Los Cabos Cracking Down On Street Vendors In Main Tourist Areas

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Last Updated 3 months ago

With over 2,000 merchants selling their services on Los Cabos’ beaches every day, the local government has now decided to start a new initiative to regulate commerce in the area. 

Unfortunately, most of these vendors are unauthorized as, according to local news, only 675 have the documentation needed to work.

These people operate on the most popular beaches in the area, such as El Médano Beach as well as the marina walkway. 

So, what is the Los Cabos government doing to solve this issue?

What is the local government doing to address the issue?

The head of the Tax Inspection Department of the XIV Los Cabos City Council, Luis Ovidio Marroquín Gómez, recently stated that authorities are now working to regularize every vendor operating in Los Cabos. 

“We are strengthening control on the beaches, where the regulations [now] authorize 675 street vendors,” said Luis Ovidio Marroquín Gómez. 

“We have observed a huge presence [of merchants] in the El Médano area. For this reason, we are intensifying operations (…), carrying out inspections to guarantee that illegal trade does not take place,” added the Head of the Tax Inspection.

He later continued by stating that the aim of the government is not to prevent local merchants from continuing to keep working but, on the contrary, to help them to do so legally. 

“We know that work is a fundamental right of people. We are not against that, but on the contrary, we support [these people] so that they can be regularized in the best way,” said Luis Ovidio Marroquín Gómez. 

He later addressed all people in need of the proper documentation and invited them to approach the Los Cabos Tax Inspection offices and start the procedures as soon as possible so that they could soon be included in the register of legalized vendors. 

Luis Ovidio Marroquín Gómez concluded by saying that the local government is hoping to regularize every vendor before the arrival of the spring break and Easter holidays. 

Why are unauthorized street vendors a problem? 

Unfortunately, unauthorized street vendors are extremely problematic for Los Cabos tourists. These people tend to offer fake services, such as discounts to tours that do not exist as well as fake bookings.

The local government is constantly trying to warn Los Cabos visitors about these scams and advises extreme caution whenever purchasing something from a street seller. 

On average, local authorities ask tourists to always book their reservations for local tours and accommodations directly on the company’s official website to avoid fraud and scams. 

Is Los Cabos safe? 

In light of the recent increase in security, people heading to Los Cabos soon may now be wondering whether this area is safe. 

Luckily, report after report keeps confirming how this municipality remains one of the safest places for tourists in the whole of Mexico. 

The local government is constantly working on new measures to increase the safety levels of the area in several ways. 

For instance, recently, it was announced that more lifeguards would be hired to keep patrolling Los Cabos beaches. 

On top of this, in 2023, the local government decided to add security cameras to most tourist sites in the municipality to deter acts of crime. 

These included the so-called ‘Golden Zone’ where most bars and nightclubs are located, as well as the marina. 

The Los Cabos government also decided to work on one of tourists’ main concerns when visiting the area, namely mobility. 

This is why in 2023, local authorities decided to drastically lower the speed limits on the Transpeninsular Highway, connecting the main airport in the area with Cabo San Lucas, from 90 km/h to 60 km/h.

On top of this, several maintenance works are being carried out to improve the poor conditions of Los Cabos roads, helping drivers feel safer when moving from one city to another.