Business View Carribean l January 2023

25 26 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 1 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 1 THE CAYUGA COLLECT ION On-site carpenter at Isla Palenque building the island’s furniture with fallen-tree wood PREFERRED VENDORS/PARTNERS n Bionest www.bionestcr.com n AquaEco Solutions www.aquaecosolutions.com The Culinary Tour at Isla Palenque includes island foraging and local cooking techniques. At Senda Hotel, Monteverde, Costa Rica- the property directly backs onto the Aguti Wildlife Reserve where our guests have exclusive and unlimited access to it. As the global tourism industry rises from the Covid-19 slump, Cayuga Collection has rebounded quickly, although Hans admits the company had almost hit rock bottom at the height of the pandemic. “Like other tourism businesses, we had some tough months of being closed, having zero income, and having to let go of many of our long-time employees. But we came out of it with much learning, and we were lucky that tourism rebounded quickly, especially in this part of the world.” “For the last 18 months, we’ve been breaking record after record regarding visitation, occupancy, and sales at our hotels. We’ve been able to bring back most of our people and invest in the properties. It’s been a very positive period for us, and the outlook into the future is very positive.” “Another interesting experience was the realization that our investment in local people and communities paid off in those difficult times because they stood with us and stayed loyal. We helped them, and they helped us, and we now have tight-knit teams doing an amazing job.” These experiences have solidified the company’s belief in how it conducts business, with Hans confident that the formula they use will carry the company to greater heights. “We want to continue that symbiosis of luxury and sustainability. We plan to up our game in terms of luxury through upgrades, physical training, and culinary offerings without compromising our focus on sustainability.” “We’d also like to grow and maybe add a few new properties in different locations. However, we’re very selective to ensure it’s the right property and owners. We must ensure we share the same values with the owners regarding people, sustainability, and community. “We’re in no hurry to grow, but we know our model can positively impact wherever we are.”