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Enjoy early access to Josué’s story here; before it is published to all of the popular platforms on September 19, 2026.

Episode #201: Josué Agüero Solís

Founder

Bonanza Travel | Costa Rica

Episode #201: Josué Agüero Solís
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Guest Bio

Josué Agüero Solís is the founder of Bonanza Travel, a family-owned company based in Costa Rica. With deep roots in the tourism industry through his father’s decades of experience, Josué leads Bonanza Travel with a focus on creating meaningful connections between travelers and the destinations they visit. His approach blends local expertise with a commitment to personalized service and genuine human interaction.

Show Summary

In this episode of the Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Podcast, host Jason Elkins speaks with Josué Agüero Solís about his journey from growing up in a family deeply involved in Costa Rica’s tourism industry to founding Bonanza Travel, a luxury Destination Management Company. Josué shares how his childhood experiences, including time spent studying and living abroad in Spain and Germany, shaped his understanding of cultures and business, inspiring his vision for a travel company centered on authentic hospitality, meaningful connections, and personalized service.

The conversation explores Bonanza Travel’s commitment to bespoke luxury travel experiences and the importance of genuine human connections in tourism. Josué explains how the company specializes in Costa Rica while also designing journeys throughout Central America, maintaining exceptional quality and attention to detail through trusted partnerships. He highlights the benefits of working with a destination management company like Bonanza, including tailor-made itineraries, dedicated local support, and peace of mind that direct bookings often cannot provide.

Josué also reflects on the role of positive energy and respect within his team and partnerships, emphasizing how this culture translates into memorable experiences for their travelers. He discusses the value of personally welcoming guests upon arrival as a defining moment that sets the tone for their journey, illustrating his belief that travel is about far more tan logistics, it’s about creating lasting, authentic connections and unforgettable memories.

Key Takeaways

  • ✓ Bonanza Travel prioritizes authentic human connections, ensuring travelers feel genuinely cared for and supported throughout their journey.
  • ✓ The company specializes in Costa Rica but extends its trusted service model to Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Belize through carefully selected partners.
  • ✓ Working with Bonanza Travel means traveling with a trusted local partner, enjoying signature concierge service, personalized support, and privileged access to exceptional hotels and experiences, all designed to create a seamless and unforgettable journey.
  • ✓ Josué’s international experiences in Spain and Germany provide valuable insights into cultural differences and client expectations, especially with European markets.
  • ✓ The team at Bonanza Travel is locally based in Ciudad Colón, reflecting a commitment to supporting and impacting their community.
  • ✓ Positive energy, respect, and clear communication are foundational values for Bonanza Travel’s internal culture and external partnerships.
  • ✓ Meeting travelers personally at the airport is a key moment for establishing trust and a welcoming atmosphere.
  • ✓ Bonanza Travel is built on long-term partnerships with travel agencies and tour operators around the world, believing that trust, transparency, and collaboration are the foundation for creating exceptional travel experiences.
  • ✓ Josué believes that specialists representing a destination must deeply understand the country, listen carefully to travelers, and set clear expectations.
  • ✓ The company cultivates strong relationships with hotels and suppliers, which allows them to advocate effectively for travelers if issues arise.

What You’ll Find on Bonanza Travel

  • ✓ Bespoke, luxury travel experiences throughout Costa Rica and selected Central American countries.
  • ✓ Personalized itineraries crafted with detailed local knowledge and trusted partnerships.
  • ✓ Dedicated support and concierge services from arrival to departure.
  • ✓ A focus on creating “wow moments” and unexpected highlights that deepen travelers’ connection to the destination.
  • ✓ A family-owned business model emphasizing respect, positive energy, and community impact.
  • ✓ Strong relationships with local hotels and suppliers that prioritize Bonanza clients and ensure reliable service.

Learn more about Bonanza Travel | Costa Rica and connect with Josué at:

https://bonanza-travel.com/

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Podcast Transcript

This transcript is auto-generated on recording, and has not been edited by a human. It may contain lots of mistakes, crazy words, and stuff that makes no sense. The host and the guest are not responsible for the accuracy of the transcript.

Jason (00:01.026)
Welcome back everybody to another episode of the Big World Made Small podcast for the Adventure Traveler. So happy to have each and every one of you back today, and also very excited to have our guest today. Today we’ve got Josué Agüero Solís. Josué, welcome to the show. Happy to have you here.

Josué Agüero Solís (00:18.1)
Mr. Jason, thank you very much. It’s been a pleasure to have you here in this meeting and thank you also for the opportunity. You know, I think it’s this kind of connection sounds very important for the tourism industry and all the people who love to travel or know about tourism, how it works in Costa Rica. It could be a great opportunity to hear about us.

Jason (00:35.554)
Yeah, a and you know what else is it’s just fun too. It’s it’s an important opportunity to kind of spread the world, make the big world feel smaller, but it’s also just a lot of fun for me. So thank you so much for for joining me today. And you know, I mentioned your name and I wanted to make sure I pronounced it right. Did I get it pretty pretty pretty right? Pretty close.

Josué Agüero Solís (00:54.428)
Yeah, no, that that’s correct. You know, here in Costa Rica also sometimes people call me Joshua. You know, I have this with this kind of partnerships. I don’t allow to allow, you know, my name is Josué It’s very difficult. So some people just call me Joshua. So that’s okay. Do not worry, please. That’s okay, yeah.

Jason (01:00.918)
Jason (01:09.294)
I get it. But what I

What I did not touch on is kind of, you know, what do you do? You’re the founder of Bonanza Travel in Costa Rica. We’ve already mentioned Costa Rica. So let’s be f well, I wanna ask you a question, because it’s kind of a selfish question, I guess. It doesn’t have anything to do with you, but but when we talk about names, so my name Jason. I don’t know if it’s like this everywhere in Latin America, but in Colombia for some reason, even if I write the name out.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:18.94)
Yes, I’m

Josué Agüero Solís (01:32.658)
Yes?

Jason (01:40.308)
95% of the time they call me Jackson. Do you have any insight into why they would call me Jackson?

Josué Agüero Solís (01:47.335)
I’m not sure why because here in Costa Rica there is a little people who who is called Jason. It is a a normal jame a normal name here in Costa Rica, Jason. I don’t know I’m not sure why the people in that place called Jackson because it’s it’s not correctly. I I think maybe people is tricking you, but it’s not correctly, because here in Costa Rica

Jason (02:06.19)
they’re just messing with me. Yeah, I th I th I

Josué Agüero Solís (02:07.888)
Yeah, yeah, they are messing with you, you know. I I think because here in Costa Rica people is called Jason. It’s it’s a common name here in Costa Rica. So people is tricking you.

Jason (02:14.348)
Yeah. It’s I know it is I know it’s a common name here as well. Maybe something about the spelling, but it’s I’ve just gotten used to it. I’ve just that’s my Colombian name is Jackson. So anyway, that’s a little off topic. But thank you.

Josué Agüero Solís (02:23.964)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I I think I think it’s it’s more like like a cultural thing. I suppose to. Yeah. Yeah.

Jason (02:31.574)
Yeah, yeah, I th I think so. So let’s so what we’re gonna do, Jose, is we’re gonna get into your story. We’re gonna figure out how the heck you got from where you were to where you are now. But in order to do that, let’s give our listeners kind of an idea of where you are now. And I think the best way to do that is just share with them what is bonanza travel. Not the history, not not the startup story, but what is bonanza travel? What do you guys do? How do you help your clients?

