From Controlled Chaos to Strategic Success
How The Jaguar’s Jungle Achieved 34% Growth with Guest Focus
In the remote rainforests of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, The Jaguar’s Jungle Lodge offers visitors an immersive eco-tourism experience, complete with hiking tours, snorkeling adventures, and wildlife encounters. When Elizabeth Bean, the lodge’s administrator, first connected with Guest Focus in early 2023, she thought the business was doing “just fine.” However, she soon discovered that financial success was just the beginning of what the lodge could achieve.
Despite the lodge’s unique offerings and prime location near Corcovado National Park, The Jaguar’s Jungle faced several underlying challenges:
- Lack of structured financial tracking and goal setting
- Limited understanding of key business metrics
- No clear view of spending patterns or profit margins
- Inefficient booking and tour sales processes
- Website content that wasn’t fully optimized for conversions
- Uncertainty about pricing strategies and package offerings
“We didn’t know how much money we were spending every year, so we didn’t know how much money we were actually profiting,” Elizabeth recalls. “We didn’t know how much we were spending in payroll or any of that. We were in total chaos, even though it was controlled chaos.”
The Solution
After an initial consultation with Kelsey at Guest Focus revealed untapped potential in their website copy, Elizabeth decided to invest in the comprehensive coaching program. Despite some initial hesitation about the investment, the program provided:
- Structured financial tracking templates and systems
- Strategic guidance on tour pricing and packaging
- Website optimization and copywriting support
- Process development for various business operations
- Regular coaching sessions addressing different business aspects
- Access to workshops and educational resources
The program’s multi-faceted approach proved particularly valuable.
“You have many different people coaching you in many different sectors,” Elizabeth explains. “You have Kelsey helping you with website copy and design, your coach working on various topics, and classes and workshops with different resources and templates for all things financial and tour guide and experience wise.”
One particularly transformative suggestion was implementing package offerings – though Elizabeth initially had reservations. “I was thinking, this is going to be really complicated to put together. How’s this going to work with a booking engine? Are people going to want to spend that?” Despite her concerns, she followed her coach’s guidance, and the results spoke for themselves: 15 packages sold in the first month alone.
The Results
After implementing Guest Focus strategies, The Jaguar’s Jungle achieved remarkable results:
- 34% increase in total revenue
- Over 30 premium packages sold in first 2.5 months
- Improved guest experiences through strategic tour packaging
- Enhanced website performance and direct bookings
- Better operational efficiency through systematic processes
- On track to hit million-dollar revenue mark
- Improved review ratings
“Everything is so much easier that you can now focus on new ideas and new things, hire more people, grow if that’s what you want,” Elizabeth shares. “We made the program investment back within a month or two.”
Key Success Factors
Elizabeth attributes their success to several factors:
- Openness to new approaches and willingness to implement changes
- Systematic implementation of new processes
- Consistent use of financial tracking templates
- Strategic approach to package development
- Improved tour scheduling and guest experience design
“You’re building blocks and all these small changes at the end of the year are what make this huge difference,” Elizabeth reflects. “I have all this new knowledge on how to handle all of these things and all these new processes for the business itself. And then you can really start to think bigger.”
Looking Forward
The impact of Guest Focus coaching extends beyond immediate revenue growth. The lodge now has:
- Clear metrics for decision-making
- Structured processes for future growth
- Better work-life balance through improved systems
- Foundation for continued scaling
- Tools for long-term business planning
For other tour operators considering Guest Focus, Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of being open-minded:
“If you are open-minded, not super stubborn, willing to listen to someone who probably knows better than you about a few things, and then implement those things and actually dedicate the time to implement those things, then it will be worth it.”
The transformation at The Jaguar’s Jungle demonstrates how structured business coaching can help even successful tourism businesses unlock their full potential.
“These changes are easier to do on your own as well because they’re not just doing it for you, they’re teaching you how to do it,” Elizabeth concludes. “It’s better that you actually educate yourself to be able to implement all of these things that will ultimately give you more time in the end and make running the business a bit less stressful and more satisfying.”
Are you ready to see success like this in your business? Book your free strategy call with us today and get actionable feedback so you can grow the business you deserve!
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