Los Cabos, Mexico, the municipality on the southern tip of Baja California, has long been a favorite celebrity getaway. In the 1950s, stars such as John Wayne, Bing Crosby and Lucille Ball visited the area when it was reachable only by private yacht. In recent years, the destination has attracted well over a million visitors annually.
Tourism came to a halt, however, when Hurricane Odile, one of the most destructive hurricanes ever to hit the region, barreled over the Baja Peninsula on Sept. 14. The storm wreaked havoc on the international airport, bridges and roads and pummeled hotels and resorts.
With grit and determination, the popular destination has made an impressive comeback.
“The good news is that the Los Cabos coffers are flush , and recovery and rebuilding have surpassed even the most optimistic expectations,” said Zachary Rabinor, CEO of Journey Mexico, a luxury travel company.
Rabinor noted that while some top hotels — One & Only Palmilla, Rosewood’s Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Esperanza and The Resort at Pedregal — are still closed, he is still selling other hotel rooms and luxury villa rentals.
Hotels along the tourist corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo took the biggest hit, said Julie Byrd, a vice president at CaboVillas.com. “But well over 60 percent of the hotel inventory is back to normal,” she said.
To repair the destination’s digital image, the Mexican Tourism Board asked the Lapiz/Leo Burnett ad agency to enlist the help of the newest generation of celebrity Cabo-lovers, including Reese Witherspoon, Rosario Dawson, Mario Lopez and Nick Jonas. Using the hashtag #unstoppable, the celebs took selfies and posted them on social media sites; the selfies were taken in the same locations as those posted by fans before Odile.
The Mexican Tourism Board also created a special website offering updates on accommodations, restaurants and flights. Live webcams on the site offer visitors a peek at various area locations so they can see the progress for themselves.