Josué Agüero Solís (02:59.58)
Well, I think you know, Bonanza travel is

It’s more like tourism. It’s our new brand for signature luxury travel here in Costa Rica and around Central America. Bonanza is more like human connections. That is what we’re looking for in the travel industry. It’s not about just coming to a destination. It’s getting that human connection when the travelers feel safe, feels that we are taken care of. That’s the key point of what we are doing in Bonanza. Those signature moments, you know, when they come here to Costa Rica, what we are looking

For these wow moments, that unexpected moments that they are going know to know about this going to happen. An example, we will have an exciting picnic in Monteverdi, seeing around all the beautiful green spaces and cloud forests, and without you knowing. That’s the key point of Bonanza that’s we are doing here in Costa Rica. This is our mind idea: human connections. But I think in tourism industry, you know, Jason, people have to keep in mind that the people who

comes travel to every around the world, you know, savings, ideas, they want illusions. So that’s we are doing bonanza travel as a family-owned company. That’s what we are looking for. Human connections, that the people feel they genuinely care that we are looking for them. That’s the key point.

Jason (04:23.306)
I I love that. And that’s why I wanted to have you come on and share your story. Because that’s that’s what this whole thing is about. That’s what the podcast is about. It’s about creating those human connections. So I love to have conversations with people that are equally passionate about that. That’s just an important part of it. And a couple just kind of maybe specific questions. I think I heard you, you know, we’re talking about Costa Rica, but I think I heard you say Central America, Latin America. So are you working outside of Co Costa Rica?

As well, or is that in on the horizon? what should our listeners know about that part just to be clear on what your area is?

Josué Agüero Solís (05:00.488)
Yeah. We’re totally with South Costa Rica, but you know, some travelers when they come travel around the world, come to Costa Rica, they want to go to near places like Panama, like Nicaragua. Also we are working with Guatemala and Belice. So this is one of the key points because as Bonanza travel we want to keep the same touch and the same human connection with each destination. You know, one of the key points that

We found Bonanza is because some of the partners we have like Costa Rica and they have other partner in Panama, other partner in Nicaragua. So maybe the same attention they have here in Costa Rica, it’s totally different in Nicaragua, in Panama, in Belice. So this one like a they have like these kind of feedbacks who say why Costa Rica is better than the other countries, why they are more interested in Costa Rica. So I I was one day I was thinking with my father, my father also is

you know he has been in the SUC for 30 years, the tourism industry is in my DNA. I was thinking why we are not able to make that happen, to have the same ideas, the same vision, the same mission in all its destinations. So this is one one of the key points also of Bonanza. You know when you go to Panama with us, Nicaragua with us, to Belize with us, and also to Guatemala, all will be the same energy, the same passion, the same services

the same looking for excellence. That’s the key point. Yeah.

Jason (06:29.006)
And I don’t want to get too far into the weeds as far as numbers and all this stuff, but I’m just curious.

Obviously I guess the vast majority of your business is being conducted in Costa Rica. Do you have is there some like very rough number you can give me? Like is it eighty percent of every every dollar that comes into the business is Costa Rica stuff and the other twenty is outside of Costa Rica or just just very, very roughly, like what what does that look like?

Josué Agüero Solís (06:43.525)
Exactly.

Josué Agüero Solís (06:59.228)
Yeah, well

I think we have a privilege in Costa Rica. Most of the operation for us is between eighty percent or seventy-five percent in Costa Rica. The other percentage is between Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Belice. You know, it’s a sort of short percentage because people, you know, love Costa Rica. Love Costa Rica and they just want to come to Costa Rica. Sometimes we do like, well, we offer Costa Rica and then we can go to Panama because they want to extend their stay here in Central America. But normally it’s between seventy parts

Jason (07:08.174)
Okay. All right.

Josué Agüero Solís (07:30.332)
Yeah.

Jason (07:31.939)
Alright, all right. I was I was just curious. And then the other part is, you know, sometimes you talk about the the term DMC, which is, you know, destination management company for our listeners that you know don’t want to listen to the lingo, but destination management company would be somebody that’s working with travel agents or you know tour operators in the US or Europe and then the DMC destination management company.

basically handles their clients for them. But then there’s and then the other model obviously is direct to consumer where people in the US are on your website and they’re booking directly with you. So what is your business model look like? Do you do both of those or what’s your focus?

Josué Agüero Solís (08:16.594)
Well, actually we more focus in partners are all around the world. Yeah, most Europe, United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, those are our major markets. Normally we have like direct travelers from our website. But to be honest with you, we always try to be like

You know, we have to investigate the direct travelers because nowadays, you know, you can find all the information in the internet. Chat GPT, Geminis, all the information is over there. And in the past, we have been kind of situations when a direct traveler requests all the information, all the prices, and then we send all the information, all the TNR, we’ll explain it and will say to us, I will do it on my own.

So no so that’s why we are going to when we receive a direct traveler we are too careful analyzing where we are going to send our information. Because we have been in the past having this kind of situation when we’re happy, we are invest our energy, we make the reservations, and then like three weeks later, one month later, they come back, I do it by myself, please cancel everything. So this is why we start like decreasing the direct travelers and more of

Jason (09:08.504)
Okay, great.

Josué Agüero Solís (09:37.948)
The parties more focused on in partners, yeah.

Jason (09:41.667)
Yeah. And it I I guess we could go really, really deep into the all the theories and stuff behind that, but when you’re working with direct partners in the US and and Europe

I don’t want to say let them handle all the back and forth, but sometimes I mean cuz because they’re working with you as well, so it’s still work. If someone goes directly to somebody in the US, for example, and and does the same thing, your partner in the US is coming to you, working with you to put together an itinerary and then they cancel, it’s kind of the same thing. but but I guess I guess more importantly it it

kind of allows you guys I mean you’ve got a routine, you’ve got a system. You work really well with your partners and you your whole system’s built around that. And then those direct bookings almost end up being more work for you guys you know on many levels. So the I understand the the the relationship with anyway most people listen to this probably already understand this anyway. let’s I think

Josué Agüero Solís (10:21.522)
Yeah.

Jason (10:44.482)
Well, I just wanna ask you a couple more questions about this before we before we kinda get back. Go ahead.

Josué Agüero Solís (10:46.472)
Yeah. You know, you know, Jesus. I was thinking this is not that we do not work with direct travelers. However, we are doing more analyzing stuff internally.

to review it if there is a potential traveler or if it is not. We already have it direct travelers. However, we have to be very careful where we are sending information. Yeah. But we are still working with them. You know, most of them, I went to a rough number, 95% are just partners, and then the other five percent are just direct travelers. Yeah.

Jason (11:22.542)
Do you want to take a moment, because maybe there’s somebody listening to this that has, you know, that is a traveler that is not sure, should I just do it myself? Should I reach out to, you know, Bonanza and ask them to help with an itinerary and then just go do it myself? Let’s take a moment to to kind of share with maybe that listener what is the benefit of booking either with you guys directly or with one of your partners overseas as opposed to trying to go book the

themselves and take an Uber and and do all this. Not that not that people can’t do that, people do that, but

Josué Agüero Solís (11:55.773)
Yeah. You know

One of the key points is working with us, you know, you will be like relaxing. We will do everything for you. You know, we have the best rates, all the negotiations, everything will be perfectly perfectly fitted in your itinerary, your preference, whatever you need, more flexibility, and also, you know, this is those kind of special moments for the travelers, you know, the wow moments without any cost, we will do it for them. Those are the key points that they will have advantage for booking to us. And you know, sometimes it’s about for us.

Luxurious time. If they are looking for hotels, looking for accommodations, looking for transfer, looking for activities, they just send to us the request and we can do it like this. That’s our key point with us. Also fast responses. Those are the key point that we have and the security. Because here in Costa Rica we have a contract, so we have a policies and they if they come to us, they have the itinerary will be exactly secure. If you do the booking online, maybe you will be cancelled.

