All successful people know that it doesn’t come easy and they are bound to fail more than they will succeed at anything. He was willing to fail in order to eventually succeed. As we say hard work pays so is the case of Mr Tundup. With his 14 years of hard work he used to work 365 days a year and 16 hours a day. And today he has employed around 35 local people.

Tundup Dorjey is the proprietor/owner of Overland Escape. He was born on 1st April 1972 in Chushot village.  He owns the media organisation Reach Ladakh and Aircel Distributer too. At the age of 26 he started a small Travel Agency, at the beginning of the year 2000. And in 1999 he wrote a Travel Guide Book as Reach Ladakh for the Tourist Information. He has done his MBA in Tourism from Pondicherry Central University in 1997. He was willing to learn from each failure, as it will help him make better decisions that lead to success later. While many people give up after failing at something, but he persevered.

Tundup is a person who is making things that other people need instead of being on the other end of the spectrum, consuming them.

Q. Tell us about your childhood and your educational background.

Life in those days was very difficult and we were also economically poor like all other families. During those days I used to do part-time work so that I can earn and buy things for ourselves. And later I started doing a few programmes in AIR Leh and earn a little. Since my childhood, I always had the urge to work for society. Up to 5th class, I studied in Govt. High School Chuchot and after that till class 12th I studied in CIBS Choglamsar. And then for my Graduation, I went to Chandigarh and after that, I did MBA in Tourism from Pondicherry Central University. Teachers at my school in Leh had embedded the zeal to work for Ladakh’s society and that is why when I was leaving to Chandigarh for my studies, I prayed at the Leh Airport that when I would return I will definitely work for uplifting my society.
 
Q. Why do you choose to do your Post Graduation in Tourism?

At first, I was planning to study Law and even got selected but I was more interested in the tourism industry as I love travelling and meeting new people from all over the world. I used to work as a travel guide in some travel agencies. At that time the travel agent was not much reputed as the tourism industry was not much flourished.
 
Q. Tourism was not much developed in Ladakh at the time when you did your PG in Tourism. What hindrances and challenges you had to face during the journey?

 Initially, when I told my parents about my studies in tourism, they did not know what I would actually do in this field. They even got annoyed at my decision. There was not a major hindrance but I was lucky enough that within my joining as a travel agent, the Tourism industry started flourishing in Leh. I used to pay everybody on time and serve my clients well because of which I always got a positive response from my clients. At that time travel agents were not willing to work for domestic tourist but I started accepting all foreign as well as domestic tourists. And then people who initially were not willing to work with domestic tourist started guiding them too.

Q. You are investing a huge amount of money in the newspaper ‘Reach Ladakh Bulletin’. The fact is that it is still in loss margin. Tell us how difficult it is to invest in a newspaper.

I always wanted to do something for the people of Ladakh and at first, I thought of starting an NGO but at that time I was already married and had children, so time was not feasible for that as I have to look after my family. Then I started Reach Ladakh guidebook while I was studying at Pondicherry University and then started Reach Ladakh Newspaper. And this was not for the sake of generating profit but for the sake of contributing for the society.  Maybe for a few years, I might have to run the office in the loss but I will definitely not close this office.

Q. What are the biggest advantages and threats that Ladakh has to face with the rise in tourism every year? Do you see any changes in the tourism industry then and now?

As it is rightly said that excess of everything is bad. A few years back tourism was not that much developed. If it will increase then Leh might become crowded like some other tourist places of India. The economy and environment and the tourist influx every year needs to be in balance otherwise, in the long run, it might create a big challenge for Ladakh’s society.

Q. How many employees do you have in your office Overland Escape, Reach Ladakh and Aircel. You are a true example for the youth of Ladakh as job provider. What are the scopes for youth in Tourism Industry?

