Los Cabos has established itself as a destination for luxury and high-end tourism in Latin America. However, 75% of its visitors come from the United States, which is why this municipality in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur has set out to attract more European tourists. Currently, there is only one airline that connects the Old Continent with the Mexican paradise, it is Condor Flugdienst, which has been doing so since last November via the Frankfurt-Los Cabos route.
That is why the Los Cabos Tourism Trust has proposed to intensify negotiations with Spanish airlines so that they land in the country, as the hotel companies are already doing. Meliá and Riu are operating, Iberostar is finalizing its arrival, while Palladium and Iberostar are studying it, reveals its director, Rodrigo Esponda, in an interview with ON ECONOMIA.
What is the main attraction of Los Cabos?
The destination has a differential value proposition, it is not just sun and beach. The Spanish have enough of this and we offer good weather all year round, culture, gastronomy, nature, sophistication, adventure… In Los Cabos you find a different ecosystem than the rest of Mexico can offer. It has two seas, the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez, you have the desert and the mountains, all within a range of 60 kilometers that makes it very easy to get around.
During the next three years, Los Cabos plans to open seven new hotels of brands such as Hyatt or Hilton. What is the Spanish hotel offer like?
Meliá and Riu already have hotels. Meliá has two and Riu three, they are in the tourist corridor that is Cabo San Lucas. But there are two more Spanish companies that we know have acquired land and are in the process of developing the project, they are Palladium and Iberostar. Iberostar in the Eastern Cape and Palladium in the Pacific, there is a lot of interest from Spanish companies. The Barceló group sold a property, but now they are interested in recovering it, so they are looking at options.
If the big chains continue to open hotels, can the destination remain sustainable?
It is regulated, there is a development model in place where there are space limitations and there can only be a certain number of rooms per space. Specifically, you can only have 10 rooms per hectare. And if you want to have 10 rooms you need 100 hectares, which is a very large space. In addition, there are height limits so as not to break with the urban environment and you must also have a large green area, such as a reserve or a golf course. There is also a lot of effort to maintain the Sea of Cortez, which is a world heritage site. Or Cabo Pulmo, which is a protected natural area.
Los Cabos is ranked as the second region in Mexico with the most travelers after Cancun, how is the connectivity with Europe and specifically with Spain? We had a direct flight with Ávoris from Madrid to Los Cabos for two years, but no longer, but we are in talks with them and also with World2Fly and other companies to have a direct connection from Spain in the future. There is room for the European market in general to visit Los Cabos more and find all the diversity.
Last year you received more than 3.74 million passengers, do you want to increase the number?
No, our goal is to receive the same number of visitors, the focus is on quality and not quantity. Americans occupy 75% of our visitors, due to proximity. Of the 3.7 million, 2.4 million came from the US and of them, 100,000 arrived by private aviation, which shows that they are of a higher level profile. And then there is Canada and Germany, which has grown with the direct route until becoming the third market.
Do you foresee growth in Spanish tourists?
Without a direct flight it is impossible. Spanish tourists who arrive in Los Cabos do so via Mexico City. And although the numbers are growing, there are still four times more Mexicans who visit Spain than Spaniards who visit Mexico. We are the second best connected airport in Mexico with 32 connections and we want a direct flight to Spain.
What is the date of greatest demand in Los Cabos?
We have little seasonality. From August to September is the lowest season because in October the sport fishing tournaments begin and then the high season starts. Meanwhile, March is the month of greatest tourist influx because there are vacation periods in the United States. From May onwards it begins to decline, although at that time the destination is also very strong in congress, convention and incentive trips.
How much does a traveler who visits Los Cabos spend?
The average international traveler who arrives in Mexico spends 1,100 dollars, the one who arrives in Los Cabos spends 2,200, double that. That’s for hotels, food and excursions, not including airfare. Of the 24 million air visitors who come to Mexico, we capture 10.5%. Although the greatest benefit we generate is the type of visitor we attract, because they have a different profile and are increasingly repeating, 40% return and some do so up to five times a year, mainly those who have a house.
“The traveler from Los Cabos spends twice as much”
What is the traveler profile?
It is surprising that it is increasingly younger, millennial. Before, 37% of visitors were baby boomers, but since Covid the trend has reversed and now it is younger. The average age in general is 35 years old.
They offer a wide gastronomic proposal, is it also becoming a gastronomic destination?
We conduct interviews when leaving the country to have the entire profile of the visitor who travels to Los Cabos and the evolution has been remarkable. Today, 16% of visitors have gastronomy as their main reason and 85% went out of their place of lodging at least one night to a restaurant. The profile that travels for gastronomy is a little older than the general profile of the traveler.
What type of tourist visits you, couples, families or friends?
There are three types of travelers, those over 55, who are couples without children or older children and are looking for sophistication. Another type of young millennials who are looking for activities such as diving or a gastronomic experience in a group. And finally, families who are looking for snorkeling or hiking activities. Los Cabos is not a destination to stay 14 days in a hotel. It is necessary to understand that it is not the Caribbean, nor is it a substitute. It is a destination that offers a totally different and safe offer for a visitor who is looking for added value in their vacation.
What are the plans and challenges for 2025?
The focus is on quality and not on growth. In the quality of the experiences, in safety and in gastronomy. We have detected that the more activities with nature the tourist does, the more satisfied they are and this is another of the things we are promoting.
Source: elnacional
