Mexican singer and songwriter Natalia Lafourcade was considered to be one of the highlights at this year’s 5th annual Los Cabos International Film Festival.

The vibrant entertainer, Lafourcade who is no stranger to Los Cabos, began her conversation with the press as an intimate gathering amongst friends. When Speaking About Los Cabos her feelings were sincere.

“…you all are great here, always with a smile on your faces and an enormous disposition to make us feel at home, just like that.

I just completed a little road trip along the coast of the Sea of Cortez, and every little place we stopped we were received with food, with smiles, with affection and of course with this divine showing of powerful nature that you have here in Baja- always full of love, and that IS WHAT makes me come back again and again. I don’t know maybe I should live here.” 

The talented Lafourcade who HAS been riding a rollercoaster to success =thruout her carrier -is now once again at the top- with a hit record, an international Grammy award, And NINE Latin Grammys. On the second night of the international film festival, the acclaimed artist received the MTV CHEE-U-KU Award acknowledging 15 years of her altruistic work as well.

I feel very happy to be here at the Los Cabos International Film Festival, I was here five years ago where I enjoyed this marvelous art form that is Film and here I am now with the opportunity to present this documentary that we are going to share with you; And very proud to see how the festival is standing strong, supported with wonderful collaborative work that you all are doing.” 

Following the award presentation, came the World Premier Showing of the documentary film- “Hasta la Raíz” based on the life, work, music and creative process of this vibrant Mexican artist. IT WAS With great emotion the singer songwriter thrilled the audience with a personal rendition of her songs AFER THE SHOWING.

The restaurant La Biblioteca de Tequila /The Tequila Library) was officially inaugurated by the international and renowned chef Richard Sandoval. The new restaurant of Breathless Cabo San Lucas, located inside the hotel in the area of the Marina.

Richard Sandoval is known as the "father of modern Mexican cuisine" in the gastronomic world. The library is the second restaurant opening in Cabo San Lucas, adding to Toro, located in Punta Ballena, in the Los Cabos Corridor and since its opening has been reference of the culinary excellence. For the ribbon cutting, was accompanied by Mexican chef: René Malacara, Breathless General Manager, Mauricio Martínez, area manager for AM Resorts and Fabián Martínez, General Manager of the restaurant.

The restaurant has one of the largest collections of tequilas, mezcals and spirits of agave, with over 150 to choose from.  The concept is reinforced with decoration,  For the menu, Richard Sandoval returned to their culinary roots, to present to the world the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine, traditional dishes with which he grew up.

The library of Tequila Cape is the third restaurant of its kind, after being a success in New York and Colorado. It is also as culinary center number 41 of the Group Richard Sandoval Restaurants, whose different concepts are found in cities such as California, Nevada, Colorado, Florida, Washington and New York, in the United States, as well as Hong Kong, Tokyo, Qatar, Dubai, Serbia, Mexico, to name a few.

The cuisine of Sandoval has been born different techniques and concepts such as the "modern Mexican", "Latino-asiático" and the "Pan-American". This diversity made him creditor recently as one of the "25 best companies multiconcept". In Mexico are: Bay, Punta Mita; Breezes, the lagoon and the port in Riviera Maya; and bull and Tequila library, in Cabo San Lucas.

Mr Gary Williams,the best butler of the world and founder of the British Butler Institute at London, visit  Los Cabos to give training to the butlers of JW Marriot Hotel and gave us an exclusive interview where we talk a little of his experience and track record of his interesting profession.

His formal training at the then world famous Ivor Spencer International School for Butler Administrators in Dulwich, London. The school was established in 1981 and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales invested Ivor Spencer the founder with the MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2002.

After successful completion of his formal training and top of his class Mr Gary Williams was appointed in his first butler position at The Ritz London as the Head butler where he was responsible for overseeing all the luxury suites, including The Royal Suite, and attending to the requests and requirements of the many VIP guests including Royalty, Prime Ministers, Heads of state, Movie Icons, Musicians and many more.

He was then head-hunted by a leading London recruitment company to be Major Domo (Head Butler) for one of England’s most prominent families, looking after Studley Royal House in North Yorkshire. Here he employed all his formal training skills to deliver according to his principals needs in a substantial country house environment which included the managing and training of a large house hold staff complement. After this position Mr Gary Williams worked for many discerning clients around the world, including members of Royal families, Russian and Chinese Oligarchs, principals of British and international industry, IT billionaires, famous musicians and artists, and many more as Head Butler. Mr Gary Williams then set up Quintessentially Butlers, part of the Quintessentially Group, the world’s leading global concierge company, this was after heading up a team of three executive concierge professional to look after a group of Russian Oligarchs and their families from an office in Mayfair London. Mr Gary Williams was also appointed Head Butler at the Brazilian Embassy in London. 

With this wealth of practical hands on work experience from across the luxury sector Mr Gary Williams was entrusted by The British Butler Institute to head up the training team as Principal with the responsibility of developing the brand with the vision to be the finest front of house training school in its field and expanding The British Butler Institute brand worldwide.

