Dallasite H. Ward Lay of Lay Capital Appointed Tourism Representative of Argentina in U.S.A. and North America.

Business Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 14, 2001

The announcement of H. Ward Lay, international businessman and civic leader, as Tourism Representative of Argentina in the United States and North America by Tourism Secretariat of the Argentina Hernan Lombardi was made at a VIP reception at The Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, May 16.

"Mr. Lay not only carries out an intense business activity, but he is also devoted to wildlife preservation," said Secretary Lombardi at a reception for a group of Dallas business and community leaders touring Argentina and Brazil. "He is the owner of Estancia Alicura, which formerly belonged to the Benetton family of Italy.

"In 1998, rather than continuing his sheep breeding activities, Mr. Lay decided to focus on returning the native fauna to the region. After 18 months, it is once again possible to find red deer and puma in the region," Secretary Lombardi continued. "On the other hand, part of the 100-year old, colonial ranch house was remodeled to lodge Argentinean and foreign tourists visiting the south of the country, especially to do some fishing and enjoy incomparable landscapes."

The newly created position is part of "the plan to find new ways to carry out promotional activities on behalf of Argentina tourism." As Tourism Representative, Mr. Lay will be responsible for promote Argentina as a tourism destination in the USA and all of North America.

"An issue that keeps coming up here in Dallas and in Buenos Aires is the fact that there is no nonstop air service between the cities," said Mr. Lay after meeting with Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk and Argentinean President Fernando de la Rua and the Minister of Economy Domingo Felipe Cavallo following the reception. "Secretary Lombardi has asked me to make it a priority to try to encourage an airline here or there to begin that service. We are working on it and hope an announcement could be close."

Mayor Kirk's tour of Buenos Aires was part of Mr. Lay's efforts to bring together prominent citizens of the United States with the Argentina lifestyle and leadership. Mr. Lay suggests that future ventures will be forthcoming.

"Argentina is not a tough sale if you can just get someone to look at the pictures. For years folks thought it was a world away. It's just two time zones and an overnight flight," said Mr. Lay. "Clearly, Argentina has looked at what tourism has meant to other counties in Latin America, such as Costa Rica and Mexico. The Secretary wants to see those kinds of results."