Los Cabos is becoming increasingly more diverse – both in terms of the types of international visitors it attracts and the compelling activities it markets to today’s travelers – a fact that was clearly evidenced during the 17th annual Los Cabos VIP Summit.
The event, which was held in Los Cabos from Nov. 13 to 16, attracted 69 tourism partners from Los Cabos’ primary markets – the US, Canada and Mexico – in addition to seven key emerging markets, including Australia, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, France, Japan and the UK.
The efforts to expand Los Cabos’ global markets while revamping how the destination is promoted were spearheaded by Rodrigo Esponda, who assumed the role of managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board in 2016.
“I think my biggest achievement has been that the brand is now known globally in key markets,” Esponda said in an interview during the summit, when asked what he was most proud of during his nearly seven years at the helm of the tourism board.
But to expand the brand globally, Esponda knew that Los Cabos needed to develop a storyteller that reflected the destination’s myriad tourism draws. “We needed to reinforce the branding of Los Cabos and the storytelling of why you should you come to Los Cabos,” he said.
“The first thing that came across my desk when I came [on board], was a proposal to change the brand of Los Cabos to make it Cabo,” Esponda said. “I decided that was not the right decision, because the diversity of the destination precisely reflects the region – and that region is The Capes.”
The marketing, he said, focused primarily on “the ocean meets the desert,” which didn’t take into account the protected, 6,000-foot Sierra de la Laguna mountain range, “where you have a lot of activities that are unique.”
New storytelling and promotional efforts also spotlight the region’s culture, gastronomy, sustainability, outdoor and eco-adventures and wellness.
As a case in point, Los Cabos named its first brand ambassador, Diana Flores, the Captain and Quarterback of Mexico’s World Champion Women’s National Flag football team, which ties into the destination’s Wellness Champions campaign that, among other things, illustrates why Los Cabos is a top wellness destination for luxury travelers.
“The Wellness Champions campaign showcases the importance of sustainability in the tourism industry and is designed to inspire visitors to discover what wellness truly means to them,” tourism officials said. “Going beyond just the beach or spa, the campaign encourages guests to explore the rich gastronomy, outdoor activities, art, and cultural scene that Los Cabos has to offer.”
Meanwhile, the news that MICHELIN Guide inspectors are now visiting the destination’s restaurants is expected to further bolster interest in the destination’s complement of culinary offerings, which include a generous number of farm-to-table dining experiences, Esponda said.
Rodrigo Esponda. (Source: Los Cabos Tourism Board)
All things considered, the destination’s marketing and promotional initiatives appear to be paying off in a big way. In addition to a significant increase in arrivals numbers from year to year, Los Cabos is also attracting younger travelers. “Two years ago, after COVID, we saw that there was a big change in the profile of the travelers, from 50-plus as the biggest bracket to the 35-year range,” Esponda said.
In the final analysis, one constant factor for Los Cabos is its commitment to its travel advisor partners, who Esponda said are ideally suited to convey the destination’s selling points to their customers.
“We provide the right tools for advisors to close sales,” he said, including digital guides, interactive maps that they can share with their clients to pinpoint areas of interest and much more.
The tourism board also features the Los Cabos Specialist certification program, which educates advisors on the destination’s regions, airlift, hotels, experiences, health and safety, swimmable and Blue Flag beaches, and more.
“We devote a lot of time into making sure that travel advisors understand how to offer the right experience and qualify the clients,” he said.
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