Annual visitation to Los Cabos reached nearly 3.8 million in 2025, up 77 percent from 2.12 million in 2016 — and the destination's tourism authority is now channeling that momentum into a formal 10-year roadmap aimed at making Los Cabos the leading luxury destination in the Americas by 2036.
The plan was unveiled at the 20th edition of the Los Cabos VIP Summit, held October 25–27, bringing together airline executives, tour operators, travel advisors, hotel partners, and destination management companies from the destination's key international markets. Executives from ALG Vacations, Amstar DMC, Classic Vacations, and ID Travel Group participated alongside Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, to examine how the luxury traveler has evolved and what the destination must protect as it scales.
Culinary & Hospitality Growth
For foodservice and hospitality operators, the numbers signal a maturing luxury market. Los Cabos already holds the highest concentration of Virtuoso-affiliated properties across Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America — 16 hotels — as well as the highest density of luxury hotel rooms in Mexico. More than 1,200 confirmed hotel rooms are in the development pipeline through 2029, many already under construction. The destination has also expanded its culinary profile through Michelin-recognized dining, farm-to-table concepts rooted in Baja California Sur's food traditions, and a broader wellness and gastronomy offer designed to drive repeat visitation. Nearly 40 percent of current visitors are returning travelers, a figure the Tourism Board attributes in part to the evolving restaurant and experiential food scene.
"In recent years, we have deliberately shifted our focus from how much tourism grows to what that growth creates for Los Cabos," said Esponda. "Value over volume means being intentional about the markets we develop, the travelers we attract, the experiences we promote and the partnerships we build."
The Road to 2036
The 2036 strategy rests on two principles the Tourism Board calls "excellence with identity" — rooted in Baja gastronomy, culture, and nature — and "growth that creates value," meaning more revenue per visitor, expanded community opportunity, and conservation of natural assets. Market diversification is central: the plan targets primary markets (United States, Canada, Mexico), connectivity-growth markets (Germany, Colombia), and high-value niche segments including Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
For operators and hospitality investors, the roadmap outlines four local priorities: building education and career pipelines for talent in hospitality, gastronomy, and technology; integrating local producers and entrepreneurs into the tourism economy; coordinating growth with infrastructure investment in water, mobility, and housing; and managing development within the region's environmental carrying capacity. Success metrics will extend beyond arrivals to track local income levels, small-business opportunity, and ecosystem health — a shift that aligns with broader sustainable hospitality trends reshaping how luxury destinations compete globally.
The destination's digital platform now integrates 2,200 tourism businesses and includes AI-supported planning tools, virtual tours, and accessibility resources — infrastructure that operators looking to partner with the destination can plug into directly. Air connectivity has grown in parallel: Los Cabos now offers nonstop service from 55 cities worldwide, including 33 in the United States, up from 21 U.S. cities a decade ago.
For restaurant and hotel groups tracking luxury travel and foodservice investment in Latin America, Los Cabos represents one of the hemisphere's most active development corridors — and its 2036 blueprint signals that the window for establishing a presence there remains wide open.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