To be honest with you. Yeah, that that’s one of the key points. And also sometimes do you well the travelers do not know where they are booking. So they might be come to Costa Rica and they don’t know why they’re booking. And you know, one day I was listening and one of the hotel suppliers explained to me, you know, Josué, when we have your request, we always give you the preference to you. And then when we have online booking, but we already know that you are most stronger partners, we gave you the preference and can

Jason (12:58.562)
Yeah. Well you

Jason (13:26.349)
Uh-huh.

Josué Agüero Solís (13:28.074)
Cancel the online booking. So that’s why I always say to the travelers, direct travelers, please work with us because normally here in Costa Rica we have a great relationship with the hotels and not just us, any other partners, and then they will prefer a rate or relationship than just one direct traveler. So that’s one of the key points that travelers have to keep in mind. You know, if you book it directly, you can your plans can change like this. Here with us, you will be everything perfectly.

Jason (13:55.576)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (13:57.948)
And also you will have the concierge signature services with us. When the moment you arrive here in Costa Rica or Nicaragua or Panama, you will have a message from us that whatever you need from us, any change or any cancellations, we will hear for you. And our policies will protect you. Any refunds, any complaint, we will there for you. If you do it online, you will have you will lose all these benefits because there is no more policies than us. That’s that’s one of the interesting

point that maybe people do not value when they do a walking through us.

Jason (14:33.87)
Well they might I think they value it the once they understand it. And that’s why I think I wanted to have this conversation because just you know, if you imagine let’s just imagine you book a nice you know, a nice little boutique hotel, you booked it direct and there was a problem, you know, let’s just say there was a problem, we don’t know to go into specifics, and then

Josué Agüero Solís (14:40.798)
Yeah.

Jason (15:02.646)
you’re upset and you’re like, hey, we need to fix this problem. And the person running the place, or maybe the business owner of the hotel, maybe it’s a great, great little hotel. But they’re looking at it, okay, we’ve got one person, you know, one guy named Bob from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who is, you know, complaining about this or whatever, and well, we just hope that, you know, worst case scenario is Bob writes that doesn’t give us a great review or something.

Josué Agüero Solís (15:29.491)
Yeah. Yeah.

Jason (15:30.679)
Right? As opposed to if Bob books it through you guys and they get to the hotel and they’ve got a problem, that hotel owner is like, man, if we don’t keep Bob happy, then we’re gonna have to explain to you know how sway like what the heck was you know, what happened and they could potentially lose a partner that’s been, you know, sending them a lot of guests. So they’re much more likely to say, Okay, we need to keep Bob happy because of where Bob came from as opposed to we need to keep Bob happy because he might write a negative review on booking dot com.

Josué Agüero Solís (15:43.015)
Yeah. Exactly.

Josué Agüero Solís (16:00.659)
Yeah. Exactly. No, I and no and and you hit it in the spot, Jason. I most of the you know, I think not just only Costa Rica, all around the world operate in in that way, you know, when you are here and they don’t want to lose a great partners like us.

Jason (16:01.262)
Or something. I don’t know.

Jason (16:15.086)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (16:15.845)
And also, you know, we have policies because we we signed contracts, refunds, complaints, upgrades, all these benefits they have with us. So in you know, in only booking, maybe you are not able to have that. You know, so last last year we have a you know kind of situation. We have one traveler who who came with us through our partner. We did all the booking, just one hotel, they decided to book it through their website. Everything was perfect and when they came to us

Hotel, there was a kind of middle misunderstanding, and the traveler was very, very upset. But we were not able to do anything because we we were not the ones who make the reservation. So there so the all the journey was not good enough because of that. So and that’s why we explained to the partner.

Jason (16:56.92)
Yeah.

Jason (17:03.65)
Yeah. I

Josué Agüero Solís (17:07.503)
I explained to you please that hotel. It would be but I do remember because it was the rate. Because you know, sometimes here the hotels work with you know, in the website rates there write some kind of

you know, discounts that they are not controlled by the hotels. booking and expedia have their own discounts because maybe they put a discount in one hotel, but they may be winning in another hotel. So these kind of discounts are not able to be controlled by the hotels. So I do remember it was a just a maybe one hundred dollars the difference from the rate. And then the whole estate was not perfect. And the

traveler was not happy just because of that. So I think the travelers no no they are very known. That is very understanding to book through the DMCs. But then some travelers know. You know what I’m going to say this

The travelers must be feel secure, safe, that if they go into a DMC, everything will be perfectly. Without any situation. If everything happens, we will they we will be there for them. We will be sometimes you know we will fight for them. Even if there is a little situation, the bathroom is not clean. We always we’ll be going to do the best for them. So that’s the difference, because booking through a DMC who will have all the support with us, bonanza.

Jason (18:10.851)
Yeah.

Jason (18:15.928)
Yeah.

Jason (18:25.71)
Yeah, yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (18:31.687)
travel whatever you need the minimum thing the the food the the toilet everything everything will be do for you even you know when you say hi when sometimes there is people who say when we come from bonanza travel the people already know that they have to have genuine connections so we always say please when you assist to our travelers say hello hello how are you where are you from these kind of connections

this is why they make the difference. So this is one of the key points we have great relationships with the hotels because sometimes hotels share the same vision with us. You know, this kind of authenticity that we are looking for. So for me

Jason (19:13.87)
Yeah, no, I I get that. And I mean it go ahead.

Josué Agüero Solís (19:15.603)
Yeah. For me? For me, that’s one of the key points we are always working with the partners. Please, if some travelers came to the hotel, say hello. You know, this kind of interaction is what we’re looking for. Also with our own buses. We have our own drivers and our guides. When we s the travelers comes to the first impression is the driver. So you have to be set up perfectly and always smiling. So we always say, please be polite, say hello. And we have a you know, most of the travel

Jason (19:37.39)
Mm-hmm.

Josué Agüero Solís (19:45.51)
Travelers sometimes even don’t remember the experience they have in Arenal. Sometimes they remember the driver because friendly and he spoke with them every single journey of the of the trip here in Costa Rica. That that’s the key point. That’s the key point.

Jason (19:51.22)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yep.

Jason (19:59.607)
Yeah, yeah. And I appreciate that and I think people listening they I you know, there’s nothing against so travelers that do it themselves. I mean I I’ve been traveling for five years and I I’ve probably stayed in a hundred Airbnbs in the last five years. And I’m not using I’m not trying to compare Airbnbs to hotels, but in the sense that

Sometimes pictures look great. And you get there and you’re like, ooh, okay. So I would say probably seventy, eighty percent of the time, it’s not quite what I was expecting. And there’s times when like I can’t even stay here and I’m pretty I’m pretty easy going. And then, you know, try and get a refund from, you know, Airbnb or try and deal you’re dealing directly with the host and it’s like, my gosh.

Josué Agüero Solís (20:37.128)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (20:44.147)
Yeah. It’s quite difficult. Yeah.

Jason (20:45.268)
And so y you know, that’s just a small example, but i you know, if I’ve got someone on your team that I can get to their being, Hey, you know what, this isn’t right. Can you please fix it? That’d be nice.

Josué Agüero Solís (20:54.087)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you know. Yeah

You know, that that’s a key point because normally as you mentioned before, maybe if they they saw a complaint with a traveller who came from nowhere, they will see, hmm, I will keep that in mind and maybe leave it behind and then maybe start focusing on other in other kind of topics. That’s that’s the key point. Another key point, you know, it’s you know, Jason is when the people who book to us here Bonanza from the beginning of the first call of the first email or you know, your executives always be will be more than happy to assist them. You know, you

will feel the energy, the Costa Rica passion. That’s the way we want to look in for that’s we have a great relationship with partners for many, many, many years back because they feel the energy. At the end, you know, we are sending emails.

