Photo: Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol
 

When a destination delivers top-level travel product as consistently as Los Cabos, it’s no surprise that the biggest names in luxury hotels and resorts keep calling.

From the just-opened Grand Velas Boutique Hotel Los Cabos, to the St. Regis Los Cabos, The Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol, Soho House, Park Hyatt Los Cabos and more, all opening in 2024, luxury hotels are clamouring to either get into the high-end Los Cabos scene, or grow their existing footprint.

The Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol just announced that reservations are now available ahead of its grand opening May 1.

Each of Los Cabos’ five areas – the Pacific, Cabo San Lucas, the tourist corridor, San Jose del Cabo, and the East Cape – has at least one Virtuoso-preferred or Forbes-listed resort, and some have several. The tourist corridor is awash in them. Mexico has 11 AAA Five-Diamond properties, and Los Cabos is home to eight of them.

Of course, not all Los Cabos properties are upscale. When you look at the numbers, just 3,000 of 18,000 rooms are luxury level. And that’s good for a destination that manages to attract a strong mix of clientele. This year will also see the opening of a Tapestry Collection by Hilton, a well-positioned mid- to upper-range brand. Rounding out the scheduled openings, a Grand Hyatt is expected in 2026.

Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board

In Toronto this week to spread the word about Los Cabos and its hotels, historic destinations, wellness and more, Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, hosted an industry lunch yesterday at The Hazelton Hotel Toronto.

“It was a pleasure to be back in Canada once again, especially when we had such great news to share,” said Esponda. “With a renewed focus on wellness experiences, 2023 proved to be an exceptional year for Los Cabos that saw Canadian travellers embrace us like never before. We can only look forward to welcoming more Canadians in what is shaping up to be an equally stellar 2024.”

Los Cabos typically gets about 10% of Mexico’s inbound visitation from Canada – more than 200,000 visitors from a total of 2 million+, said Esponda yesterday.

Last year Los Cabos saw significant growth in Canadian market share, rising from 1.6% to 7.6%. Traffic volumes with airlines including Air Canada, WestJet, Swoop, and Flair surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 figures. Passenger numbers increased 94% year-over-year compared to 2022, with Canadian traffic to Los Cabos easily topping the 200,000 mark.

Lift is crucial for any destination, and Canada offers 11 direct flights to Los Cabos. There are two private airports, SJD and CSL, welcoming 10,000 visitors from around the world every month. Los Cabos checks many more boxes for travellers: ‘Yacht Capital’ for the Sea of Cortez; plenty of options for golf, sportfishing and wellness; outdoor activities in the Sea of Cortez, desert and mountains; top safety ratings; mild weather year-round; and a sophisticated gastronomic experience that keeps foodies coming back again and again.

Los Cabos knows its market, highlighting its biodiversity as well as its sustainability metrics. Some 42% of the state of Baja California Sur is made up of natural protected areas. There are whale sanctuaries, and protection for colonies of sea lions, and marine turtles too. One-third of the world’s marine mammals can be found here, including 900 fish species. Not surprisingly Los Cabos is well known for diving and snorkelling. And one of its biggest draws is its long list of beaches, 25 Blue Flag beaches in all.

Top draws for eco-tourism include Cabo Pulmo, a National Marine Park since 1995 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cabo Pulmo is home to 800 marine species and boasts excellent visibility for divers and snorkellers.

Esponda also highlighted the historical downtown of San Jose del Cabo, founded in the early 1700s and “perfectly preserved and restored,” says Esponda. It’s home to the largest gallery zone in Mexico. Visitors will also want to check out Todas Santos, about 75 km from Los Cabos. Todas Santos never fails to charm visitors, with its historic haciendas, art galleries, charming restaurants and more. There’s also the old mining town of El Triunfo, some 140 km west of Los Cabos.

Travel advisors with golf clients, take note: four new golf courses are coming to Los Cabos, all headlined by big names in golfing (and golf course architecture). They include Jack Nicklaus’ Quivira Los Cabos; Tiger Woods’ Diamante Cabo San Lucas; Ernie Els’ Oleada Cabo San Lucas; and David McLay Kidd’s Baja Bay Club East Cape. Los Cabos is already home to 18 golf courses.

Agents looking to learn more about selling Los Cabos can take advantage of the Los Cabos Tourism Board’s specialist program. Close to one-third of Los Cabos bookings come from agents, says Esponda. “The best customers for Los Cabos come from travel advisors,” he shared, adding, “we really like travel advisors.”

More details are at LosCabosSpecialist.com. And for more information on Los Cabos, visit visitloscabos.travel.

Source: Travelweek