Meagan Drillinger
International tourism is on track to reach prepandemic levels by the end of this year, according to the UNWTO. Los Cabos, however, has been ahead of the curve for the past three years. The Los Cabos Tourism Board reports that the Baja California Sur travel capitals of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas reached a full recovery in 2021 with a 20 percent growth in visitation when compared to 2019. With an anticipated 4.3 million tourists expected this year, the destination has growth on its mind, with a focus on quality over quantity.
Growth is an important part of any tourism strategy. But the challenge that destinations face today is the marriage of growth and sustainability. Overtourism has been a hot topic as of late. Booking.com's 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, which collects responses from more than 33,000 travelers worldwide, reports that 76 percent of respondents are prioritizing sustainable travel.
"We need to sustain the growth that we have. Now that we have achieved that, we need to focus on quality versus to keep growing in a way that would not be positive," said Rodrigo Esponda, director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board.
Los Cabos has a lot going for it, and travelers who know Los Cabos don't need to be convinced of the destination's attributes. Esponda told Travel Weekly that 75 percent of the destination's customer base did not consider any alternative to Los Cabos for their vacations last year.
"That's a big advantage, and we need to make sure we keep the core conditions for those travelers with a [highly positive] customer experience," he said.
Los Cabos' main tourism pillars include gastronomy, arts and culture and diversity of experiences. One of the farm-to-table capitals of Mexico, the culinary landscape of Los Cabos focuses on local ingredients and sustainable farm and fishing practices from fine dining to food trucks. The destination is home to 13 Michelin-recognized restaurants, one of the highest concentrations among destinations in Mexico.
For arts and culture, the Art Walk in downtown San Jose has played a key role in the growth of the destination. The Art Walk is a weekly event held every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. between November and June.
"The Art Walk gives visitors the chance to stroll around the galleries and chat with artists; and the artists equally are from very different backgrounds with different styles and perspectives," Esponda said. "You can chat with someone trained in Europe in one gallery and then go next door to chat with someone who is self-made. And then to another gallery to chat with someone who uses technology. It's all different and all shows innovation in the art landscape."
As for diversity of offerings, Los Cabos is a leader in Mexico's beach tourism, but beyond the beach the region has cultural small towns, marine life, nature and adventure travel.
Of course, managing a projected 4 million tourists and counting per year does require development. But developing sustainably is top of mind for Los Cabos. Part of the management strategy is spacing out how much development is permitted, scaling back on the size of each project and creating developments meant for longer-term stays. For example, Los Cabos currently has 18,000 rooms online and is expected to grow by only 700 rooms in the next three years.
Over the next three years, the following projects will be coming online:
• SoHo House & Beach Club, 70 rooms, set to open this year
• St. Regis Los Cabos at Quiver, 120 rooms, set to open this year
• St. Residences, 25 rooms, set to open this year
• Vidanta The Estates, 20 rooms, set to open this year
• Park Hyatt Los Cabos, 197 rooms, opening in 2025
• Amanvari, 55 rooms, opening in 2025
• SIRO Palmilla, 120 rooms, opening in 2027
"The projects in Los Cabos take a long time to be done," Esponda said. "There are projects that have been in the pipeline for three to four years. Those developments include not only hotels, but villas, condos and branded residences, which means people are making a full-time investment."
On top of providing long-term options and hotel rooms, the destination is also focusing on building up housing and education opportunities for the locals who help make tourism possible in Los Cabos. Ninety percent of residents of Los Cabos rely directly or indirectly on the destination's tourism industry.
"We are the municipality with the lowest poverty rate, connected to tourism, because we have the formal conditions for employment, we provide a path for workers to get the right training and also get the right support," Esponda said.