Even it is a email, we can feel the energy. I always say to my team, please, when we are starting a week, ask the people, ask the traveller, ask the partner, how was your weekend? How is your family? Because at the end, it’s not about just

the travelers. It’s about internal company. And you know, for me, our partners are also our team. So we have to have a great communication. That’s do you know that’s the for me that’s essential part of having a great relationship. Being happy with the other partners because you know I I am the owner of Bonanza Travel and maybe our partner have other owners. But what’s the key point? Or associates. If they are happy, if they’re happy with the other team, then the same

Jason (22:11.161)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (22:31.433)
Energy will be for the travelers. What happened if my associate is not feeling good and then they have they did not have great communication with the associate of the other partner? Maybe the energy, the itinerary, the ideas will not go in correctly to the travelers. For me, that’s one of the most important parts of the having a great relationship and also work-life balance in a company. Being happy.

Jason (22:56.995)
Yeah, yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (22:58.771)
With your colleagues in your team, you know, because at the end, I can be an expert. For me, I can have all the knowledge in Costa Rica. But if I send an email, at example, angry or not being happy, you will have you will feel the energy. So that’s the key point we always say. Please be polite, be charismatic, be humble, because at the end the people who are in the other part receiving the email will f feel the energy.

Jason (23:26.915)
I I’m curious about something because we’re talking about the energy and I’ve spent enough time in Latin America now that I kinda I think I kinda get things. But so for example, like in you know, where where I grew up, you’d s send an email or a a text message and generally kinda just jump right into the point. I would send a a text, you know, Hey hey Bill, how’s it coming along in that project?

Josué Agüero Solís (23:43.209)
Okay.

Josué Agüero Solís (23:54.845)
Yeah.

Jason (23:55.65)
And and here at least you know, in most of my experience in Latin America, it’s like, Hello, Bill, how are you? That’s the first message. You don’t include anything else. And then they respond say, I’m doing great, how are you? I’m doing pretty well as well. So and there’s this this way of doing things that and then you might jump into the by the way, you know, I just wanted to follow up on this, d you know, just you know, let me know. And it’s just the the way of communicating is

Josué Agüero Solís (24:02.535)
Yeah. Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (24:13.736)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (24:17.853)
Yeah.

Jason (24:25.593)
It’s so different and it takes a while to get used to, but I love it. I think it’s pretty cool. So

Josué Agüero Solís (24:25.651)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, you know, but I think because maybe I always thinking, I always explain to my team, you don’t know how you feel the other person if they’re having a rough day. You know, their weekend have been like very happy or not as happy as they want. So and just as you mentioned, Jason, how are you? How was your weekend? Also when I receive an email from my partner say, How are you? How was your weekend? Are you doing okay? I feel happy, you know, you you get a smile from me. So I always say with with with with my team, you know

Jason (24:54.499)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (24:59.979)
The base of the great foundation of a company is the energy, the humility, the charisma we are sharing with the other teams. Because I think this is the basis of everything. I can have a big company. I have too many partners, a big brand all around the world. But if I don’t share as an owner the same energy, the charisma, the respect, there will be no team. Because the energy for me is very important and the work-balanced life.

Jason (25:24.441)
Yeah. Uh-huh.

Josué Agüero Solís (25:29.899)
It’s one of the key points we’re always looking for in Bonanza travel.

Jason (25:34.352)
Yeah, very cool. Let’s I really wanna now kinda figure out how the heck did you get this this positive energy. Like I wanna now it’s time to go into the story. Let’s so you mentioned that your father’s involved in the business and has been working for thirty years. Yeah, yeah, you s you said that. So I think it might be fun that I like to do anyway is go back into your childhood and and discuss your discuss your traumas and everything that happened that caused you to no, not not traumas. well maybe

Josué Agüero Solís (25:44.881)
Okay.

Josué Agüero Solís (25:49.331)
Thirty years. Yeah. Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (25:57.671)
Yeah, that’s great.

Jason (26:04.305)
Maybe we will, but let’s go back to when you were like, I don’t know, ten or twelve or something like that. What was what was your childhood like? What was happening at that age? Do you remember?

Josué Agüero Solís (26:14.268)
Yes, exactly. You know.

Well, I always will be saying that I’m a privileged person because I I have been a very close family, my mom and my father who always been in the tourism industry. I used to play football when I was a child. I also I have the opportunity to live in Spain. study yeah. I used to live in Spain and also in Germany for a couple of years, you know, two two years and a half in Spain and in Madrid and then one year in Germany, knowing the culture, learning all about the languages. And I think

Jason (26:33.165)
okay.

Josué Agüero Solís (26:45.867)
That’s you know I I’m a privilege because my father gave me that opportunity to learn about other cultures and back to Costa Rica.

Jason (26:54.593)
Okay, but you weren’t you weren’t traveling outside the country doing these, you know, study abroad thing when you were twelve. So let’s let’s get into I wanna I I know I mean I really wanna like so you grew up your f your family had a tourism business.

Josué Agüero Solís (27:00.647)
Yeah. Yes. What

Josué Agüero Solís (27:07.581)
Well well I I grew up w yeah, preferring to recent business. I my first time when I have the opportunity to go abroad first was about fi when I was fifteen years old. And then I w I was out for one month because I was the child and then when I when I was seventeen I just

Jason (27:18.305)
Okay. All right.

Josué Agüero Solís (27:27.441)
go outside. So I’ll you know, but I when I was a child at ten years old, I do remember always my father and my my mother always be positive. You know, I have as I mentioned before, I am a privileged person because I always grew up in a unified family. Both of them, you know, working in the tourism industry. My mother is a lawyer. No, I’m just unique. Yeah, I’m just one. So I have this kind of energy, ambition and passion from my parents

Jason (27:29.007)
All right.

Jason (27:47.151)
Do you have siblings? okay. Alright.

Josué Agüero Solís (27:57.368)
You know, I am very happy because I am the man who I am today because of them. They gave me the opportunities, the education, you know. And always, you know, I have never heard my father or my mother doing I cannot. You know, they always said in positive ways, I can. I will. I will do it. Don’t worry. In a couple of months we will be better. So this is kind of the energy I grew up, you know, so this is why as today, as I am 30 years old, I always positive and always keep the energy.

Jason (28:18.316)
Okay.

Josué Agüero Solís (28:27.301)
But it’s I think it is a ha a habit because since I was a child, my father and my mom always be positive. I can do that. Josué, that’s okay, you can improve, you can do that, you will be better. You are you are too young, you will be better when you will have more age. On this kind of energy and environment that I grew up give me all the ideas, the energy, the opportunity, and the mentality to be right here in this moment. So as I mentioned before, yeah.

Jason (28:54.457)
Did you did you know, I’m curious though, be okay, but when you were 10 or 12, what what stuff like were you into? You mentioned football, but I don’t know if it was at that age. Like were you the type of kid that was out and about playing around in the jungle? Or were you you know into computer games? I mean, what were you into? What was your thing?

Josué Agüero Solís (29:01.032)
Yes.

Josué Agüero Solís (29:14.568)
Yeah.

You know, just football. I I do remember when I was a child, you know, going to the school, playing football, come back here to my house and going to the training camps at night and then when I pre and yeah, yeah, I I was I was trying to to do it professional because you know, one of the key points that I learned from my parents is if you want to do swimming, if you want to do tennis or whatever you want to do, always do your best. So that’s one of the always keeping my mind, always do my best. If I just do

Jason (29:26.062)
wow. Very serious.

Josué Agüero Solís (29:45.41)
Like a paperwork, doing my best. If I’m going to do anything minimum, always doing my best. So that’s why today I have this kind of mentality. I do remember, you know, when I was child doing the training scams and when I was, you know, free time, I come into my father in the office. I was I do remember my five my father doing all the stuff, you know, dealing with suppliers, dealing with partners, and then I do remember because I just started a young age. I just come into an office and just doing paperwork, you know. But I’d since that

Jason (29:52.431)
Okay.

Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (30:15.323)
age I was learning about tourism. So since I was a child, I this is why I always say tourism is in my DNA because I do remember not specifically all the situations years back, but always, you know, ideas of tourism, how to improve, how it can be better, how tourism can be evolving. All these kind of conversations I have learned from my father and my mother, keep in my mind. I’m going to use all this experience through today.

Jason (30:17.891)
Right. Did you

Jason (30:36.239)
Okay.

Jason (30:43.481)
Let me ask you this. Do you it wasn’t that long ago, but twelve was a while ago, but when you were young and you were so invested in football, do you remember like why? What was it about football? Because to some people being a professional athlete symbolizes just maybe leaving where they you know, not doing what their parents were doing. It might be, you know,

their financials, like they don’t they’re not so much into the sport, they just see it as an opportunity to make money. and then there’s other people just like, man, I love the sport so much. I don’t know how I’m gonna make money with it, but I’m just gonna do it. What was what w do you remember your thought processes why you were doing it?

Josué Agüero Solís (31:27.793)
Yeah. Yeah, I just

As a kid who loves to play in football, I don’t have this kind of to be professional or or having a money. You know, I think when I grow up, I you know this kind of childhood is, you know, when you play with your friends all around the neighborhood. I don’t have, you know, kind of cell phones or video games. I’m just playing football with my neighborhood. And that’s that’s why I I was playing football because I enjoyed what I was doing, just for fun. Just for fun. always my father and my mom explained to who’s well if you want to play football for fun, you are a child.

you have to enjoy. So I just play football for fun, yeah.

Jason (32:02.575)
Okay.

Did you did you f when you were young, did you feel like you had a choice of going into the tourism business? Or you could do whatever you wanted to do. I’m just curious because sometimes, you know, it’s the family business. So y you know, I’m just curious what it was like for you.

Josué Agüero Solís (32:21.127)
You you know, I’ve for me it was not like you know, some father says, you have to do this because in the family business. No, my father’s always explained to me and my mother

Please free, whatever you choose for us. You have to learn, you will be an adult, you have to do your own life. And always I don’t see as I was a child, I always to be like, you know, I’m always for looking for people. How are you? How are you? Can I help you with something? And this idea of being a because I love to be Costa Rican, you know, I don’t know, Monteverde, La Fortuna, Osa Peninsula, I think Costa Rica it’s an amazing place. So to be honest with you, Mr Jason, I saw an opportunity.

So I saw, well, I I love what is tourism. I like to be in tourism because getting people, getting to other places, connections, you know, getting more, you know, knowledge about not just not just about tourism, because in tourism you can learn about many other topics. So the knowledge that I can gain from tourism, that’s you know, what’s that’s my my main goal, to getting knowledge to people, to get good connections. And then I say, well, if I have this opportunity, I want

to grow up with my family business. So and then my father feels happy, my mother feels happy because I will continue with the, you know, with the generational world. So it’s it was by my own choice because I I I think it’s always see my father happy, my mother happy. So I grew grew up in a happy environment. We always be positive. I know, maybe, yeah, sorry.

Jason (33:53.264)
Do you r right. Do you r Well I just want to ask you, was there a specific point when it was like, yes, tourism is what I’m gonna do, or did it just kind of over time it was just kind of always just seemed like a natural path?

Josué Agüero Solís (34:06.497)
well Yeah, well at the I do remember I was, you know, doing this kind of sports and because I studied business administration and also law. also law. do remember at eighteen, between eighteen and nineteen years old I I do say, well, fathers, I will continue with the family business because this is what I like to do. So yeah.

Jason (34:31.309)
You you mentioned that you traveled overseas the first time at fifteen, for a month or so. Tell where d where did you go? What was that all about?

Josué Agüero Solís (34:34.983)
Yes. Yeah.

Yeah, I well I go to to Barcelona to you know to the football campus. You know, the my my my father for for gave me the opportunity to for my beard to go to Spain to do like a football campus if it is what it is, because I used to play football just for fun and my father said my father went to me, Joshua if you want to try, you are free to try. So they just give me the opportunity to to go do some kind of you know, camping football in in Spain. So yeah.

Jason (34:43.841)
okay.

Jason (35:04.409)
Did you f did you fly there by yourself or did your parents go with you? Okay.

Josué Agüero Solís (35:07.535)
No, they they go with me. So because I was too young so they they were afraid of what happened, so they they float with me. Yeah.

Jason (35:14.689)
And they so they stayed there the whole time with you? very cool.

Josué Agüero Solís (35:17.221)
Yes, but they were in but they have to stay in a lot of hotels because I was in a campus. So I was to be alone here training with the other people. So we were in the same city but different places. Yeah.

Jason (35:22.84)
Uh-huh.

Jason (35:28.665)
Did you have some time to go out and and explore and not you know, when you weren’t playing football?

Josué Agüero Solís (35:33.745)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have some time. Well, the free the free time I used to go with with with with my parents, you know, to enjoy the the city and all these kind of places. Yes.

Jason (35:43.322)
Was that I I guess the question is like anything happened on that trip that was transformational that because then you said you went and and worked and lived overseas after that as well. So I’m just curious, like that first trip, was there something that clicked with you there as far as wanting to spend more time overseas?

Josué Agüero Solís (36:02.717)
Well I think learn about people. Yes. Learn about people, learn about cultures because I think

If someone has the opportunity to go abroad your country, you will have to, because you will learn the how they wait how they live, how the way they see the life, new opportunities, new connections. Because you know in Costa Rica it’s totally different from Spain and from Germany. So all these kinds of connections and how I can see life now has helped me today to understand also the markets of the tourism, the culture of the tourism, and get you know exploring.

about how to communicate with people. For me, yeah. For me, this experience, you know, I want to go abroad to get, you know, more experience about how to deal with people. That’s one of the key points.

Jason (36:42.383)
Worth Yeah.

Jason (36:53.167)
Okay. And there were presumably there were kids from what did you say, all over the Spanish world? You mentioned Germany, so I’m guessing it wasn’t all the Spanish world, but

Josué Agüero Solís (37:03.271)
Yeah, well i i in the campus was too many kids around the world. Yeah, and then when I have the opportunity to go to study in in Spain and then in Germany, also with more of them were Spanish people, yeah, because they were adult. I’m I just won the the young one. But I think you know

That expertise and that experience at my young age to get, you know, communication with people who are double my age at the time, this helped me to understand how the life works. So that that’s that’s you know for me that’s was

Jason (37:36.227)
Yeah, yeah. Did

Josué Agüero Solís (37:42.184)
break point in my life because I say wow Costa Rica just because I I was you know I was young, I was thinking that Costa Rica was the best. When I when I go abroad, I I say wait if I go abroad I have to understand to learn because not too many people have the privilege to go abroad to study. So I say I’m going to use the much of the time because when I come back to Costa Rica I will be use all the knowledge to implement it by myself. Yeah.

Jason (38:09.163)
And as far as ’cause you mentioned you went to school for business, administration, and law, when you did the most of this overseas stuff, it sounded like studying abroad. So was it part of your university schooling or was it after that? Or just kinda give me an idea how that how that all came together?

Josué Agüero Solís (38:26.365)
No. I well I just

Well I just go to you know to go to the some kind of courses on you know business administration and also administration in football. You know, I have also, you know, some degrees in in in football here in Costa Rica. It’s I have two side of of business, the tourism industry, and also I have, you know, this kind of license to teach first division big here in Costa Rica. So the I have two combinations. I have you know business administration and also business administration and football.

kind of law. So I have kind of this this different kind of combinations. Yeah.

Jason (39:04.239)
Very cool. So what were you studying overseas?

Josué Agüero Solís (39:08.269)
overseas. Well business one one of the key courses was business administration and also I have in degrees in sports management, in football.

