In May, La Promesa Argentina invited San Antonio de Areco to join the movement and imagine a promise of its own. On September 30, that idea became reality at Salón Guerrico: Areco became the first Town with a Promise in Argentina.

The Areco Promise is born from its identity and is written by the host for those who arrive: "Our promise is that while you are here, you become part of what we want to preserve." An invitation to discover and care for this land.

The decalogue was written by Catalina Guerrico, Belén Güiraldes and Camila Álvarez Draghi, who signed on behalf of the community together with Lucía del Campo. On behalf of the Municipality, it was signed by Mayor Francisco Ratto, Secretary of Tourism and Culture Nora Lema, and Director of Tourism Carola Vieytes. On behalf of La Promesa Argentina, it was signed by its founder, Maita Barrenechea, along with Rita Carbó and Martín Ogawa. The community members present were invited to add their signatures.

Francisco Ratto read "Mi hospitalidad" (My Hospitality), by Ricardo Güiraldes. Maita recalled that good hosts make good guests, and that Areco has the cultural, human and symbolic authority to pave the way for other destinations. She asked the people of Areco to keep offering "that brotherhood that makes man better," and closed with a phrase she feels every time she returns: "Areco does you good!"

What Is a Town with a Promise

A Town with a Promise is a community that recognizes the value of what makes it unique and decides to care for it for future generations. Drawing on its history, its landscapes, its crafts, its traditions and its way of welcoming others, it writes its own Promise, seals it in a public ceremony and renews it over the years.

The Promise is born from its residents. It is a word given among neighbors and, at the same time, an invitation to the traveler: to discover, cherish and care for the place of which, during their visit, they will also be a guardian.

It is not a seal, a certification or a ranking. It cannot be bought or granted: it is embraced. It does not depend on any government, because it belongs to those who live in the town. It is a path walked every day.

The Promise of San Antonio de Areco

A commitment to our land

San Antonio de Areco is a place where history is still alive. It lives in its streets, in its landscapes, in its crafts, in its traditions and in its people.

Here, the gaucho, the land, work, friendship, freedom and one's given word are part of an identity we want to share with those who visit us.

Our promise is that while you are here, you become part of what we want to preserve. That is why we invite you to join this commitment to our land.

I commit to:

1. Learn about its history and traditions.
2. Walk respectfully and take it slow.
3. Value what is handmade; get to know artists and artisans.
4. Choose local. Discover flavors, products and experiences.
5. Listen and learn from those who inhabit the place.
6. Care for nature. Contemplate it without altering it.
7. Respect its pace. Preserve the mystique of its streets.
8. Honor the town's celebrations and customs.
9. Let the local hospitality rub off on me.
10. Give thanks through actions, becoming a bridge for my experiences in San Antonio de Areco.

"When they leave, they will carry with them the gift of your brotherhood that makes man better."

Ricardo Güiraldes, El libro bravo, 1937

What's Next

Areco was the first. With its signature, it invites other towns across the country to discover what makes them unique and to give their own word. Each town has its own identity; that is why each one will write its own Promise.

We only protect what we love, and we only love what we know.

One town, one promise: to preserve what is ours, share it with dignity and pass it on, better, to those who will come.

https://www.lanacion.com.ar/revista-lugares/el-pueblo-gaucho-que-le-pide-al-visitante-ir-despacio-y-resguardar-la-mistica-de-sus-calles-nid13102026/