Of course, Young Ladakhis have vast opportunities and scopes in Tourism business. We have so many good hotels in Leh where they can seek jobs or they can run their own tour operator businesses. Nowadays we have internet facilities through which we can easily connect with the rest of the world. While sitting in Ladakh we can organize tours and trips for the people who want to visit a different part of the country. You can take an example of Over Land Escape itself. Here I have employed around 20 people and I have a target of employing around 80 people in the coming few years. We have 5 employees in Reach Ladakh Bulletin, around 9 in Aircel Office and few tour guides also. This is how I am contributing my bit to society by providing job opportunity to young Ladakhis who want jobs in this business.

Q. How did you get the idea of starting a newspaper ‘Reach Ladakh Bulletin?’

I published a guidebook before I started the newspaper in the year 1999. Due to the reason that in those days tourist Agents in Ladakh had to work with Tourist Agents in Delhi to organize tours to the visitors and also there wasn’t any source through which the Tourist could get basic information about Ladakh. So, I got this idea of publishing a guidebook in which I put information about hotels in Leh and sent it to the tour agents in foreign countries so that the visitors could easily contact hotels in Leh for any kind of information they needed. And then the idea of starting a newspaper happened. Tashi Morup and I discussed it. Tashi Morup had done Masscom and he worked with Pioneer before returning to Ladakh. With the effort of both of us, we started Magpie but it didn’t last long. While starting Magpie we didn’t give any thought about things like whether we will get any financial profit out of it. And then Ladakh Melong also didn’t thrive for long. Then I gave a thought and the idea came in mind that instead of doing charity work or giving donations which can be done by anyone, I should start a newspaper. And the motive behind my starting a newspaper wasn’t only to give news but to cover various issues through which we could bring good changes in the society.

Q. With the advent of all new media like TV, Radio and all networking sites, do you think that print media will sustain in Ladakh?

If I tell you from a business point of view I can’t see any profit in running a newspaper. But Reading newspaper is not something new in Ladakh. We used to read magazines like Ladakh’s Melong and Magpie many years back. The difference is that now we have internet facilities in Ladakh and we can read news online and also with the advent of different social networking sites has made it so easier to get information about anything and everything. But a newspaper is something that we can carry anywhere and read anytime. So, I think there is a good sustainability chance of print media in Ladakh.

Q.  As Reach Ladakh has completed one year, tell us about the challenges you had to face in running the organization.

No, I didn’t have to face any threat or challenges so far. The threat comes when you target a particular person or an institution. Since the beginning, my motive was to give information about local happenings to the readers and to write on different issues coming up in society. Take an example of an increasing use of alcohol, increasing rate of a road accident, environmental issues and so many others.

Q. We have seen in the past that print media didn’t thrive for long. Do you see any changes in people’s attitude towards media then and now?

Yes, initially people could have thought that print media like us wouldn’t survive for long in Ladakh. But now some people also might be thinking that Reach Ladakh is doing a great business though it is not. But we are stick to the vision that we won’t close it whatever challenges we might have to face. And we are getting a good response from our readers.  The role of media itself is to give information with facts and data and that’s what we do. Otherwise just getting verbal information doesn’t give you valid information. I think many people want to have print media organization in Ladakh the only thing who will or want to open it.

Q. What is your view is the biggest challenge for any news organization?

To remain to sustain depends on the financial aspect of the organization. For me what is more important is how we can provide benefit to the public through the newspaper. Some people say that we should write on issues that increase the circulation of the newspaper and generate money. But my aim is not to do business out of it. What I believe in is to do what I could do out of what I have. Apart from finance, it is the hard work and dedication of the employees and they are being accountable, credible, and objective and do justice with whatever they write.

Q. Do you have any future plan to expand the organization?

Yes, I do plan to expand the organization in a few years. I won’t be able to do it immediately but I have the definite plan to expand it.  I want that the office should have larger space and more Journalists can get work opportunity here. I want people who could do the job sincerely and efficiently and they should get good facilities and good salary.

Message to the readers
   
Every person should contribute something for the society which will make a huge difference at the end. Today Ladakh has no dearth of businessman who could easily spend on some constructive work for the society. If each of them could think of working towards doing something good for the society, we could definitely get to see a huge change and betterment in our society.  If not, then they should not do such work which will harm the society for the selfish motive. Whatever big or small job you have or are doing you should do it honestly and sincerely.