Jason (39:16.589)
Okay, so it was all the the stuff you were doing overseas was a s which it normally would normally would be, but was this so I guess the term is study abroad. Like is it part of the university program? You’re like, okay, I’m gonna go do a semester or a year, or did you like a totally different school or what was that like? I mean obviously it was a different school, but you know

Josué Agüero Solís (39:21.19)
Sports class meeting.

Josué Agüero Solís (39:34.472)
Wow.

Well well well to be honest was not any part of the programs. I have the privilege that my f my father just everything for me and just go to the Sportman’s

you know, university here in Spain is called IFEMA. So I go there and study all the management of sports. I learn something about, you know, Moscows and biology and how to deal with the, you know, commercial managers. All these kind of situations dealing with the big clubs, I learn it. So then I come back. Yeah. So I yep. Between nine months, nine months. I stay in the night.

Jason (40:06.489)
Alright, very cool. And in Germany, did you how long were you in Germany?

Jason (40:16.975)
Do you s did you speak any German before you went?

Josué Agüero Solís (40:20.417)
No but just English. Yeah. Yeah but it’s it it’s was it was quite difficult because at that time they want to speak in German. I used to learn German

Jason (40:22.639)
Okay, but yeah, y and you probably you’ve obviously have very good English, but

Josué Agüero Solís (40:35.751)
But it’s quite difficult. You know, I I need more than five years to learn German. I just try to learn German between six months and it’s quite difficult. Quite difficult. Yeah, it’s quite difficult, so I say that’s I just came here for knowledge.

Jason (40:45.046)
yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (40:51.053)
experience all these kind of situations, get it all the information that I can and then come back to Costa Rica. But the language for me is too difficult. You have to keep it every single day trying to learn German because it’s hard language.

Jason (41:05.689)
Where where in Germany were you?

Josué Agüero Solís (41:07.835)
I was in a place called Kassel. Kassel. I think it’s near the I do remember it’s near something called Hessen. Hessen.

Jason (41:10.767)
Okay, no idea where that is.

Jason (41:18.999)
Okay. Did you what did you like I guess two parts. What did you like obviously there was a challenge of the German language, I get that. But what did you like most about your time in Germany?

Josué Agüero Solís (41:29.469)
Well the weather, to be honest with you, because I have never been in the you know, too cold weather because in Costa Rica it’s too warm. So I I I was yes, you know, I have never seen the snow. So when I was John I when I see the snow I feel feel so happy to be honest with you. And also for me the

Jason (41:36.419)
You enjoyed that?

Jason (41:44.569)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (41:47.998)
the meat there because I think they have you know when they got this kind of exportation the meat is very good so the the food. Well the food is not as as good. There was one dish that I like it very much until today I always try the dish. It’s called Snitchel, something like that. Snittchel Snittel yeah I always when I have the opportunity to go to Germany I always try the dish. Yeah I think it’s one of the key points is the the cold weather and also the food. And you know why? The people because the people

Jason (42:04.617)
Schnitzel. Schnitzel. Yep. Yep.

Josué Agüero Solís (42:17.931)
When I have the opportunity to go there, for me the people that I hang around with the school are so disciplined. So that’s why I like, you know, we’re so disciplined and I say, wow, I hope so one day Costa Rica have the same discipline as they have in Germany. It’s it will not possible, but yeah.

Jason (42:34.649)
Good good luck. Well, there’s there’s trade offs, but I think yeah, there’s the stereotypical, you know. Germans and and Costa Ricans are probably on two different sides of the the timing and the scheduling and the maybe the the discipline. But I but I say that in a plu in a very sweet way because the

Josué Agüero Solís (42:41.374)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (42:49.406)
Yeah.

Jason (42:54.999)
Because for me, spending a lot of time in Latin America, I love just the the nature and the energy and the passion and maybe they’re not always on time. Or maybe like when you’re on you know in a shopping center walking behind a family that you know a family of ten people and they manage to spread their themselves completely from one side of the hallway to the other side of the hallway and they walk

Josué Agüero Solís (43:04.317)
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jason (43:24.933)
really slow and you gotta get around them. And I was I was in a mall here locally not too long ago, just like trying to figure out how do I get around these people without being, you know, that guy. Because everybody’s moving really slow. And this woman blew past me and was just like weaving in and out and and then I saw her a few minutes later, she stopped for just a moment and I said, You’re not from here, are you? And she was a she was from Northern Europe or something.

Josué Agüero Solís (43:26.195)
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (43:49.838)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Jason (43:54.826)
the Netherlands and it was so easy to spot her just because of the way she’s moving, not because of the hair or anything like that. But anyway it’s but I like that. That’s you know that’s that’s fun. So was there was there anything not we’re not other than the language, was there anything that really surprised you that was difficult for you to kind of adapt to or that you didn’t enjoy or didn’t didn’t get your head around?

Josué Agüero Solís (44:01.172)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it’s part but part of part of the culture, yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (44:23.047)
Do you know?

I want to be completely honest with you, I will happy, you know, because I have the opportunity to go study abroad. I always see the things in a positive way. You know, we have us to learn sort if if if I have to learn something, I will do it. If I something that I have complicated for me, I will try to do myself. So that’s that’s idea of getting better and the positivism and the comeback to Costa Rica with all the knowledge always give me like, you know, this kind of visualization of seeing the things

Jason (44:32.267)
I knew you were gonna say that.

Josué Agüero Solís (44:53.675)
going well. So that’s part of the key point I have learned from my parents from all the years. For me, it’s never a bad day. We have good days and very good days. That’s what the way I see life. You know, when I see like a challenge, I say, well, this is a new opportunity to grow up. So that’s the key point that’s I have, you know, I felt privilege because of my father’s, I have this kind of mentality and they have well and

Jason (44:55.556)
Right.

Josué Agüero Solís (45:23.595)
And also for having the opportunity to go to Germany, understand the culture, and also go to Spain to understand the culture, nowadays our biggest partners are German. So the main reason that I understand the way German partners work with us is because I have the opportunity to live there nine months. So I understand when they need something, when they request something, and sometimes they request something very strongly, I do not feel like angry or something like that because I already know how they are.

Jason (45:53.84)
Yeah, they’re not gonna they’re not gonna send you know, Hey, how are you today? Hope everything’s going well, you know, they’re they’ll jump right in.

Josué Agüero Solís (45:54.009)
So that’s yeah. But but but but yeah but but you know Jason we have in you know we have this culture with this or business partner that also they also type in Spanish. They say hola como estás? So for me when I looking back year back years back and I say well I have the opportunity to to live in German

In Germany to understand how they’re living, their way of life. And then, you know, ten years later, I’m here sending emails with them and most of most of the partners who are more strongly with us are German. I say, Wow, all this effort through the years

was were worth well worth it because I say well all the investment, all the efforts, not just me, also my fathers, who put in that moment I can be reflected in right now with all the business we have with the German market. You know, and together with you, I ha nowadays I receive emails from our German partners. How was your weeking in Ciudad Colomb here? Or how was your weeking in Costa Rica? On some people tell me, I’m having a barbecue with my team. So this kind of connection we don’t have it, like maybe

Seven years backs. So we have been working on that. This it’s not just maybe people see it’s too quickly. No, we have been working on that almost seven years to change the mentality of also the the German people because years back, as you mentioned before, the emails were hi, how are you? This is what I need. Like like this. No emotions, no nothing. Just straight to the point. Nowadays we have a kind of

Jason (47:08.321)
Mm-hmm. It’s relationship building, yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (47:33.588)
You know, friendship conversations. Also we sometimes to be honest with you, sometimes we have meetings. We have supposed to spoke with something about hotels or rates or situation we have to prove and then we start speaking about life. People who travel to all around the world. So I have a meeting today in the morning. We have s supposed to discuss about hotels and we start speaking about the World Cup, about Messi, about German. And then we start we start talking about Nepal. So

Jason (47:35.631)
Yeah.

