TORONTO — It’s not official yet, but don’t be surprised if Porter Airlines and Air Transat soon join the ranks of airlines offering the incredibly popular destination of Los Cabos.

Both airlines are reportedly working towards offering winter season flights to SJD: Porter from Toronto, and Air Transat from Montreal.

No wonder, as demand for Los Cabos continues to surge. Recent reports put Canada at the top of the list when it comes to inbound markets posting the strongest growth to this Mexican hot spot.

In fact Canada is now the second largest international market for Los Cabos, representing 16% international market share, with good lift from Air Canada and WestJet. Some 215,833 Canadian visitors travelled to Los Cabos in 2025, with 10% year over year growth.

Canadians are a coveted market for Los Cabos. Why? “Canadians stay an average of 11 nights, and spend an average of $4,600. Their length of stay is double that of the Americans. So locals say Canadians are worth two Americans,” said Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, with a smile at an industry lunch in Toronto this past Friday.

40% REPEAT RATE

Los Cabos is actually two destinations: Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Long a favourite from western Canada, Los Cabos is finding favour more and more from eastern Canada too. Safety-wise, “Los Cabos is in its own little world,” said Siren Communications’ Ann Layton at the Los Cabos lunch.

Esponda agreed. “We’re a very safe destination. The geography helps because the only way to come to Los Cabos is by air. We’re in the deep South of Baja peninsula. We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. There’s one highway, you can’t get lost.”

The destination’s incredible mix of desert, mountains and the sea keep visitors coming back, with a 40% repeat rate. While Los Cabos doesn’t lack for luxury accommodation, Esponda says the luxury of Los Cabos is as much about the experiences as anything else. “Los Cabos offers a rare sense of connection between people and place,” he said. “We have whales from November through April, whale watching is an incredible sight in Los Cabos. We have whale sharks, blue whales, orcas and more. We’re known as the Aquarium of the World, we’re home to one of the most extraordinary marine ecosystems on the planet, with 40% of marine animals. There’s surfing, paddle boarding, diving and desert exploration.”

“TORONTO IS UNDERSERVED”

Back to lift: the latest stats show that WestJet has by far the biggest share of seats from Canada into Los Cabos, with 143,821 (70.9%) plus 16,528 with Sunwing (8%). Air Canada has 40,196 (19.8%).

Canadians also have plenty of gateway options, with lift from 10 cities across the country (Vancouver, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal). Not surprisingly, Vancouver is tops with 81,848 (40%), followed by Calgary 53,506 (26%), Toronto 34,572 (17%) and Edmonton 14,770 (7.3%).

“We have big potential to grow on the Toronto market. It’s underserved,” said Esponda. Talks to extend Air Canada and WestJet service year-round are in the works.

NEW HOTELS JUST OPENED & ON THE WAY

Los Cabos’ thriving hotel and resort scene includes newcomers Kadun Hotel Boutique, Park Hyatt Residences Los Cabos and the Estates at Vidanta. Also slated to open in 2026 are Soho House & Beach Club (July 2026), Aman Residences Amanvari (July 2026), Grand Hyatt (November 2026) and St. Regis Los Cabos at Quivira / Residences (November 2026).

Coming in 2027: Conrad Hilton Los Cabos, Nizuc Golf & Resorts Los Cabos, Siro Palmilla. And on the way for 2029 are Delano East Cape and Raffles Hotel & Resort.

Los Cabos is currently home to 19,000 hotel rooms – and 9,000 of those are all inclusive. The average hotel size for the destination is 200 rooms.

Growth is always good news. Just not too much, ideally, for Los Cabos. “Last year we grew 4%. The year before that was 1%, and this year we’re projecting 2%. We’re not looking for 10 or 15% growth,” said Esponda.

Los Cabos’ biggest markets? “Active families, couples and groups of friends,” he added.

The Los Cabos Tourism Board is represented in Canada by Siren Communications. For more information about Los Cabos go to VisitLosCabos.travel.

Lead image caption: Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board