GO! Jamaica Travel: Creating Seamless Travel Experiences Across Jamaica 

How a Lifelong Tourism Professional Turned Local Knowledge into Trusted Travel Experiences! 

Travellers can compare hotels, flights and holiday packages in minutes, yet finding experiences that truly match their needs still calls for local knowledge, honest advice and dependable support. For travel companies, the challenge lies in turning countless choices into journeys that feel personal while ensuring visitors can explore a destination with confidence.  

GO! Jamaica Travel was established in 1995 to address a gap between travellers and Jamaican hotels through a locally focused tour operator and destination management company. Founded by Dr. Dave A. Chin Tung, whose career spans travel agencies, airline sales and travel distribution, the company grew from a dining room table into a business formed by customer trust and a deeper connection to Jamaica.  

His approach places careful planning, reliable partnerships and personalised service at the centre of the travel experience, with a clear purpose: helping visitors discover Jamaica while creating meaningful opportunities for the local people and businesses that make each journey possible. 

Who are you? Could you please brief us about yourself? 

I am a 4th generation Chinese Jamaica born in Port Antonio, which is recognized as the birthplace of Jamaican tourism. 

Attended prep and high school in Jamaica and went to Montreal after to attend college. 

I then lived in NYC for a few years before returning to Jamaica and working in travel agencies, eventually as the district sales manager for TWA and general sales agent for Martinair Holland and finally in charge of sales at Worldspan in the Northern Caribbean. From there I started GO! Jamaica Travel in 1995. 

In February pf this year I was awarded an honorary PhD in Travel and Tourism Management by International American University and on 26 September the university awarded me an Honorary Professorship in Tourism Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation. 

What first drew you into the travel industry, and what problem or gap in the way people experienced Jamaica did you feel compelled to solve when you began building your career in travel? 

My 1st job in travel was part-time. Needed something to do after college and thought this would be fun. Little did I know then that my career and company would take off and play such a vital role in Jamaica’s tourism. 

When I started GO! Jamaica Travel in 1995 at my dining room table, I saw a need for a local tour operator and DMC to bridge the gap between consumers and hotels in Jamaica. There was 1 other company, but they concentrated on overseas hotels. This was the perfect opportunity to step into this segment of the market. 

Travel is ultimately a business built around trust because customers are placing their time, money, and often once-in-a-lifetime experiences in someone else’s hands. What does being a trusted travel agency mean to you, and how do you turn that belief into everyday decisions at GO! Jamaica Travel? 

Being a trusted travel agent means knowing that when someone books with me, they are placing more than money in my hands. They are trusting me with their time, their hopes, their family celebrations and sometimes a journey they have spent years saving for. 

For me, trust means earning that confidence through honesty, sound advice and care that continues after the booking. At GO! Jamaica Travel, “the customer comes first” must guide our choices, especially when doing the right thing costs us a sale or requires extra effort. 

I turn that belief into everyday decisions by: 

• Listening before recommending. Understanding the traveller’s budget, needs and expectations before suggesting a destination or package. 

• Choosing suitability over commission. Recommend what serves the customer best, even when another option would earn us more. 

• Making the full picture clear. Explain costs, restrictions, cancellation terms and practical limitations before the customer commits. 

• Checking before promising. Verify details, admit when we do not know and follow through with an accurate answer. 

• Choosing partners carefully. Use customer feedback and service experience to decide which suppliers deserve our continued business. 

• Taking ownership when problems arise. Keep customers informed, explain the available options and follow the issue through. 

• Protecting personal information. Handle passports, payment details and travel plans with discretion. 

• Keeping small promises. Return calls, meet deadlines and provide updates when we said we would. 

Before any important decision, I can ask: “Is this right for the traveller, have we explained it honestly, and can we deliver what we are promising?” 

That belief also shapes how I lead. I want our team to feel supported when they raise a concern, correct a mistake or recommend a less expensive option that better fits a customer. We should recognise those decisions alongside sales success. 

My guiding commitment is: “At GO! Jamaica Travel, I want every customer to feel that their journey matters to us—and to see that care in every decision we make.” 