Jason (47:59.612)
huh.

Josué Agüero Solís (48:03.541)
This is one of the kind of partnerships we want. It’s not just, you know, straight to the point because at the end of the day we’re human connections. Maybe the lady who wants to have the meeting with me about this topic related to hotels, maybe he wants not to just focus hotels because maybe he wants to be tired and then he wants to hear something different than just work. So we and then we have one one hour meeting. And then

Jason (48:25.903)
Yeah, yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (48:30.953)
And we have to just speak about 20 minutes about the topic. We have to talk about it because we speak about football and the ball and and how are you, how was your weekend. And I think at the end of the day, I’m happy and I feel privileged because I have the opportunity to go outside Costa Rica, get all the knowledge, and nowadays, see 10 years later.

Jason (48:35.234)
Okay.

Josué Agüero Solís (48:53.735)
the retribution of the all the effort that I put and all the you know mentality also with my fathers, being a reality here right now, you know it’s I feel more than happy. I I I don’t have words to describe the the opportunity that we have here in Im Bonanza travel.

Jason (49:14.265)
I wanna you obviously have a very positive outlook on things, what we call you know, high bias for positivity as opposed to negativity.

And you’re also human, so I’m gonna I’m gonna ask you, I’m not gonna say what part about your life sucks, because I know you’re gonna say it’s all great. But when you I’m just curious, when you have a bad day or when you have one of those moments that you kinda need to reset, what kind of stuff do you like to do to get yourself out of a funk?

Josué Agüero Solís (49:26.909)
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (49:44.33)
you know, I go bo I always do workouts, you know, to relieve stress. But you know what I like the most? Going to the sauna. I do fifty minutes of sauna and then I sweat it out, all the stress is gone and then I have green ideas. So, you know, that’s one of the you know, for me

As as a human being, one of the most important parts of the day is going, you don’t have to spend my forty time forty-five minutes doing workup, and then my fifteen minutes in the sauna are the best for me. So when I have a stressful day, or you know, these days when you say, Wow, it’s so challenging. I need to work on this and make that and make that decision, I need to get that report to the partnership, I just say, Well, I’m going to stop right now, and the other day I will go to the sauna.

And these fifteen minutes are for me are amazing because you relieve all the stress. You know, I have read about saunas and for healthy are very good. So I haven’t implemented that like almost six years, you know. I always go three or two days in the week to the sauna. Yeah. Yeah.

Jason (50:36.951)
All right.

Jason (50:40.375)
All right.

Jason (50:47.501)
Yeah, yeah.

Jason (50:57.251)
Right, very cool. I want to touch on because obviously Bonanza Travel you offer a you probably have a a lot of different things that people can do. Let’s be specific to Costa Rica. We’re not gonna go into all the things, but if hypothetically speaking, if one of your guides was just like could not show up and you had to go replace them.

Josué Agüero Solís (51:14.025)
Okay.

Jason (51:25.721)
for the day, and I’m not talking about your expertise, but what type of tour would you most want to guide for a day? What do you enjoy? Like what do you enjoy sharing with people most?

Josué Agüero Solís (51:35.793)
Oof.

Josué Agüero Solís (51:40.156)
Well, what I most enjoy when I have with people is to meet them at the airport, to be honest.

You know, because yes, that that’s what I like the most because you know, when when I go when I go like an example, one touring Arena, one touring Montever, they are really know what they are going to do because we send them the explanation, the key points, the recommendations. But for me what I love love the most is going to the airport and see the first impression of the people. You know, they feel Costa Rica, poravia and when you are with the name and with the logo of the company, they come in

Jason (51:47.715)
Really? Okay.

Josué Agüero Solís (52:17.629)
from this genuine smiling for me is the best moment because you know in this first connection we have

You can share as I always mention, the energy. When you feel maybe they will feel tired, they don’t just want to go to rest. And then when I am here smiling with a gift for the for the child or for just for them as a couple, you know, f seeing the sm this smile in their face, seeing me for me is I have no words to describe because this is what we are always looking for. So my perfect moment far far behind from go to do a tour in Monteverde or in Arenal or do

a hiking or something like that. What I love the most is receiving the people in the airport.

Jason (53:06.073)
That’s interesting. That’s an interesting and I get it. I get it. Was there is was there ever a moment in your life that you can look back on and say, maybe this is why I like meeting people at the airport?

Josué Agüero Solís (53:20.387)
Ye y Hm Just let me turn it because I think you know

When I come into Germany, because when I go to Germany I was alone, just me. And so I I wa as always positive, always seeing things in in that good way. But you know, when I go into Germany I do remember the people was like so directly not very well welcomed, just straight to the point. So I always say, well, if I were in the other side, I will be feel the people who come to us welcome, you know, feel like we take care of them. Not

Not just like, hi, how are you? But maybe they feel like we are genuinely interested in they feel good. So that’s one of was of the key point that I always say, well, sometimes you know when I grew up, I working with a family company or whatever I do in my life, I will implement that.

So I when I decided to to go in full into reason the industry I say I will implement that in my company because you know you came from a different whole country, different cultures. Maybe you don’t speak Spanish. Here in Costa Rica we speak so quickly. So maybe the we can speak in Spanish and the people who don’t understand anything. So I always said, when I have this kind of experience in Germany, I just came away and the people started

speaking with me in Germany or English and I say there is no like connection. It’s like too cold. People is like, well you’re on your own, you be yourself and just going to the point. And I say, well, if I am tourism industry, I want to I w I want to improve that in Costa Rica. So I came back with an idea and implemented here in Costa Rica with Bonanza Travel.

Jason (54:55.343)
Yeah.

Jason (55:11.839)
I had a feeling there was a story behind that response that you like to meet people at the airport. And and I get it completely because I’ve traveled to enough places. I’ve showed up in enough places and I’m super excited to be there.

Josué Agüero Solís (55:15.785)
Yeah, yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (55:25.821)
Yeah. Cool.

Jason (55:26.241)
And then and then you get in a car with somebody that clearly is not as excited to be there as I am. And of course, for me it’s usually an Uber or a taxi. but it’s but it’s yeah, it’s just kind of a downer. You’re like, you know, I’m so excited to be here and then the first person you meet after customs, they’re usually not that happy to be there either. And and then they’re just like grumpy and you know

Josué Agüero Solís (55:31.421)
Yeah, yes, exactly. Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (55:40.733)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (55:46.001)
Yeah. Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (55:52.307)
Yeah. You look

Jason (55:52.728)
And I know that I can’t expect an Uber driver to get in the car and, hey, welcome, so happy to have you here

Josué Agüero Solís (55:56.168)
Yeah. I I totally understand, but you know, if you are in tourism industry

You have to understand your market, you have to understand you know the business you are in. So an example. I know as as you mentioned me before, maybe y you you ask for a Uber. However, the Uber have your information. So they already know that you are a tourist. And maybe going more thinking outside the box. Maybe the Uber can think, well if I create a great saber size, maybe they can give me a tip. I don’t know, an example. So I think the people who work in tourism industry needs to understand that we always have to be

Jason (56:07.791)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (56:36.2)
Well, it’s not always possible, but we always have to be smiling, being having that charitma. Of course, there are some kind of days maybe you are not good enough or you don’t feel good, you have kind of situations with your family, or I don’t know, with your partner or with your kids. However, we have to be this kind of professional that maybe if you are up your 20% of energy that day, please make sure you are giving your 100% in your 20%. So that’s what.

the people have to understand that it’s not just only in tourism, I think it’s all around the areas it could be the same way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jason (57:13.261)
Yeah. But it’s but it’s also like the people that obviously the people you’re going to hire to work with your clients, it’s like, yes, this is this is important, this is what we expect. We’re gonna con remind you of that. But I also get like, you know, the taxi driver and the Uber driver, I mean I’ve had amazing Uber I’ve had Uber drivers that will just

Josué Agüero Solís (57:18.301)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (57:26.974)
Yeah.

