Los Cabos’ safety-focused approach to recovery is paying off. To date, Los Cabos is Mexico’s leading destination in tourism recovery with nearly 20 percentage points higher in visitation recovery in September 2021 compared to Mexico’s other top tourism destinations.
As a result of its recovery, the destination has been able to recuperate all of its formal hospitality jobs, which are critical to the tourism activity of Los Cabos. The destination’s commitment to efforts that support the well-being of the community and visitors have been foundational to its successful recovery and capability to offer a safer travel environment. This includes strong COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and community adoption of the destination’s vaccination program, which has led to close to 90% of the population aged 18+ having received at least one dose to date.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for travel destinations across the world and we are energized to see Los Cabos achieve a full recovery since tourism is at the heart of what we do,” said Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. “We will hold tight to the health and safety efforts that got us here. As we head into the holiday season of higher travel activity, it’s our goal to continue to offer the same safer travel environment.”
Looking ahead, there is a 45% increase in scheduled seats from the U.S. to the Los Cabos International Airport over the next six months – November 2021 to April 2022 – when compared to the same timeframe in 2019 to 2020. Forecasted bookings for the final winter months of 2021 are estimated to boost the destination to not only reach but surpass pre-pandemic levels – an approximate 2.8 million annual visitors. Los Cabos is continuing to see the trend of short booking windows with reservations being made only one month out.
In 2021, Los Cabos travelers have been most interested in a mix of outdoor adventure, luxury and personalized experiences that are environmentally safe and give back to the local community. Going into 2022, the destination expects to continue to see an increase in conscious travelers looking for sustainable and environmentally friendly experiences. This includes activities, such as farm-to-table dining, sea turtle preservation programs or even choosing an eco-friendly hotel. Also, all tourists and the local community are encouraged to help maintain, respect and conserve Los Cabos’ 22 Blue Flag-certified beaches – renowned for their superior cleanliness, water quality and security.
Through the year and a half of the pandemic, Los Cabos’ business model, that combines private and public sectors, has proven to be a successful strategy to drive tourism recovery. Its collaborative approach between state authorities and tourism partners has allowed the destination to not only quickly respond to the ongoing crisis, but also to identify new streams of business opportunities and niche markets to accommodate the evolving habits of travelers around the world.
Press release from Los Cabos Tourism Board