FITURCA Seeks to Reverse Decline in International Tourism with New Air Routes and Promotion in Strategic Markets

The director of the Los Cabos Tourism Trust (FITURCA), Rodrigo Esponda, reported that during the first half of 2026, the destination registered a 5.6 percent decrease in international tourist arrivals compared to the same period of the previous year. He attributed this situation primarily to external factors such as the geopolitical context, the increase in the cost of jet fuel, and some incidents that occurred in Mexico. During an interview on the radio program "Los Cabos a la Carta," Esponda explained that, after a positive start to the year, the trend changed in March, also affecting reservations for the summer season. "In the first six months of the year, we have seen a 5.6% decrease in international arrivals compared to the same period last year," he noted. Despite this situation, the director of FITURCA assured that the organization is working to reverse the trend starting with the fall and winter high season through a strategy focused on strengthening air connectivity and expanding international promotion. Among the actions highlighted were the addition of four new routes from Canada, originating from Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa, as well as the arrival of Porter Airlines and Air Transat. He also announced that the first direct flight between Washington, D.C., and Los Cabos, operated by United Airlines, will begin in October. He also emphasized the strong performance of other international connections. "The route from Panama continues to have very good load factors, above 80 percent," he commented, as does the connection with Germany, whose second season achieved positive results and will seek to surpass that load factor when it resumes operations in November. In the domestic market, Esponda highlighted the recent opening of the flight between Puebla and Los Cabos, which he described as a project developed over several years and which has shown a favorable response since its inauguration. “We have the new route to Puebla, which has had a very good occupancy rate. It’s a route we’ve been working on for several years, and it was just confirmed in June,” he indicated. The head of FITURCA explained that the trend observed in Los Cabos is not unique to the destination, as air traffic between the United States and Mexico shows a similar trend, while other tourist destinations are even reporting steeper declines. He added that the Caribbean is also registering a decrease of nearly four percent in visitors from the U.S. market. However, he highlighted that some segments are maintaining solid performance, particularly high-spending tourism. “The air traffic arriving from the United States on private flights has not decreased… that speaks to the strength of Los Cabos in that segment,” he stated. Esponda acknowledged that the slowdown is also reflected in the real estate sector targeting the middle segment, although he specified that luxury properties, with values ​​exceeding three million dollars, continue to show steady demand. Finally, he called for strengthening those aspects that depend directly on the destination to maintain its international competitiveness. "There are elements that we can control, such as cleanliness, mobility, and hospitality... these are where we need to focus to offer the best quality of service," he concluded.