with their pilots, serviced and based in Posadas, first at Posadas Airport, and from there we will move to other airstrips in the province, but anyone who needs it in 20 minutes can leave because the pilots They will to be here,” he said.
Melia network
Another part of the investment comes from the world’s most important hotel group, owned by Arab millionaire Ali Albvardi, who bought the former Sheraton in Puerto Iguazú five years ago and rebranded it as one of the most luxurious Meliá hotels on the continent.
The Provincial Government and the Municipality of Pasados have decided in 2022 to renovate the former Savoy Hotel building in the center of the provincial capital to create a Cultural Center to reflect its history and host events, and to re-evaluate it with tourism investment as a first-class hotel and gourmet restaurant with regional dishes.
The project enticed an Arab businessman who decided to invest another 20 million US dollars in Misiones in a project whose priority is to preserve the facade and architectural aspects of the historic Savoy, responding to its urban environment with sustainable and modern characteristics adapted to the new times.
According to the project, the first floor will be used for public objects of a cultural nature, halls, an auditorium and a museum of the hotel and the city. It is planned to place a gym for public and hotel use on the second floor.
5 new floors for 85 hotel rooms with a direct view of the Parana River and 95 garages were built on the existing building.
The proposal will comply with bio-ecological building standards and the spirit of sustainable development, with rainwater recovery, solar panels for electricity consumption and minimal consumption technologies.
Europe connection
Pasados has managed to position itself as a beach town, surpassing other nearby towns that used to concentrate visitors, thanks to its quality and services. La Costanera, a gastronomic and cultural pole, its infrastructure and cleanliness have made it the brightest capital in the north of the country.
Iguazu Falls, San Ignacio Ruins and Macon Falls are some of the hundreds of destinations that attract millions of visitors every year and are a big draw for the biggest players in tourism from around the world.
A major step in the major investment in Misiones is about to be completed by connecting Puerto Iguazú to Europe, hand in hand with Air Europa, which has expressed its intention to restore the route from Madrid to Puerto Iguazú, becoming a revenue highway for millions of European visitors who want to experience the jungle , rivers and bowls of Misiones. This route started operating in 2019, but was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The missionary government is now making advanced efforts to restore the work.