Jason (57:35.766)
open up, tell me they’re all it’s like we’re doing a podcast interview. I had a I had an Uber driver in Arizona that was from I think Iraq if I remember and I had the most fascinating conversation. I was like I wish I had my microphone going, you know, because he was so fascinating. But and then you think this guy should be working for a tour operator, not driving Uber.

Josué Agüero Solís (57:51.049)
Did okay.

Josué Agüero Solís (57:57.086)
Yeah. Well y you know you know he here in Costa Rica we we have I have seen these kind of situations, you know, they have there’s people so friendly who say, I love tourism, I love to travel and I say, Well why do you not work in travel industry? So the I think you know it’s it’s not about industry. It’s about the people being, you know? Because the I think we as a as a city, as a people, we have always our you know

or potentials, can we can improve it and also we have some places where we can have you know, we need to improve. But I think it’s maybe some people are in the groom profession. Yeah. Yeah.

Jason (58:36.473)
Let’s let’s touch on real quick because I want to get to I I just want our listeners, I w and I’m curious, like

Okay, you travel you’re abroad, you’re like, if I ever have a tourism company, I’m gonna make sure that the people are met at the airport with a smiling face, all this stuff. You come back to Costa Rica. When did you just give us the quick history of Bonanza travel, just to just like when did you start it? Was your dad involved? You know, just the kind of the key points.

Josué Agüero Solís (58:51.56)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (58:54.993)
Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (59:05.885)
Well, it’s happening in twenty twenty when twenty ten.

Yeah. And I think as I mentioned before because my father was working at and I he was young in another travel company. And we always my father always focusing, you know, in the team we have, take care of the team. So when he was young, he was he has the experience that in the company he has, the people has not exemplated the experience. So we evolved the branding because we have another part of components in our company and then we evolved to bonanza travel. And you know

We have my father have 30 years in the market, and we have a company half of 16 years in the market. And the key point is I’ll always mention my father looking always for

being respect. You know, here internally in the company my father always said, if one people do not respect the other one, cannot be part of their team. So our mind focus in our company, as I always mentioned before, first one, respect, generally connection. And also part of the balance of is, you know, as a family-owned company, we’re always looking for happiness.

I’m being as I mentioned before, as you hear my story, always looking for the good. That’s the key that’s the whole point of of

Josué Agüero Solís (01:00:32.869)
of bonanza travel and having those family coming to Costa Rica and having those wow moments, you know, the like they feel the genuinely connection that we are interested in them. That’s that’s the whole idea of Bonanza Travel because we are we have studied in too many other competitors here in Costa Rica. You know, they are just like more they want just money, money, money. That’s okay because if there is no earnings, there will be no business.

But at the end, this industry is more than money. It’s more, you know. For me, this industry has always mentioned savings, ideas, dreams.

Jason (01:01:04.995)
Yeah, absolutely.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:01:14.917)
In for me the idea of Monanza, all our employees are from the area. So we are w what are our key point? Always I have learned one key thing of my father. I always mention me to me is Josué, we have to make employees. So this is why we found Monanza here in Ciudad Colomb. We don’t have people we don’t high hire people from an example from Alajuela. All our team is located here in Ciudad Colomb. We have people who come into the offices welcome here.

Jason (01:01:44.313)
Mm-hmm.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:01:44.764)
Fi five minutes. So that’s one of the key points that I learned from my father. Impact the community. So all the work here we are seventeen people. Eighteen. Eighteen. And then all eighteen are here from the community. So eighty no eighteen. No no eighteen. Yeah. Yeah.

Jason (01:01:58.938)
Did you say eighteen or eighty?

Eighteen, okay. Wow, okay, that’s quite a team. Eighteen. What is just real quick, if you translate the word bonanza, because it’s it’s a Latin word I is I assume I’ve always thought of it as that. What is the translation for the word bonanza?

Josué Agüero Solís (01:02:13.789)
Yeah.

Well balance is abundance. This is abundance. Yes, because you know

Jason (01:02:21.653)
okay. That makes sense. Yeah.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:02:25.301)
the key point is first of all family own company, the integrity, the union, and then abundance is as a family one to abundance not just on family, or also we have family members who work with us and also impact the community. Most of the people who work with us, their grandfathers, their mothers know to know each other. So as a as a LDA, we are a f a big family, you know? Yeah.

Jason (01:02:49.615)
Good good choice for the name. That’s very cool. I know we’ve covered quite a few things and I know there’s some things we just are not gonna be able to cover because this is your life and trying to pack it into an hour is a little bit of a challenge. But I’m curious before we go, what do you wish I would have asked you or what do you feel like I forgot to ask you that that you want to make sure our listeners hear before we wrap up?

Josué Agüero Solís (01:03:14.387)
You know, Jason, I was thinking maybe one day we can make another podcast to to talk about other stuff. Yeah, I think I would like that. Other quick key point is, you know, to keep in mind for those people who are looking for DMCs, you know, three points that the specialists in travelers must know. You know, I always explain to my team. As a traveler specialist, you will have to listen in carefully to the traveler.

Jason (01:03:18.189)
Yeah, I don’t we probably should.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:03:44.464)
no get to know the country very well and set expectations. Those are the three key points that the specialists in one country must have.

just to keep in mind. For me that’s one of the key questions I would like you to to ask me. But these tricky factors are the ones who the specialists of a destination must have. So for the people who are listening to us, always have to keep in mind that if your specialists do not have these tricky points, you have to rethink. Because you know you you have to for the traveler who are listening to us, they have to be you know that they are really

interesting in you not just selling a country. You know they have to really connect with you to understand what you want because at the end the traveler is going to pay. So that’s the key point.

Jason (01:04:40.014)
Yeah.

And I and I suspect that somebody at some point is gonna be listening to this conversation because they’re maybe they have applied for a job with you or they would like to join your team and they’re doing research about you to try and get some inside tips on how to approach the interview. And I think you just gave them some really good like hey, the this is what’s important to us. So if you if you don’t have it, you need to go get it. And if you do have it, we’re gonna appreciate you and take good care of you and you’ll

Josué Agüero Solís (01:04:51.399)
Yeah. Babe?

Josué Agüero Solís (01:05:07.207)
Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:05:13.437)
Exactly.

Jason (01:05:14.357)
I I I love that. So well, thank you so much. This has been a fascinating conversation. I agree with you. I think we get to come back and have some more conversations either here on this platform or find some other way to collaborate on some projects together. I just I love your energy and I think that when I’m having a down day, I’m gonna give you a call so you can remind me that life is great because I love your energy. Josué thank you so much.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:05:38.471)
Okay. Yeah. Well thank you, Mr. Jam for for all the time, for the well this opportunity to have ex you know, explain all my my history and my point of view. And I think it’s more like a you know podcast, it’s more like a friendship. So I hope so maybe for many, many years to come. It’s been a pleasure.

Jason (01:05:52.377)
Yes. That’s that’s why I do this, to connect with people like you, so to expand my social network. it’s kind of a selfish thing and I just thought, well, we I’ll just I’m gonna reform record these friend conversations I’m having, so hopefully someone else will enjoy them as well. So mostly thank you so much and good luck to you and everything and and I’ll see you soon. All right.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:06:09.383)
Yeah, that’s fair.

Josué Agüero Solís (01:06:13.62)
Thank you, it’s been a pleasure, Mr. Jesu. Thanks to you. Bye bye. Thank you.

Jason (01:06:16.047)
Thanks. Bye bye.

 

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