In the honorable memory of the late Mr Sudip Gautam (1987-2022), a true visionary entrepreneur and pioneer of the Mardi Himal Treks in Nepal, we share with you his inspiring life story that has touched the lives of many Nepalis and foreigners and celebrate his invaluable contribution to the tourism industry in Nepal!
The Hotel Trekkers Paradise started back in 2007 at the High Camp of Mardi Himal soon after 18 years old Sudip Ji, a recent high school graduate decided to stay back in Nepal and develop tourism in this lesser-known part of the Annapurna region. The villagers and elderlies mocked and ridiculed him when he first shared his idea to build a hotel for trekkers in the high camp. Initially, the high camp was used by his grandparents for shifting cultivation which was a common practice in the area. Only a handful of trekkers used to take up the trekking route and camp in the area. There were no hotels to accommodate these rare visitors, but Sudip Ji saw an opportunity at this beautiful paradise not too far from the city of lakes, Pokhara.
14 years since the first hotel was built by Sudip Ji and his family and today they are joined by many other hoteliers in the high camp, running 40 hotels and generating direct employment for more than 250 people, most of who hail from Gorkha. The hotel offers 8 warm and standard rooms with a big hall for all the trekkers on the route to come together, dine and exchange their travel stories. It has not been long since the route has started seeing more domestic tourists in recent years since 2018. With a gradual shift in the mindset with more youths seeking to travel and explore, the country has seen a sudden rise in the number of Nepali trekkers and so has Mardi.
But with the rise in the number of tourists, Sudip Ji was alarmed by the impact of tourism on the environment. More visitors meant increased use of firewood to keep the fireplace running for warmth and the use of more plastic bottles to provide safe drinking water. In search for guidance and direction to address the environmental needs and practice responsible tourism, Sudip Ji was led to the Tourovation Hub Program where he worked with tourism and energy experts from Nepal and India in order to adopt renewable energy (RE) and energy efficient (EE) solutions to develop a climate resilient business. It was his enthusiasm to incorporate RE solutions into his business when Dr Dilli Ghimire from Nepal Energy Foundation suggested the program to him. Once again proving him to be a visionary and responsible entrepreneur, always thinking ahead.
I am having a really good time and learning a lot in the Tourovation Hub. We have been learning a lot of new things that we were previously not aware of. The program has been really helpful in understanding carbon emissions and maintaining financial discipline, which was always important but kept secondary. This is a resourceful stepping stone for my business to become a Green Business.
Sudip Gautam, Owner of Hotel Trekkers Paradise and Restaurant on his experience at Tourovation Hub (2020)
Sudip Ji who was set to go to Switzerland for his further studies said to us in 2020, “I stayed in Nepal because I may have gone alone and progressed but I wanted to take the whole community along with me. There was a time when I was alone but today, I am joined by many”. Hotel Trekkers Paradise and Restaurant is not just any hotel but a hotel that started with a vision to create opportunities for everyone in the community and overall Nepal.
Sudip Ji is an immense loss for the entire tourism industry of Nepal. We express our heartfelt condolences to the family of the bereaved. Although he is no more amongst us, he built and left us a foundation for the Mardi Himal trek in Nepal and made a significant contribution to the tourism industry in his lifetime. Let’s support his great vision of ‘building a green tourism business in the mountains’ by supporting his family business: Hotel Trekkers Paradise and Restaurant. You can experience the culture, nature, and adventure through Mardi Himal Trek with Treks Inside Nepal an extension of Hotel Trekkers Paradise and Restaurant for you to book, travel, and stay.
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