For decades, Puerto Vallarta has been the highest-profile destination in Mexico for international LGBTQ+ travelers. But a recent tourism conference shows that Los Cabos is also courting this market segment, albeit with different tactics.
The LGBT+ Travel Symposium, which took place June 13-14 in Los Cabos, attracted more than 50 travel advisors, destination wedding planners, suppliers, influencers and media to host hotel Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos. The two days of presentations, panels and networking events focused on LGBTQ+ tourism, and the event also served as a platform to promote Los Cabos as an LGBTQ+-friendly destination.
The event was co-hosted by OutThere, a British-based luxury travel magazine; the Los Cabos Tourism Board; and Queer Destinations, a company that provides LGBTQ+ sensitivity training and certification for destinations and travel-related businesses.
Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos was the host hotel for the LGBT+ Travel Symposium.
Credit: 2023 DepartureLevel.com
Los Cabos as an LGBTQ+ Friendly Destination
In 2022, Los Cabos became the first destination to become certified by Queer Destinations, a fact that tourism board officials were eager to point out.
“It’s one of our biggest achievements so far,” said Cynthia Ontiveros, special segments manager for the Los Cabos Tourism Board. “Los Cabos is not known as a huge gay destination compared to other destinations in Mexico, so we’re trying to make it more inclusive.”
Los Cabos is not known as a huge gay destination compared to other destinations in Mexico, so we’re trying to make it more inclusive.
To that end, Ontiveros says the tourism board will soon add more LGBTQ+ elements to its travel advisor specialist program and will also welcome more local businesses to the list of those certified by Queer Destinations.
Uwern Jong, experientialist-in-chief for OutThere, praised the steps that the region has made.
“Los Cabos has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community,” he said. “It’s really important that destinations like this reaffirm their stance. Bringing the symposium here is one of the many steps the tourism board is taking to reaffirm that this is a destination for the LGBTQ community.”
It’s really important that destinations like this reaffirm their stance.
After the conference, attendees stayed to participate in Los Cabos Pride, a parade and festival with live entertainment that included drag star Valentina, co-host of the new show “Drag Race Mexico.” The destination’s friendliness was on full display at the parade as well, with some of the largest contingents composed of staff from various hotel companies, including Grupo Posadas, Marriott International, Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos and Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood Resort.
Unique Positioning
Los Cabos isn’t competing for LGBTQ+ travelers by simply duplicating what destinations such as Puerto Vallarta offer, Jong of OutThere notes.
“It's different strokes for different folks,” he said. “Puerto Vallarta is a very gay destination — and when we say ‘gay,’ we mean ‘gay male,’ a particular demographic. Travel today is much more pan-rainbow than that. Los Cabos proves it’s appealing to more than just the typical demographic that’s going to Mexico.”
Indeed, Ontiveros of the Los Cabos Tourism Board shared recent visitor statistics showing that, while an impressive 18% of visitors to Los Cabos identify as LGBTQ+, 43% within that group identify as female, compared to only 34% who identify as male.
According to multiple travel advisors at the conference, Los Cabos is ideal for LGBTQ+ travelers interested in luxury, destination weddings, romance travel and group travel.
Vincent Jones, owner of Citizen Jones Travel in West Hollywood, Calif., says that his clients who travel to Los Cabos enjoy luxury, and they visit precisely because it’s not Puerto Vallarta or Provincetown, Mass.
“They want a place that’s accepting, has great food, isn’t far from Los Angeles and has great views and nice amenities,” he said.
Influencers attending the LGBT+ Travel Symposium took a cooking class at Flora Farms.
Credit: 2023 DepartureLevel.comShawn Kirschenman, an advisor at Woodside Travel, a Virtuoso member in Seattle, agrees about the destination’s sales potential with upscale clients.
“It’s a luxury destination with anything you could ask for,” he said. “There are luxury properties, there’s phenomenal dining, there are beautiful beaches and great weather, and there are many nonstop flights, so it’s easy to get to from most places in the U.S.”
It’s a luxury destination with anything you could ask for.
Kirschenman says he wouldn’t recommend Los Cabos for nightlife, however, noting that there is only one dedicated LGBTQ+ bar in Cabo San Lucas.
“We’ve got places like Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City, if that’s the focus,” he said. “But for those who just want to really luxuriate and soak in the beautiful Mexican sun, I think this is a great option. Los Cabos hasn’t been on most LGBTQ clients’ radars, but now that I’ve visited and immersed myself in the atmosphere here, I think it would be an excellent place for groups of friends or even a romantic getaway.”
Making the most of the region’s unique appeal is crucial, according to Oriol Pamies, founder of Queer Destinations, which is under contract with the Mexican government to create marketing strategies for multiple destinations around the country.
“When we started developing the strategy for Mexico nationwide, we wanted to make sure that every destination had its own unique selling proposition,” he explained. “There is a type of traveler who is looking for luxury and high-end, and Los Cabos is naturally the best place for that.”
In addition to Los Cabos, Queer Destinations is working with tourism officials in Mexico City, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Zacatecas. Pamies says the organization is helping build a strategy for more than 17 different destinations in Mexico, analyzing everything from connectivity, average stay and average spend to what products each destination is ready for right now and what type of traveler each can best cater to.
“Together, we’re building a four-year plan on how every destination can bring to light its unique selling proposition without losing its essence,” he said.
As for Los Cabos, hosting the LGBT Travel Symposium is likely to spark a surge in visitation, according to Rene Larios, co-owner and founder of Los Cabos-based travel company Gay Cabo.
“This event is going to be an important launching point for the destination,” Larios said, noting that it’s just one part of a multi-pronged effort to promote the destination.
Both Gay Cabo and the Los Cabos Tourism Board, for example, also recently attended Proud Experiences, an LGBTQ tourism conference that took place in Los Angeles.
“We’ve spoken with a lot of travel agents, and we’re going to start working with groups, weddings and individuals,” Larios said. “The support of the tourism board is super important because they help to open the doors for us.”
