Megan Drillinger
According to the UNWTO, international tourism is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. But Los Cabos has been ahead of the curve for the past three years. The Los Cabos Tourism Board reports that San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, the tourism hubs of Baja California Sur, saw a 20% increase in visitor numbers compared to 2019, reaching a full recovery in 2021. With 4.3 million visitors expected this year, the destination has growth in mind, prioritizing quality over quantity.
Growth is a key part of any tourism strategy. But the challenge facing destinations today is marrying growth with sustainability. Overtourism has been a hot topic lately. Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, which collected responses from over 33,000 travelers around the world, reports that 76% of respondents are prioritizing sustainable travel.
“We need to maintain the growth we’ve had and now that we’ve achieved it, we need to focus on quality, not continue to grow in a way that’s not beneficial,” said Rodrigo Esponda, head of Los Cabos’ tourism board.
Los Cabos has a lot to offer, and travelers familiar with the city need no convincing of the destination’s distinctive features: Esponda told Travel Weekly that 75 percent of the destination’s customer base would not have considered anywhere else for a vacation last year.
“This is a big advantage and we [highly positive] Customer experience,” he said.
Los Cabos’ main tourism pillars are gastronomy, arts, culture and diverse experiences. One of Mexico’s farm-to-table capitals, the culinary landscape of Los Cabos, from fine dining restaurants to food trucks, emphasizes local ingredients and sustainable agricultural and fishing practices. The destination is home to 13 Michelin-certified restaurants, the highest concentration of any tourist destination in Mexico.
When it comes to arts and culture, the Art Walk in Downtown San Jose has played a key role in the growth of this tourist destination. Art Walk is a weekly event held every Thursday from November to June from 5 pm to 9 pm.
“Art Walk gives visitors the opportunity to walk through the galleries and talk to the artists, all of whom come from very different backgrounds with different styles and perspectives,” Esponda said. “In one gallery you might be talking to someone who was trained in Europe, in the next you might be talking to someone who is self-made, and in another you might be talking to someone who uses technology. All are different, and all show innovation in the art world.”
In terms of diversity, Los Cabos is Mexico’s leader in beach tourism, but beyond the beaches, the region also offers cultural small towns, marine life, nature and adventure tourism.
Of course, development is necessary to manage a projected 4+ million tourists per year. But sustainable development is a top priority for Los Cabos. Part of the management strategy is to spread out development permits, reduce the size of each project, and develop for longer stays. For example, Los Cabos currently has 18,000 rooms online, but is expected to add only 700 more over the next three years.
Over the next three years, the following projects are expected to come online:
• Soho House & Beach Club, 70 rooms, due to open this year
• The St. Regis Los Cabos at Quivar, 120 rooms, is scheduled to open this year.
• Cent Residences, 25 rooms, scheduled to open this year
• Vidanta The Estate, 20 rooms, due to open this year
• Park Hyatt Los Cabos, 197 rooms, scheduled to open in 2025
• Amanvari, 55 rooms, opening in 2025
• SIRO Palmyra, 120 rooms, scheduled to open in 2027
“Projects in Los Cabos take a long time to complete,” Esponda said, “with some projects being prepared for three or four years. These developments include not only hotels but also villas, condominiums and branded homes, so people are making full-time investments.”
In addition to offering extended stay options and hotel rooms, the company is also committed to providing housing and educational opportunities for the local residents who support tourism in Los Cabos: 90% of Los Cabos’ residents depend directly or indirectly on the destination’s tourism industry.
“We are the municipality with the lowest poverty rate linked to tourism because we have formal conditions for employment, providing pathways for workers to get the right training and the right support,” Esponda said.