With travellers now able to compare flights, hotels, packages, and destinations online within minutes, what do you believe a professional travel agency must offer that an online booking platform cannot? 

An online booking platform can sell you a trip. A professional travel agency can help you make the right choices—and support you throughout the journey. 

Both can offer convenience and competitive prices. The difference is the personal attention, judgment and accountability a professional agency brings: 

• Advice tailored to you: Recommendations based on your budget, interests, mobility needs and travel style. 

• A complete, coordinated journey: Flights, hotels, transfers, tours and connections planned to work together. 

• Clarity before you pay: Help understanding baggage allowances, fare restrictions, cancellation terms and the total cost. 

• Firsthand knowledge and relationships: Practical insights and supplier contacts that can help secure suitable arrangements and resolve concerns. 

• Human support when plans change: Someone who understands your booking and can help with disruptions, rebooking and supplier follow-up. 

• Care for complicated trips: Personal attention for groups, celebrations, conferences and journeys involving several destinations. 

• Someone accountable to you: A professional you can contact, who takes ownership of helping you. 

Some online platforms also provide advice and customer support. The strongest advantage of a professional agency is an ongoing relationship with someone who knows your needs and earns your trust. 

Jamaica has a powerful tourism identity, but travellers today are looking for experiences that feel personal rather than simply ticking destinations off a list. How do you understand what a traveller truly wants and translate that into an experience that feels meaningful? 

I understand what a traveller wants by listening for what the journey means to them—not just where they want to go. A request for a beach holiday might really be a need for rest, time with a partner or a chance to celebrate something important. 

At GO! Jamaica Travel, that starts with a thoughtful conversation: 

• Why this trip, and why now? Is it a celebration, an escape, a reunion or a new adventure? 

• How do you want to feel? Rested, excited, connected, pampered or inspired? 

• What have you enjoyed—or disliked—on previous trips? Real experiences often reveal more than a list of preferences. 

• What matters most? Privacy, food, culture, nightlife, comfort or time together? 

• What must we work around? Budget, mobility, dietary needs, travel dates and everyone’s different expectations. 

Then I reflect back what I have heard: “You want a comfortable, unhurried holiday with time together, good food and a little local discovery. Have I understood you correctly?” 

Once that is clear, every recommendation should serve that purpose. For someone seeking rest, that could mean a direct flight, an easy transfer, a quiet room and fewer scheduled activities. For someone seeking connection with a destination, it could mean a local guide, regional food and time to explore beyond the hotel. 

A meaningful experience also needs room for the traveller’s own discoveries. Filling every hour can take away the freedom they came for. 

The measure of success is whether the traveller returns feeling that the journey gave them what they needed. A follow-up conversation helps us understand that—and plan their next trip with greater care. 

The travel industry has faced major disruptions in recent years, from changing traveller expectations to natural disasters and wider economic pressures. What have those moments taught you about building a travel business that can remain dependable when circumstances suddenly change? 

For me, the lessons at GO! Jamaica Travel are practical: 

• Prepare before a crisis. Keep emergency contacts, clear response procedures and accurate booking records accessible, and make sure more than one team member can take responsibility. 

• Communicate early and honestly. Customers need to know what has changed, what their options are and when they will hear from us again—even when we are still waiting for answers. 

• Build strong relationships and alternatives. Dependable suppliers matter, alongside alternative arrangements when a hotel, route or destination becomes unavailable. 

• Maintain financial discipline. Manage costs carefully, build reserves and avoid becoming overly dependent on one market or supplier. 

• Equip and support the team. Staff need the training, authority and support to make thoughtful decisions under pressure. 

• Learn after every disruption. Review what worked, where customers struggled and what we need to improve before the next challenge. 

Economic uncertainty also teaches us to listen more closely. A customer may still want to travel but need a smaller budget, different dates or more flexibility. Our responsibility is to help them make a choice they can comfortably afford. 

Dependability does not mean promising that nothing will go wrong. It means being prepared, staying reachable and following through when circumstances change. That is the kind of trust I want GO! Jamaica Travel to earn every day. 

