'Every Canadian is worth two Americans,' Los Cabos tourism officials say after surge in visits

Numbers from the tourism industry in Los Cabos show that Canadians are the second-largest market for foreign tourists to the west coast Mexican destination, after Americans. But Canadians are also the fastest growing group of visitors, and they handily outspend their American cousins by a factor of two to one.

Or as one tourism official, Rodrigo Esponda, put it: “Every Canadian is worth two Americans.”

In 2025, more than 215,000 Canadians visited the region, according to numbers from the Los Cabos Tourism Observatory . That’s a small fraction compared to the more than 2.2 million American tourists who went there last year.

But it also represented a growth of 10 per cent over 2024, while American visits remained almost flat, growing by just 0.1 per cent. And with tourism from the rest of the world dropping, Canada accounted for almost all of the region’s growth.

“Canadian travellers are seeking more meaningful experiences, places where they feel safe, welcomed, and inspired,” said Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, in a statement . “Los Cabos delivers that balance of exclusivity and authenticity. It’s a destination that invites travellers to slow down, connect with nature, and rediscover themselves far from the crowds and complications of traditional sun spots.”

Suzanne Acton-Gervais, president of ACTA, the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors, echoed those comments.

“Los Cabos is benefiting from the ongoing strong Canadian demand for sun destinations,” she told National Post. “We are also seeing travellers look beyond traditional resort destinations and explore different parts of Mexico that offer a broader range of experiences.”

She added: “For many travellers, Los Cabos offers a combination of reliable air access, strong tourism infrastructure, and experiences that go beyond a traditional beach holiday — including wellness, outdoor activities, and culinary travel. That mix is contributing to its growing popularity.”

Travel options were also on the rise in Canada. Recent data from the Los Cabos Tourism Observatory also highlights Canada as the fastest-growing international air travel market for the destination. More broadly, available flights to Mexico are up nine per cent in Canada for the first half of 2026, and 18.6 per cent in Toronto alone, compared to the previous year.

In the same timeframe, U.S. flights are expected to drop by five per cent in Dallas, 3.6 per cent in Houston, and 1.9 per cent for the country as a whole. Flights from all parts of the world were expected to fall slightly.

“Canada has evolved into a core market for Los Cabos, not just a seasonal source of winter travel,” Esponda told the industry publication Travel Industry Today. “Airlines are expanding service because demand is strong, consistent and increasingly nationwide. What we’re seeing now is long-term market confidence.”

In Toronto recently to meet with the tourism industry leaders, Esponda noted that Americans stay an average of 5.6 days in Los Cabos, while Canadians average 11 days and spend US$4,600 on average. “Every Canadian is worth two Americans,” he said.

He also highlighted the relative safety of the destination, particularly following recent events in “far away” Puerto Vallarta.

Acton-Gervais told National Post: “ACTA has partnerships with many destinations, including Los Cabos, and our members are informed about these destinations through industry education, which helps travel advisors better understand what appeals to Canadian clients.”

One appealing number is that, while Canadian travel is on the rise, hotel prices are falling. After peaking in March of 2024 at an average of $533, they fell to $488 last April, and were down 1.8 per cent this past January from a year earlier.

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