The current company profile lists Amstar as a privately held travel-arrangement company headquartered in Cancún and founded in 1989.[2]

Founding

Amstar was established on October 2, 1989. Its origins were closely connected with the rapidly developing tourism industry in Cancún. The company initially provided destination services to travellers arriving in Mexico, including airport reception, transportation, and assistance at their destination.

An earlier account published by Amstar states that the company began with a small team of approximately 12 employees, led by Martha Loredo, serving customers of Apple Vacations arriving in Cancún.[3]

Expansion

During the 1990s and 2000s, Amstar expanded beyond its original Cancún operation. Its services grew to include:

• Airport and hotel transportation
• Guided excursions
• Destination tours
• Private and VIP experiences
• Group travel
• Meetings and events
• Destination representation and guest services

The company gradually established operations in additional Mexican destinations and throughout the Caribbean and Central America.[1]

Acquisition by Hyatt

A significant milestone occurred in 2020 when Amstar became part of Hyatt. The acquisition placed Amstar within Hyatt’s broader hospitality ecosystem and supported the company’s subsequent development of its destination-management and travel-experience business.

Amstar operates primarily as a destination management company. Rather than simply selling accommodation or flights, it manages and delivers travel-related services at the destination itself.

Airport transportation

Transportation is one of Amstar’s core businesses. The company provides airport-to-hotel and hotel-to-airport transfers in several destinations. Its transportation portfolio includes:

• Shared transfers: Transportation shared with other travellers.
• Private transfers: Direct transportation for individuals, families, or groups.
• Deluxe/private VIP transfers: Premium transportation with additional personalised services.

Amstar promotes its transportation service around reliability, comfort, local assistance, and minimising the stress associated with arriving at an unfamiliar destination.

Tours and excursions

Amstar also sells and operates a wide range of destination experiences, including cultural, historical, ecological, adventure, marine, and sightseeing activities. Examples of experiences promoted by the company include:

• Chichén Itzá tours
• Isla Mujeres excursions
• Catamaran cruises
• Snorkelling and marine activities
• Nature and rainforest experiences
• Volcano and hot-spring excursions
• Caribbean island tours
• Water-based adventure activities

The company emphasises curated experiences rather than simply providing transportation to attractions.

Private and VIP experiences

Amstar offers private excursions and customised itineraries for travellers seeking a more personalised experience. These can be designed around a customer’s interests, schedule, group size, and preferred level of service.

Meetings and events

Another major part of Amstar’s business is Meetings & Events, serving corporations, incentive-travel groups, meeting planners, and other organised groups. Services include:

• Event and programme design
• Customised itineraries
• Group transportation
• Tailor-made excursions
• Venue and destination coordination
• Specialised customer service
• Corporate retreats
• Incentive travel programmes

Amstar states that its Meetings & Events operations are supported by destination expertise and local operational teams in countries including Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and St. Martin.

Amstar’s current consumer website identifies operations or services in several major vacation markets, including:

• Mexico
• Jamaica
• Dominican Republic
• Costa Rica
• Aruba
• Curaçao
• St. Martin
• St. Lucia
• Hawaii

Its Mexican portfolio includes destinations such as Cancún, Riviera Maya, Tulum, Cozumel, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta. Caribbean destinations include Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, Montego Bay, Negril, and Ocho Rios, among others.

The company’s geographic footprint has changed over time as it has expanded and adjusted its destination portfolio.

Amstar serves several different segments of the travel market.

Leisure travellers

Individual holidaymakers and families can purchase airport transfers, excursions, tours, private experiences, and other destination services directly through Amstar.

Travel advisors and tour operators

Amstar also operates as a B2B destination-services provider, supporting travel advisors, tour operators, and other travel businesses. Its partner resources include destination information, airport maps, excursion materials, training resources, and booking-support tools.

Corporate and group travellers

Through its Meetings & Events division, Amstar works with corporations, meeting planners, and incentive-travel organisations to design and execute group programmes.

A central element of Amstar’s current branding is the concept “Destination: You.” The company uses this idea to communicate that its services are intended to revolve around the individual traveller rather than simply the physical destination.

Amstar describes its approach as combining:

• Local destination knowledge
• Personalised service
• Curated experiences
• Transportation expertise
• Human assistance
• Attention to travellers, partners, and employees

Its current corporate messaging emphasises that the company’s destination expertise is ultimately intended to create a more personal travel experience.

Amstar states that it has more than 35 years of experience and has guided more than 10 million guests.

Historically, the company’s scale has grown substantially from its original Cancún operation. In a 2019 anniversary article, Amstar reported approximately 1,500 employees and operations in 26 destinations across five countries at that time.[3]

Because Amstar’s destination portfolio and organisational structure have evolved since then, those historical figures should not be treated as its current operating footprint.

Amstar has increasingly incorporated digital technology into its customer and partner experience. Its website provides online booking for excursions and transportation, while Amstar Connect is designed to provide travellers with information and updates concerning airport transfers.

The company has also developed digital resources for travel advisors, including destination guides, excursion information, videos, customer-service directories, and tools intended to help advisors match travellers with experiences.

Amstar has received recognition in the meetings and incentive-travel sector. Its website cites awards including Stella Awards and SITE Crystal Awards, including recognition for destination-based experiential incentive programmes and corporate social-responsibility efforts.

Amstar’s current purpose is expressed as “We care for people so they can be their best.” The company says this reflects its position within Hyatt and its emphasis on employee, partner, and traveller care.

Its stated values include:

• We Care
• We are Authentic
• We Inspire Action
• We Do it Together
• We do everything with Passion

Amstar is best understood not as a conventional airline, hotel chain, or online travel agency, but as a destination-management company.

Its role sits between travel sellers and the traveller on one side and the local destination infrastructure on the other. For example, a traveller might book a vacation through a travel advisor or tour operator and then encounter Amstar at the destination through airport reception, hotel transfers, excursions, local representatives, or group-event services.

This makes Amstar particularly important in resort and leisure destinations, where reliable local transportation, excursions, guides, and destination support are an important part of the overall vacation experience.

Amstar DMC is a Mexico-founded destination-management and travel-services company established in 1989. What began as a small Cancún-based operation providing ground services to vacation travellers developed into an international destination-services business covering Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and Hawaii. Its principal activities today include airport transfers, excursions, tours, private experiences, destination services, and meetings and events. Since becoming part of Hyatt in 2020, Amstar has continued to operate as a specialised destination-services brand while emphasising personalised service and local expertise.[1]

1. Marketing Materials for Affiliated Partners | Amstar Tours & Transfers
2. Amstar DMC | LinkedIn
3. Celebrating 30 years in the Destination Management Business! – AmstarDMC