Running a travel company means balancing the interests of travellers, hotels, airlines, destination partners, local communities, and your own team. How do you build partnerships where trust works both ways and ultimately improves the traveller’s experience? 

I believe trust works both ways when we are as dependable to our partners as we expect them to be to our travellers. That means being clear about expectations, honouring commitments and being honest about what we can deliver.

For me, building a partnership starts with understanding the people behind the business. A hotel needs accurate booking information, and an airline needs us to understand its conditions; our team needs the support to serve customers well. Local communities deserve respect and a fair share of opportunities tourism creates. Understanding those needs helps us make promises that everyone can fulfil. 

Communication is especially important when something goes wrong. If a flight changes or a guest has a concern, the traveller needs someone to take ownership. I believe in addressing the immediate problem together, then having an honest conversation about what happened and how to prevent it from recurring. How we handle a difficult moment often determines the strength of the relationship. 

At GO! Jamaica Trael, my guiding principle is that every partnership should help us take better care of the traveller. That includes listening to feedback and being willing to challenge a recommendation when it does not suit the customer’s needs. 

Ultimately, the traveller experiences the combined effort of everyone involved. When our partners trust us, and we trust them, we can anticipate needs, resolve problems faster and give customers greater confidence throughout their journey. 

As Jamaica continues to evolve as a global destination, where do you see the biggest opportunities for travel agencies and destination management companies to create new value rather than simply sell existing travel products? 

I see the biggest opportunity in designing journeys that give travellers a deeper connection to Jamaica while creating more value for the people who live here. Agencies and destination management companies can bring local knowledge, relationships and careful coordination to experiences that travellers would struggle to assemble themselves. 

Jamaica’s emphasis on community tourism and stronger links between tourism, agriculture, entertainment and local businesses provides a foundation for that approach.   

For me, the strongest opportunities are: 

• Developing experiences with local communities. Work with guides, farmers, chefs, musicians and artisans to create bookable experiences. Local partners should help shape the offering, agree on fair payment and decide how visitors engage with their community. 

• Building journeys around a personal purpose. A heritage trip for a Jamaican living abroad, a family reunion or a cultural discovery holiday needs thoughtful research and coordination. That expertise is a service worth paying for. 

• Connecting different parts of Jamaica. Combine a resort stay with carefully planned visits to places such as Kingston, Port Antonio or the Blue Mountains, with realistic travel times, reliable transport and suitable accommodation. 

• Making travel easier for more people. Verify accessibility, understand older travellers’ needs and plan for families with different abilities and interests. Accurate detail can make the difference between a trip someone considers and one they can confidently take. 

• Creating more value around events. Conferences, weddings and incentive trips can include local food, cultural experiences and opportunities to explore, giving visitors reasons to extend their stay. 

• Providing dependable coordination. Clear information, responsive support and practical alternatives when plans change are valuable parts of the experience. 

For GO! Jamaica Travel, I would start with a small collection of distinctive experiences, develop them closely with trusted partners and improve them through traveller feedback. Success should include customer satisfaction, repeat business and worthwhile earnings for our local partners. 

Our opportunity is to make Jamaica easier to discover, more meaningful to experience and more rewarding for the people who make each journey possible. 

Your work sits at the intersection of tourism, hospitality, customer service, and business development. What are some principles you have learned about people and relationships that you believe other travel professionals could apply to build stronger, more sustainable business? 

One of the most important lessons I have learned is that people remember how you made them feel, especially when they needed your help. Across tourism, hospitality and business development, relationships grow through the care and consistency we bring to everyday interactions. 

For me, several principles guide that work at GO! Jamaica Travel: 

• Listen before offering solutions. A traveller, colleague or business partner may have concerns they have not yet expressed. Thoughtful questions help us understand what matters. 

• Make promises carefully and keep them. Trust grows when our actions match our words—from returning a call to delivering an agreed service. 

• Be honest when the truth is uncomfortable. Explain limitations, acknowledge mistakes and address problems promptly. People need accurate information to make good decisions. 

• Respect everyone involved. Drivers, guides, reservation staff and hotel teams all influence the traveller’s experience. Their knowledge and contribution deserve recognition. 

