Mar del Plata is the best-known beach resort in Argentina. Every summer, tourists from all over the country come to the city in order to enjoy its beaches and casino. Tourist activity continues all through the year, as many Argentinean citizens living in Buenos Aires go there on mini breaks. Since its foundation in 1874, Mar del Plata has not stopped growing. The fishing industry finds in Mar del Plata one of the most important centres in the country and provides 70 per cent of the city’s income. Over its first 50 years, Mar del Plata was filled with huge houses belonging to the local aristocracy. Tourists were at that time the well-off, but in the 1940’s the trade unions, strengthened by government policy, built huge hotels to provide accommodation for workers, who now had paid holidays. It was then that Mar del Plata changed its nickname to “ the happy city�, or simply “la Feliz� (“the happy one�). Mar del Plata has wonderful nightlife in summer. As well as the Casino, the biggest in the country, there are a great variety of theatres with performances in all different genres. Hotels usually offer performances by magicians or singers. There are also clubs where the youngest meet after going to the beach. The traveller who chooses Mar del Plata will find a most lively city, with a wide range of activities to choose from and renovated beaches.