Forbes Travel Guides has announced it that Los Cabos will be the first global destination it will partner with in order to improve and elevate the tourist experience.
As partners, Forbes will help Los Cabos implement a plan to help encourage first-class hospitality, provide people with more knowledge of the destination, continuously improve the health and safety of visitors and strengthen Los Cabos’ overall reputation.
The partnership will also include comprehensive training to ensure the highest standards are maintained across all hotels, restaurants, tours and events.
Rodrigo Esponda, the Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, commented that, “High hospitality is at the heart of Los Cabos, which is why the health and safety of our visitors and community has always been our top priority”.
He went on, “The partnership with Forbes Travel Guide […] reinforces our commitment to guarantee the implementation of the highest standards of service. It will also strengthen the local tourism industry by providing training tools to tourism companies”.
The CEO of Forbes Travel Guides, Hermann Elger, also said that, “Visitors today are searching for a sense of connection and not just a place to spend time. This connection comes from the people with whom they spend time during their stay”.
“Los Cabos already recognizes that investing in the hotel industry supports a consistent, warm and positive experience which helps foster visitor satisfaction and tourism growth, thereby benefitting the population”, Elger continued.
Forbes Travel Guide is the world authority on ‘Five Star Service’, who have created a classification system for hotels in this category. Today, they offer professional development resources for the world’s most prestigious brands.
The relationship between Forbes Travel Guides and Los Cabos began in March 2021, when the region received a Sharecare health security verification, which relates to protocols and best practices in relation to Covid-19 and other health risks. This made it the first health verified tourist destination in the world.
Tourism is currently the main focus for Los Cabos and is a vital economic contributor to the area, particularly in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. It comprises up to 80% of the local economy but also impacts residents, 90% of whom rely on or work in the tourism industry.
By the end of 2022, Los Cabos is on track to receive 7 million visitors this year, which is unprecedented in the region and demonstrates the growing importance of the tourism sector.
The partnership with Forbes is just one in a steady stream of awards and accolades Los Cabos has collected this year. In June, Los Cabos was voted a World Power in Tourism by the International Tourism Association.
Other positive credentials for the region include having the cleanest beaches in Mexico, the most certified tour guides and the most LGBT friendly destination in the world.
Los Cabos authorities are keen to take advantage of new opportunities to improve the tourism industry, including hosting major sporting events such as the recently concluded Tennis Open, and holding a variety of festival and programmes to improve visitor experience.
There will also be a new Four Seasons Hotel opening in 2023, just one of the many hotel projects being worked on in the area in order to cater for the huge number of tourists. Currently Los Cabos hotels have maintained a 70% capacity throughout the year, although some months have and will reach 100% capacity, highlighting the need for more accommodation.
Filling this gap in the market at the moment is Airbnb, with Los Cabos having some of the most luxurious and expensive in the world. The region was recently voted as having the most top rated Airbnbs in Mexico.