• Seek mutual benefit. Fair terms, timely payments and realistic expectations give partners a reason to invest in the relationship. 

• Support the people delivering the service. Training, clear responsibilities and manageable workloads help a team provide dependable care. Commitment should never depend on constant exhaustion. 

• Stay connected after the transaction. Ask how the journey went, listen to feedback and use it to improve. Personal attention should come with respect for privacy. 

• Hold relationships to clear standards. Warmth matters, but so do accountability and the willingness to address repeated poor service. 

I also believe that a sustainable business must earn enough to deliver on its commitments. Pricing our expertise fairly allows us to support our team, maintain service standards and remain available to customers over time. 

My advice to other travel professionals is to treat every interaction as an opportunity to earn trust. A booking brings immediate revenue; a relationship, cared for consistently, gives a business a future. 

Awards and industry recognition can bring visibility to a travel company, but long-term trust is built through what happens after the sale. What systems, standards, or habits have helped you ensure that the quality of service remains consistent from the first conversation with a traveller to the end of their journey? 

Awards bring visibility, but every customer’s journey gives us another opportunity to earn their trust. For me, consistency means making good service a shared responsibility, supported by clear processes and everyday follow-through. 

At GO! Jamaica Travel, the habits I would emphasise are: 

• Understand and record the customer’s needs. Capture preferences, budget, special requirements and agreed expectations so the traveller does not have to repeat their story whenever another team member assists. 

• Check the details before confirming. Review names, dates, connections, room categories, transfers and booking conditions. Small errors can have a significant effect on a holiday. 

• Give every booking a clear owner. The customer should know whom to contact, with a colleague ready to help when that person is unavailable. 

• Prepare travellers before departure. Provide clear documents, reconfirm key arrangements and explain how to reach assistance during the journey. 

• Follow concerns through to resolution. Record the issue, assign responsibility and give updates when promised. Passing a concern to a supplier should not end our involvement. 

• Learn after the traveller returns. Ask what worked and what fell short, then use that feedback to improve our recommendations, supplier choices and team practices. 

Regular booking reviews and team conversations help turn these habits into consistent service. I believe we should measure response times, accuracy, unresolved concerns and customer satisfaction alongside sales. 

The standard I want is simple: the care that wins the booking must continue throughout the journey—and into the welcome home. 

Looking ahead, what do you believe trusted travel agencies and tour operators of the next decade will do differently and what advice would you give emerging travel professionals who want to build a reputation that lasts beyond individual bookings and business cycles? 

I believe the most trusted travel agencies and tour operators of the next decade will make travel more personal, their advice more transparent and their support more dependable. Their reputation will rest on how consistently they deliver, especially when a journey becomes difficult. 

They will use technology thoughtfully—to simplify planning, remember preferences with permission and communicate promptly—while keeping knowledgeable people available for decisions that need judgment and care. 

They will also be clearer about pricing, limitations and recommendations. Customers should understand what they are paying for, why an experience suits them and what support they can expect. Trust grows when there are fewer surprises. 

I believe these businesses will take greater responsibility for their impact on destinations: choosing partners carefully, paying fairly and developing experiences with local communities. They will prepare for disruption through sound finances, trained teams and practical alternatives. 

For emerging travel professionals, my advice is: 

• Learn your craft deeply. Understand destinations, booking conditions and the practical details that shape a journey. Verify what you do not know. 

• Protect your credibility. Recommend what fits the traveller’s needs and make promises you can fulfil. 

• Be dependable in small things. Return calls, check details and meet deadlines. These habits establish your reputation. 

• Handle mistakes openly. Take responsibility, explain the options and follow through. 

• Build fair relationships. Respect customers, colleagues and suppliers. Long-term cooperation needs mutual benefit. 

• Charge fairly and manage wisely. Your business needs the resources to maintain the service you promise. 

• Keep learning. Let customer feedback improve your judgement and adapt as needs change. 

For me, that is the future worth building at GO! Jamaica Travel: a business whose customers feel confident returning and recommending us to people they care about. 

A reputation that lasts is built when people can say, “They gave me honest advice, kept their word and were there when I needed them.”