Los Cabos Celebrates 20 Years of the VIP Summit and Unveils Its Tourism Vision Through 2036

Marking its twentieth edition, Los Cabos reflects on its tourism transformation and outlines a new phase focused on value creation, community well-being, and the protection of the natural environment.

▪ Between 2016 and 2025, the destination saw a 77.4% increase in visitor arrivals, expanded its air connectivity, and quadrupled the direct economic impact generated by tourism.

Twenty years since its inception, the Los Cabos VIP Summit has established itself as a collaborative platform between the destination and its key international commercial partners. During this twentieth edition, the Los Cabos Tourism Board (FITURCA) presented an overview of the tourism transformation that has taken place over the last decade and unveiled its vision for 2036. This vision aims to position the destination as the premier benchmark for luxury tourism in the Americas, guided by a model that prioritizes economic value creation, community well-being, and the conservation of natural resources.

From October 25 to 27, the event brings together airline executives, tour operators, travel advisors, destination management companies, hospitality industry representatives, and strategic partners from various international markets. Through business meetings, analytical sessions, and on-site experiences, the VIP Summit continues to foster commercial alliances and create opportunities to strengthen Los Cabos’ international competitiveness.

This edition also serves as an opportunity to gauge the evolution of the destination. Between 2016 and 2025, annual visitor arrivals grew from 2.12 million to 3.76 million—an increase of 77.4%—while air operations rose by 61.5%. Direct connectivity expanded from 39 cities in 2016 to 55 in 2026, with new routes to markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Central America.

This growth has also been reflected in the value of tourism activity. During the same period, the average hotel rate rose from $286 to $450 per room per night, while the supply of accommodations grew by 45%, surpassing 20,000 rooms. Meanwhile, the direct economic impact generated by tourism more than quadrupled, reaching 80 billion pesos annually.

A decade of tourism transformation and market diversification

Since 2016, under the leadership of Rodrigo Esponda, FITURCA has driven an international promotion strategy based on market diversification, technological innovation, and the use of commercial intelligence to strengthen decision-making.

In terms of promotion, the organization shifted from carrying out approximately 50 initiatives annually—focused primarily on the United States, Canada, and Mexico—to coordinating more than 300 strategic initiatives across 21 countries. As a result of this evolution, the estimated economic efficiency of tourism promotion increased from 109 pesos generated for every peso invested in 2016 to 266 pesos in 2025.

The transformation has also included the development of a digital ecosystem via visitaloscabos.travel, which currently integrates 2,200 businesses within the tourism service chain. This platform enables service providers to update their business information, promote experiences, and facilitate direct bookings.

Its most recent addition is “Visit Los Cabos Concierge,” an artificial intelligence-powered tool that allows users to design personalized itineraries, explore experiences, and manage bookings via WhatsApp.

Concurrently, FITURCA has developed a business intelligence system that aggregates data on air connectivity, visitor behavior, bookings, hotel rates, consumption patterns, satisfaction levels, and economic impact. This data helps identify business opportunities and guides promotional strategies based on evolving tourism demand.

Strengthening the luxury offering has been another key component of this transformation. Los Cabos currently boasts 16 properties affiliated with Virtuoso—the highest number in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America—with an additional 1,200-plus rooms already confirmed for development by 2029.

“In recent years, we have deliberately shifted our focus from the sheer growth of tourism to the value that this growth generates for Los Cabos. Prioritizing value over volume means being intentional about the markets we develop, the travelers we attract, the experiences we promote, and the partnerships we build. Over the last decade, our priority was to strengthen access, awareness, and confidence in Los Cabos. In the next ten years, success must also be reflected in the well-being of our community, the economic opportunities created by tourism, and a more robust natural environment—one that has been protected and regenerated,” noted Rodrigo Esponda, General Director of FITURCA.

VIP Summit 2026: Global Partnerships and a Shared Vision Toward 2036

As part of the inaugural agenda for its twentieth edition, the VIP Summit brought together representatives from international companies to analyze the evolution of luxury tourism, the changing expectations of travelers, and opportunities for expansion into emerging markets.

The panel “Building Together: 20 Years of Los Cabos and the Future of Travel”—featuring Ray Snisky, CEO of Apple Leisure Group; Melissa Krueger, CEO of Classic Vacations; and Maurice Bonham-Carter, founder of ID Travel Group—explored the evolution of the commercial relationships that have supported the positioning of Los Cabos within its primary source markets (the United States and Canada).

Meanwhile, the session “New Horizons: The Next Decade of Global Growth for Los Cabos” brought together Juan Pablo Eiroa Guecaimburu, Vice President of Travel Partners at Despegar; Marius Michaelis, an international tourism specialist at Alltours Flugreisen GmbH; and Carlos Virue, Director of Cooperation at Catai, to examine opportunities for international growth and diversification over the coming decade.

The program also featured author and speaker Alex Banayan, who shared insights on innovation, opportunity, and transformation.

Beyond the commemoration, the 2026 edition of the VIP Summit marked the beginning of a new phase of strategic planning for Los Cabos. The “Vision 2036” framework proposes evolving toward a tourism model in which economic growth is accompanied by tangible benefits for the local population and responsible management of the territory.

This roadmap outlines four key priorities: strengthening training and professional opportunities for local talent in the fields of hospitality, gastronomy, and technology; Expanding the participation of producers, entrepreneurs, and communities in the tourism economy; linking the sector’s development with investments in water, mobility, housing, and public spaces; and managing growth in alignment with the territory’s capacity—all while conserving beaches, marine environments, and biodiversity.

These priorities will focus on strategic markets for Los Cabos, with particular attention to Mexico, the United States, and Canada as primary sources of tourists; Germany and Colombia as developing markets—bolstered by the launch of new direct air routes—along with other South American countries showing growth potential; as well as Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom, among others, which are considered niche markets due to their potential to attract high-value travelers.

Under this approach, “tourism performance will no longer be evaluated solely based on visitor numbers; it will also take into account indicators related to local income levels, opportunities for local businesses, access to essential services, and the health of ecosystems,” added Rodrigo Esponda.

Two decades since its inaugural edition, the VIP Summit remains a key meeting point for Los Cabos and the stakeholders who contribute to its international standing. Its twentieth anniversary thus marks a transition—moving from the outcomes of a period of expansion toward the development of a tourism model that seeks to balance competitiveness, economic prosperity, and quality of life, with a horizon set for 2036.