The British Butler Institute is the only Butler Institute in the world.

FONATUR is present as a year in this fair in Madrid so important, this platform where tour operators, travel agencies, hoteliers, airlines of most of the world have an appointment so that Mexico first through the pavilion of which we are part of This great Mexican tourist sector, we can strengthen the presence of Mexico, the projection and promotion of our great multicultural destiny of this great mosaic that is Mexico, of alternatives of diverse opportunities to visit it but specifically FONATUR we are in the permanent work of relation, mainly in The case of this fair, with the Spanish hotel industry, Spain has through its investors an important number of hotels in Mexico, we talk about well-known brands like RIU, Barceló, like Amelia, Iberostar, NH, Palladium, and other important brands of Spanish capital hotels that are in Mexico and that we have come first to ratify them that it is important that they are in the country, they have also confirmed their trust in Mexico but we have also offered them the one that they continue to invest in Mexico, in the enlargement Of hotel rooms in the destinations where they are already, or in new tourist destinations where FONATUR has a very consolidated presence, we speak of Los Cabos, of course we speak of Cancún, we talk about Ixtapa, Huatulco from other integrally planned centers but also in Our new stage of FONATUR in which we have shared the vision with Secretary Enrique de la Madrid, also integrate FONATUR a reedimensión in order to open beyond the fully planned centers that we can also work with cultural, heritage, The destinations where there are archeological areas, where there are magic villages and in them as we have also put our inventory so that those investors can continue to invest in Mexico.

Question reporter .- How could you explain in a simple way what FONATUR does to promote tourism infrastructure?

Of course, make available to them as investors from the US and some other parts of the world, the FONATUR model for forty-two years has been very successful in developing large projects, not short-term if not short , Medium and long term, these cases of Los Cabos, Cancun are very emblematic for our country, but where FONATUR has an inventory of territorial reserves in different points of the Mexican Republic, mainly in destinations of sun and beach where FONATUR also provides the accompaniment so that through the financing of the development bank and through the private banking can also be provided with very competitive cups in conditions very suitable for the international investor to see in Mexico, see in the tourism sector and see in particular the institution FONATUR an ally, a companion to give them all the facilities to guide, for if the investment is decided to do in Mexico that hopefully in the tourism sector because the times of the procedures are shortened and can in this way achieve very successful projects, FONATUR is a brand recognized in Mexico and also internationally as a business model, as a public sector private sector formula, public-private partnership that has worked very well and is in the process of development very emblematic that already mentioned.

FONATUR does depending of  the destination, depending a little on the characteristics but becomes a partner for what contributes the land, the investor contributes what is properly the investment of the hotel and if necessary if the development bank adds this third partner or ally of Such that it can generate an investment in very competitive times but above all a very profitable investment as it has been throughout all these years.

Well we are particularly promoting other destinations that are part of the fully planned centers, we continue working with Baja California very closely, we are also working with Quintana Roo, Loreto, Puerto Escondido with great investment opportunities, we also talk about the case of Huatulco, We speak of the case of new Riviera Nayarit account of Litibú that are also interesting places where there is reserve, where there is inventory and where we put of course to the order to the institution, to FONATUR for any complementary work that we can do.

Of course Mexico is a great destination, we invite you to visit us, to continue investing in Mexico, it is a destination that has everything, which also has a component that is not always found in other destinationsthat is the component d she hospitality , The component of this desire to continue to strengthen ties, where we open our arms to welcome the investment, to welcome visitors from different parts of the world and in it our determination, our desire, the president, the secretary of Tourism to continue generating this great platform that is Mexico so that it remains a good destination from all points of view.

(PARA CABONEWSTODAY.COM) Voice over: The General Director of Fonatur spoke of his next visit to Los Cabos…

First a big greeting to that great state, with a great wealth that is still offered to the world and we want to continue joining in order to continue detonating, developing, unlocking some issues that like any destination we have to solve, we have to solve, we will be in Beginning at the end of the month of January beginning of February visiting them, we will be making a visit to Los Cabos, we will be seeing everything around. I have been a month and a half in the direction of FONATUR and one of the important topics that I received from the portfolio of projects and topics and precisely everything that has to do with Los Cabos, with Estero, with this theme that we must solve soon and where we are joined and very involved throughout the institution.

Mike McGettigan, founder of Sea Watch, has been diving and fishing the Sea of Cortez and the Revillagigedo Islands for 42 years on their boats. He has logged over 350,000 nautical miles in these waters and made more than 150 trips to the Revillagigedo Islands from 1977 when he had to use a sextant to navigate there.

American Mike McGettigan took observers aboard his 75-foot ship, the Amber III, to see firsthand the destruction caused by illegal fishing. As a result of that three-day cruise, SeaWatch, the McGettigan organization founded in 1993, teamed up with Noroeste Sustenable, based in La Paz, to form a Citizen Observatory. "We do our job at night," says founder McGettigan. "That's when 90 percent of illegal fishing takes place." Today the group operates two pangas, each labeled with huge bold black letters on the sides of the hull. McGettigan also patrols the Sea of Cortez aboard Amber III. McGettigan has also established an informal network of seafarers who transmit information on illegal fishing to the Citizens Observatory. A primary goal of SeaWatch's goal is to try to stop the huge illegal transfer that is stripping the fish population of and around the Bay of La Paz.

