“Our Best Year Yet:” Rodrigo Esponda at the Los Cabos VIP Summit 2025

“This is our best year yet,” Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of Los Cabos Tourism, told us right off the bat when we met him at the 19th Los Cabos VIP Summit. “I’ve been running the summit for 10 years, and this year in particular, it’s bigger than ever.” 

For five days, 350 representatives from 20 countries are gathered at the Hacienda del Mar Convention Center to exchange ideas and network. TMR Canada is there.

“There’s no event like it anywhere else in Mexico. The Summit is truly unique because it makes a real difference to the revenue of the suppliers present; they literally tell me they made deals or formed partnerships during the event — and that’s the goal,” Esponda said.

Conquering the Canadian Market

“Canada is a market we absolutely want to develop. There are still so many opportunities for growth,” Esponda said. “The biggest obstacle for Canadians is the air service, and we’re working very hard to improve it.” Discussions are reportedly underway with Porter, which announced earlier this fall its intention to develop the “south/leisure” segment.

“Porter is interested, and with the WestJet/Sunwing merger, what we’re seeing is that it’s positive for travellers, since WestJet is taking over the flight segment. Travellers can book flights individually, whereas previously Sunwing only offered vacation packages,” Esponda told TMR Canada.

Currently, WestJet and Air Canada operate seasonal flights from Toronto (November to April) and Montreal (December to April).

“Our long-term goal is definitely to have a year-round direct flight, because what we hear from travellers is that it’s a hindrance and a source of frustration. If we remove this barrier, we hope to increase the number of visitors from Eastern Canada, which is the market we want to develop the most right now.”

A Market That’s Still Growing

“Compared to other Mexican destinations, Los Cabos is unique: we welcome 70% international visitors versus 30% local visitors, which sets us apart considerably,” Esponda said. “The United States remains our largest market, but Canada comes in second. And what we realized after market research is that the average length of stay for Canadians is twice as long as that of Americans — so they spend twice as much!” 

Indeed, Americans stay an average of five days in Los Cabos, compared to ten for Canadians. Also, 38% of Canadian visitors are repeat visitors, suggesting that once they come, they come back.

“So we just have to convince them to come…” Esponda summarizes.

In 2025, the Canadian market segment grew by 11% compared to 2024, the largest growth ever recorded. Esponda hopes to see more visitors from “eastern” Canada (Toronto and Montreal) since the western market is already secured due to its geographic proximity.

The Luxury Segment is Booming

“Over the years, we have made our mark in the luxury tourism segment, and what we are seeing is that the demand is there — and even that it continues to grow,” said Esponda. 

It’s hard to argue — Los Cabos boasts the highest concentration of Virtuoso properties in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

“Also, our hotel portfolio is unique, with only a third of properties being all-inclusive and an average number of rooms of around 250. We are therefore far from the mega-resorts of Cancún with 2,000 rooms: that’s not our niche,” Esponda said.

“We offer a boutique, exclusive, personalized experience with a wide range of accommodation options, from vacation rentals to ultra-luxury hotels, including all-inclusive (Velas) and non-inclusive (Four Seasons) packages, for example. This is also why our clients love Los Cabos: they can’t find the same products or experiences anywhere else.”

A Snapshot of Los Cabos Luxury

• Luxury Hotels: 15 Virtuoso hotels, 6 Preferred hotels, 3 Leading Hotels of the World, 9 AAA 5 Diamond hotels.
• New Luxury Offerings: More than 1,200 new luxury rooms and residences are planned over the next four years.
• New: Ánima Village will open in December 2025 with Hermès, the first Zimmermann in Latin America, and other luxury brands.
• $900 million will be invested in new luxury developments over the next 3 to 4 years.

Recent openings:

• Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo Del Sol – November 21, 2025
• Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal – October 2025
• Tropicana Los Cabos, Tapestry Collection by Hilton – end of 2024
• Four Seasons Resort Cabo San Lucas at Cabo del Sol – summer 2024

Upcoming openings:

• Soho House & Beach Club
• St. Regis Los Cabos at Quivira & St. Regis Residences
• Park Hyatt Los Cabos
• Rosewood Residences Old Lighthouse
• Amanvari
• Grand Hyatt
• SIRO Palmilla
• Raffles Hotel and Resort