Scenic view of the stone streets and colonial houses in the mountain village of La Carolina, Argentina.
A Golden Tourism Strategy
A small mountain village in Argentina has launched a highly unusual campaign to draw visitors during the winter holidays. La Carolina, a town located in the province of San Luis, is handing out real gold.
A scenic view of the stone streets and colonial architecture in the mountain village of La Carolina.
The municipality is holding a daily raffle for 18-karat gold particles. The promotional flyer gets straight to the point: “We are going to give away gold! (And no, we haven’t gone crazy).”
Local officials designed the giveaway to reward tourists with a prize that reflects the area’s rich mining history and spirit.
How the Daily Draw Works
An artisanal miner panning for gold in a mountain stream.
Entering the contest is incredibly simple and requires no prior registration. Visitors simply need to hold onto their parking ticket from the “Pueblo Peatonal” (Pedestrian Village).
Roxana Lucero Zavala, the local Secretary of Tourism, noted that a visitor’s chances of winning increase with every day they spend in the town. Live draws take place daily at 5:00 PM at the Tourist Information office and will continue until July 28.
A Piece of Local History
The gold being given away isn’t purchased from a commercial supplier. It is extracted directly from local streams by “pirquineros,” artisanal miners who keep the town’s centuries-old mining tradition alive.
A sample of the 18-karat gold particles extracted from local streams.
Because the metal is panned straight from the nearby waters, the local government states that “each prize is, in fact, a piece of the territory.”
Home to just 300 residents, La Carolina sits 80 kilometers north of San Luis City at the base of Cerro Tomolasta. At an altitude of 1,600 meters, the town is known for its fresh air, pure streams, and original stone-clad colonial houses.