McGettigan has the tall, tense construction of a lifelong water man and the public relations expert of a mass communications expert. Working with Armando Figaredo, the on-air representative of Mexico's influential television and radio network, SeaWatch has produced more than 150 television segments of three to five minutes duration that have been broadcast worldwide. McGettigan has partnered with the Mexican Navy and ProNatura, another non-governmental conservation group, to lead a team that is building artificial reefs by identifying, clearing, and sinking surplus vessels that create havens for fish to hide and raise. He writes articles and has been written in Los Angeles Times, Western Outdoor News and other influential media. He has sought partnerships with conservationists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), sport fishermen, researchers, as well as honest and illegal fishermen throughout the Sea of Cortez. He has accumulated thousands of hours of video and tens of thousands of photographs documenting almost all the activities taking place in his beloved Mar. "Fisheries in the Sea of Cortez can only be recovered if there are clear regulations designed to stop predatory fishing practices" , Says McGettigan. "We need vigilance and impartiality in the enforcement of the law that will win the respect of both the fishing community and the public."

Mexico’s Minister of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid, stated that Mexico is strategically focused on attracting high-net-worth travelers with the ability to invest in growing number master planned communities and resort destinations located throughout the country.  He also recognized the importance of drawing visitors with the ability fully appreciate the increasing number of championship golf courses, world class spas, Five Diamond resorts and restaurants now dominating the Mexico tourism discussion. As an example of the Mexico’s emergence as a principle player in the global competition for the luxury traveler, Mexico’s Tourism Minister points to Los Cabos, where between now and the end of 2017 it will welcome investments from, LeBlanc (Palace Resorts), St. Regis, Ritz Carlton, Velas Resorts, JW Marriott, Solaz (Starwood) and The Cape (Thompson Hotels) to name a few.  Click to view the entire interview.

Long known as one of the world’s most exclusive and ultra-luxury resorts, One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico, hosted the world’s best bartender, Michito Kaneko, on 7 March 2016. Michito traveled from his hometown of Nara in Japan, to create and craft a cocktail using fine spirits from Diageo Reserve portfolio that embodies the essence of the resort and the destination of Mexico.

The winner of the prestigious 2015 World Class Bartender of the Year competition, Michito Kaneko, is considered the personification of Japanese hospitality and brings a subtle creativity and impeccable technique to craft cocktail culture.

“Travelling to Mexico, a country I have never been to is an exciting challenge,” says Michito Kaneko. “My approach to the art of mixology is to create harmony between the spirit, ingredients and textures. As my hometown is filled with nature, art, beauty and craftsmanship, these are all characteristics that I hope will come to define the cocktail I create for One&Only Palmilla.”

Diageo Reserve World Class is the world’s most prestigious and respected bartender competition, culminating in an annual global final in which the best bartenders from 54 countries compete to be crowned the best bartender in the world.

“Similar to how chefs are appreciated for their craft, World Class is doing likewise with bartenders, all of which are revolutionizing the craft of cocktail making – presenting it as authentic, sophisticated and entertaining,” says Matteo Fantacchiotti, Global Reserve Commercial Vice President.

One&Only Palmilla is the dining destination in Los Cabos located on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, and offers a host of culinary experiences featuring signature restaurants and bars to entice gourmands and those seeking the freshest farm to table options in the most memorable of  settings.

With a large variety of dining experiences, the resort features steakhouse SEARED, with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten who also continues to collaborate with guest favorite, Suviche restaurant, a nod to Michito’s homeland, using freshest ingredients from the region and beyond. Beloved Chef Larbi Dahrouch, meanwhile, focuses on authentic Mexican cuisine at the renowned Agua by Larbi, and the resort also has its very own organic herb garden – a plus for the resort’s chefs, and where many dishes take their aromas. From sage to rosemary, thyme, mint, basil, cilantro, hoja santa, epazote and different types of indigenous chilies.

“We are very excited to be working with the world’s top six bartenders, and look forward to tasting Michito’s interpretation of One&Only Palmilla,” says Helen McCabe-Young, Executive Vice President,

Sales and Marketing, One&Only Resorts. “He brings a uniquely Asian refinement to his craft and I know the sophisticated mixology experience is definitely something our guests will enjoy.”

Over the next few months, other World Class bartenders will travel to One&Only Hayman Island and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in Australia, One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives and One&Only Cape Town in South Africa. They will be creating signature  #DestinationsDistilled cocktails using fine spirits from the Diageo Reserve portfolio, including Ron Zacapa rum, Tanqueray No. TEN gin, Johnnie Walker Blue label, Ketel One vodka, Don Julio 1942 tequila and Mortlach single malts, reflecting the unique flavors and textures of each destination.