Tango and Tourism in Argentina
Mayo 2, 2008
The revival of Tango music has caused much more interest towards Argentinean culture. According to experts, it has been crucial for 4 million people visiting the country in 2007.
“From the strictly economic point of view, tourism is becoming a very important and profitable activity in Argentina. The country is welcoming about 4 million visitors a year, and Tango is one of the causes of that phenomenon”, explains Economic History Professor Ruben Berenblum.
This teacher of Buenos Aires National University gave a special course at Salamanca (Spain) called “Society and Economy in the evolution of Argentinean Tango”. In an interview he gave to EFE, he made reference to “the slow decadence, almost disappearance, of Tango in the middle 90s”.
According to Berenblum, this decline “is not an isolated fact”. Other musical genres like jazz, Brazil’s samba or bolero (Tango’s brothers) have also gone through “building processes”, having to adapt to “international features and habits, in each case”.
However, Tango has lately been recovered as a “rebuilt genre”. There are a number of places in Buenos Aires where young people are renewing it and placing it closer to all those who love dancing. Professor Berenblum has referred to the National Tango Academy, with office in Buenos Aires, and also to many night clubs “where every night Tango is danced thinking about tourists”.
Berenblum preferred not to give exact numbers on incomes generated by this activity, but he assured that the number of visitors had been multiplied by ten in a very short period of time.
He emphasized that “cultural offer, landscape and gastronomy” are the most popular issues claimed by visitors, not forgetting the places “where people go to watch and listen to our music”
The Creative Industries from the City of Buenos Aires have today a great exportation potential, particularly in markets which are in their process to develop consuming preferences, like China and India, and also in emerging economies like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malasia, etc. An interesting and successful experience related to the encouraging of creative industries was the one that took place in Great Britain during former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Government. With positive actions that helped those industries not only to develop and grow but also to be exported, they got an annual growth of 6% while British economy grew at a 3%. British’ creative industries major issues were design, music and movies. These industries also contribute to the image consumers form about the country. Music, and particularly Rock, became Great Britain’s most important creative industry from the glorious days of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the sixties up to now. Governmental efforts to open new markets for music and its direct relationship with tourism, especially in London and Liverpool, are both showing us the economic and strategic importance of Rock. Obviously, major governmental actions are directed to conquer China and India. Movies, Scenic Arts, Architecture and Computer Games are also included as major Creative Industries. They have an important added value and they generate prestige and incomings for highly skilled human resources. The United Kingdom marked a milestone in promoting Creative Industries, and the results are at sight. 
The President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil, visited Latin America in what was her first official trip since she was elected President.