From its inception as a fully developed tourism destination, Los Cabos has been a heavy hitter when it comes to the meetings and incentives market.
“The strength of Los Cabos for the meetings market is our easy air access, range of resorts and meetings venues and the professionalism of our DMCs and suppliers who specialize in meetings and incentives,” said Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board.
Esponda says the destination has totally recovered from 2014’s Hurricane Odile, and there have been many improvements to the Los Cabos International Convention Center, which can host meetings for up to 8,000 people. The lower level of the center, which is currently used for parking, will be transformed into additional meetings space.
Esponda also points out that Los Cabos International Airport is currently in the process of an extensive $50 million renovation.
“We have the second-best-connected airport in Mexico, ranking only behind Cancun,” he said. “As of today, we have 22 cities in the U.S. from which visitors can fly into Los Cabos in three hours or less.”
Esponda notes that there will soon also be nonstop flights from St. Louis; Nashville, Tenn.; and Milwaukee. He also says there is a VIP package for meetings attendees that allows the airport to expedite the arrivals process.
Building Boom
Los Cabos also has an impressive slate of new hotels either just opened or under construction. Recent new arrivals on the market include the 122-room Montage Los Cabos; the 200-room Nobu Hotel Los Cabos; the 373-room Le Blanc Spa Resort; the 315-suite Garza Blanca Resort & Spa; and the 639-room Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos. There are currently 10 resort projects scheduled to open in the next two years, including the 162-room Park Hyatt Los Cabos and the 500-room Caesar’s Palace Los Cabos.
“We have regulations to ensure newbuilds are low impact,” Esponda said. “For instance, nothing can be constructed more than six stories high.”
According to Esponda, of the 85 hotels in Los Cabos, 50 can host meetings. The largest of these is Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos, which has 1,800 square feet of meeting space.
“All economic activity in Los Cabos is related to tourism,” Esponda said. “We received 3 million tourists last year, including cruise visitors. So, Los Cabos has been working hard to make sure the destination is safe.”
This effort encompasses initiatives such as creating a base for Mexican Marines, enhancing overall surveillance, linking communications systems and making sure that hotels and resorts follow strict protocols that provide the highest standard of protection.
Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics & Geography conducted a study posing a question to the residents of 100 municipalities in Mexico: How safe do you feel in your community? In the results, Los Cabos placed fourth as the safest municipality in Mexico.
Los Cabos can also offer meetings attendees unique experiences that utilize the region’s beaches, ranches, organic farms and haciendas. There are also plenty of appealing leisure activities to fill attendees’ downtime, including championship golf, sport-fishing and Hummer excursions into the desert.
“Ten minutes out of the tourism corridor are canyons that are ideal settings for unique events,” Esponda said. “You can arrange a special sit-down dinner out there, accompanied by live music and images projected on the canyon walls. Plus, our climate ensures that there is very little chance of rain during an event.”
The Details
Los Cabos Tourism Board
www.visitloscabos.travel
