The Ecuadorean tourists are among thousands who have flocked to Argentina since the January devaluation slashed prices in what was once a notoriously-expensive country and brought luxury hotels and five-star restaurants within reach for more people.

But for the most part, the visitors are wealthy Latin Americans from neighboring countries, and not the relatively big-spending Americans and Europeans who visit the city in less troubled times.

"We came because it's beautiful and cheap," said Alfredo, who had been wanting to visit Argentina for a long time and began planning the trip in March.

The cost of vacationing in the country has dropped dramatically. Now dinner for two with a mid-priced wine at a top local steakhouse costs $25 rather than the $90 it cost last year. In a recent survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting ranking the world's most expensive cities, Buenos Aires fell from 23rd to 133rd in the 12 months to March.

As a result, tourism has boomed. It grew to represent 6 percent of the economy by April, up from about 4 percent last year, said Tourism and Sports Secretary Daniel Scioli.

Still, the country's tourist industry thinks it can do even better, especially if it attracts more visitors from further north. Argentina's vast territory - the country is bigger than Mexico and the U.S. state of Texas combined - offers diverse geography and climates, 32 national parks and 730 country estates, or 'estancias', open to visitors.

Natural beauty has long been a key selling point. But the events of December - when mobs took to the streets, setting fires and spraying graffiti on the same Pink Palace from which Evita once greeted the masses, in riots that killed 27 and toppled the government - presented a less pretty picture.

It is these postcards from an Argentina in the throes of a political, economic and social crisis that the government must erase in the minds of the foreigners whose dollars it craves.

"(Our biggest challenge is) reversing that image of insecurity abroad, because tourism is synonymous with peace and tranquillity and rest. We have to work hard to show the new situation, that Argentina is more attractive than ever and more economical," said Scioli.

Tourism is one of the only growth industries in the country's battered economy. Retail sales in Argentina's main tourist centers rose by 40 to 80 percent in the first half of the year, according to local business group CAME, even though economic activity overall shank 15 percent.

GETTING THOSE TOURIST DOLLARS

Argentina expects 3.5 million tourists to visit the country this year and aims to attract 10 million tourists a year within a decade, doubling the share of the sector in the economy.

To do so the government will have to tackle the bad effects of the economic chaos. The bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires boasts the world-renowned Malba museum of Latin American art - it can also claim rising crime rates.

A frequent ruse involves cab drivers in cahoots with thieves who stop at a traffic light or turn down a dark road. Thieves quickly enter the taxi and often take the victim to a cash machine to withdraw money with their bank card.

Another symptom of economic malaise is a lack of ready cash to convert for tourists to spend. The most recent U.S. State Department travel advisory cited possible problems getting cash as a key concern during the country's "financial sector difficulties."

Visitors arriving on the weekend may find the city's automatic tellers sucked dry and be forced to change money on the street at potentially poor rates. That could get in the way of enjoying tango in colorful La Boca or hunting for antiques in the streets of historic San Telmo.