In this episode of The Doers, host Anup Ghimire speaks with Pushpa Raj Adhikari, the founder of Rupakot Resort in Pokhara.
After spending 20 years in Belgium and working in Kathmandu's 5-star hotels, Pushpa returned to Nepal. Instead of choosing an easy life abroad, he bought land on a remote, roadless ridge overlooking Rupa and Begnas lakes to build one of Nepal's most recognized luxury eco-resorts.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Episode Highlights
01:47 - The difference between Love (Maya) and Trust (Bharosa) in business
05:33 - Discovering Rupakot: Seeing value on a barren hill
10:18 - The diaspora dilemma: Why returning alone fails
15:38 - 20 years in Belgium: What working abroad teaches you
21:28 - Passing the baton: The agony of next-gen succession
26:23 - Land in Pokhara: Speculation vs productive business
31:33 - The $30 room disaster: Why price cutting ruins tourism
36:03 - Tourism infrastructure: Why cities fail to deliver
41:38 - The small country myth: Singapore is smaller than Chitwan
46:58 - Chitwan vs Pokhara: Agriculture vs hospitality
53:18 - Generational transition and system friction
01:00:08 - The truth about soft loans and subsidized capital
01:05:33 - The future of Rupakot and high-value Nepali hospitality
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🎤 Host: Anup Ghimire
Founder of The Doers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anup-ghimire-9366aa5a/
🎙️ Guest: Pushpa Raj Adhikari
Chairman, Rupakot Resort
Website : https://rupakotresort.com/about/
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