I Never Wanted to Be Just Another Tour Operator: Jose Elias Ovares

While starting Central America Travelers, Jose Elias Ovares did not intend to become the top player in Costa Rican tourism market. On the contrary, he wanted to create a luxury travel agency that embodied such virtues as personal responsibility, true hospitality and uncompromising quality of service he had known from childhood.

The Decision That Defined My Journey

Often people think that the greatest difficulty in establishing a business lies in acquiring customers or growth. In my case, the greatest difficulty has been choosing the type of business to establish.

As Central America Travelers started growing, opportunities came from every direction. We could have expanded faster by outsourcing more services, accepting every booking and following the path many businesses take when demand increases. From the outside, it looked like the obvious decision. It promised faster growth and a larger operation.

The more I thought about it, the more I realised it wasn’t the business I wanted to build.

I wanted every traveller to know that when they booked with us, we were personally responsible for their experience. If something carried our name, I wanted to know we had confidence in every detail, from the vehicle that collected them to the people welcoming them throughout their journey. That belief became the foundation of our business, and it continues to influence every decision we make today.

Lessons I Learned Before I Became a Founder

Looking back, I realise those values didn’t begin with my company.

They began years earlier, watching my father work.

In 1999, when Costa Rica’s tourism industry was still developing, he welcomed travellers from around the world to destinations such as Arenal Volcano. The roads were different then, the industry was smaller and every journey demanded preparation, patience and local knowledge. As a child, I simply saw my father doing his job. Today, I understand he was teaching me something much bigger than tourism.

He showed me that people don’t remember every kilometre they travel. They remember how they were treated. They remember the confidence they felt, the problems that were solved before they even noticed them and the people who genuinely cared about making their experience special. That lesson stayed with me long before I thought about becoming an entrepreneur.

Building More Than a Travel Company

By the time I entered the industry, travellers had changed. They expected more than transport between destinations. They wanted reliability, personalised service and local expertise they could trust. I realised that creating those experiences required more than good intentions. It required taking responsibility instead of passing it on to someone else.

That is why we invested in our own premium fleet, built a team that shared the same values and focused on long-term relationships instead of short-term growth. It wasn’t always the easiest path, but it allowed us to deliver the kind of experience we wanted our business to be known for.

Looking back today, I don’t believe the most valuable thing we built was a travel company. We built a reputation. In my experience, businesses grow because of the products or services they offer, but they last because of the trust they earn. That is the lesson I inherited from my father, and it is still the principle that guides me every day.

Growing Without Losing What Made Us Different

Starting a business is exciting because every new opportunity feels like progress. Keeping the same standards as the business grows is much harder.

As more travellers discovered Costa Rica and demand for personalised travel experiences increased, our business naturally grew with it. Like many founders, I found myself asking difficult questions. Should we expand faster? Do we outsource more of our services? Are we going to concentrate on satisfying many customers without being able to control their satisfaction?

These choices made for Central America Travelers determined its future to a much greater extent than any marketing strategy or business plan could have done.

I realised early on that our guests were not choosing us simply because we could organise a journey. They were choosing us because they trusted us to take care of every detail. Once you understand that, your priorities begin to change. Growth is still important, but protecting that trust becomes even more important.

That is why we decided to purchase our own premium fleet instead of relying on other companies all the time. It required a much greater financial commitment and brought additional operational responsibilities, but it also gave us something we could never outsource: consistency. Every vehicle, every transfer and every guest experience reflected the standards we wanted our business to be known for.

The same philosophy influenced the people we chose to work with.

Technical skills can be developed over time, but attitude, professionalism and genuine care for guests are much harder to teach. I wanted to build a team that understood we were not simply providing transportation. We were often welcoming people to Costa Rica for the first time. That first impression matters, and I have always believed it deserves the same attention as every other part of the journey.

Looking back, I also learned that saying “no” is sometimes one of the most important decisions a founder can make.

Not every opportunity is the right opportunity. There were times when growing faster would have been easier, but it would also have meant compromising the experience we wanted to deliver. I have never believed that long-term success comes from accepting every opportunity. It comes from staying focused on what you want your business to be remembered for.

Lessons That Changed the Way I Lead

As the business grew, a few principles became part of the way I lead every day.

• Protect your reputation before chasing rapid growth. Opportunities will always come and go, but trust takes years to earn.
• Invest where your customers feel the difference. People may never see the work happening behind the scenes, but they always notice when the experience is consistent.
• Surround yourself with people who care as much as you do. Great businesses are never built by one person. They are built by teams that share the same commitment to quality.
• Think long term. The decisions that seem slower today often become the strongest foundations for tomorrow.

Every entrepreneur defines success differently.

For me, success has never been measured by how many journeys we organise in a year. It is measured by the number of guests who return, recommend us to others and leave Costa Rica with memories they will never forget. These experiences let me know that going for quality instead of convenience was always worth it. It was the best business decision I could have made.

About the Founder

Jose Elias Ovares is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Central America Travelers, with over 20 years of expertise in Costa Rica’s tourism sector. He was born into a family that had ties to the tourism sector, and developed his enterprise on the basis that great travel experiences depend on personal accountability, local knowledge, and excellent service, not quick fixes.

He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Ecotourism from the University of Costa Rica, as well as an MBA, which blends sustainable tourism practices with business management

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About Central America Travelers

Central America Travelers is a high-end travel organization that operates out of Costa Rica. They provide luxury travel in terms of personal transportation and tailor-made trips across Costa Rica and Central America. Their reputation rests upon having a luxury vehicle fleet, skilled local guides, and a personalized service experience for travelers from all over the world.

Based on the concepts of reliability, authenticity and personalized service, Central America Travelers strives to create a memorable experience in addition to promoting the natural and cultural heritage of Costa Rica.

Our Commitment to Quality, Safety & Sustainable Tourism

The services offered at Central America Travelers include not only a meticulous organization but also commitment to the quality of services, responsible tourism and a dedication to each and every traveler choosing to explore Costa Rica with us.

Certifications and declarations obtained from the Costa Rican Tourism Board include Essential Costa Rica Certification and Tourism Declaration (Declaratoria Turística). The certification highlights our dedication to providing outstanding services while meeting the standards set by Costa Rica concerning sustainability, professionalism and authenticity of the services provided.

Responsibility has always been one of our trademarks, which is why we promote sustainable travel and adopt the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children and Adolescents against Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism. Also, all of our operations comply with Costa Rica’s Law 7600, thus ensuring inclusiveness of our travel services for guests with disabilities.

Professionalism and personal responsibility of the staff are guaranteed by our use of locally trained and certified professional guides along with the premium fleet and our team of experts that make our trips truly special for all travelers.

Finally, the liability and commercial insurance coverage that we carry further guarantee a professional execution of any trip we provide for our guests as well as for our travel partners.

The certification and declaration above are just an addition to the standards set in the early stages of our existence at Central America Travelers—trust, integrity, personal responsibility and passion for luxury travel across Costa Rica and Central America.

Connect With Jose Elias Ovares & Central America Travelers

Whether you wish to organize your bespoke Costa Rica holiday or choose private transportation to Costa Rica or another Central America destination, we will be glad to assist you.