As 2020 draws to a close, Los Cabos is arguably well on the road to recovery in the wake of the pandemic.
"Los Cabos has so far recovered a total of 80 percent of all travel activity to the destination," Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board.
"We are expecting to close the year with 1.4 million international visitors," he added. "Since our reopening in June, we are seeing a strong recovery and steady increase in visitation. In 2021, we are anticipating to see continued growth and aiming to reach 100 percent recovery before the end of the year.
In November, Los Cabos welcomed 103,000 international visitors, which represents 64.3 percent of the "visitation received the previous year," Esponda said. "Also, in November, hotel occupancy reached the destination's capacity limit of 50 percent."
Esponda noted that he expects the current trend toward close-in bookings, bookings, along with private jet travel for luxury travelers, to continue into 2021.
"In our airport exit poll last month, 50 percent of visitors indicated that they decided to travel to Los Cabos with advance consideration of only one month," he said. "And in terms of luxury travel, since reopening to tourism in June, we have seen private aviation increase of 137 percent."
On the airline front, over the next six months Los Cabos will witness a 40.6 percent increase in from the U.S. "Starting this season, we will be welcoming New York travelers direct to Los Cabos via John F. Kennedy International Airport with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, and via Newark International Airport with United Airlines," Esponda said. "American Airlines is also launching flights from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Sacramento International Airport."
One of the key factors in Los Cabos' recovery was its early action in implementing stringent health and safety protocols.
"As our efforts continue to grow, we've comprised them under our health and safety protocol system Los Cabos with Care - A Safer Way to Get Away.
To bring the destination's protocols to the next level, it has partnered with Intertek Cristal, a leading global and health and safety company. "To date, Intertek Cristal has completed its first stage of auditing all 85 hotels and resorts in the destination and is now auditing all hospitals, restaurants and tourism activities," Esponda said. "With support of the partnership, Los Cabos has also debuted a destination-wide program for PCR testing of hotel and service providers."
Also contributing to the destination's quick comeback is the collaboration between Los Cabos' public and private sectors. "Ninety percent of our citizens rely on the success of the travel industry either directly or indirectly, so our effort to welcome back visitors safely was critical," Esponda said. "It could not be done without everyone on board."
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