- Name: Ryan Dear
- Age: 31
- Current location: Santa Marta, Colombia
- Home town: Burlington, Ontario
- Education: Honors BBA Entrepreneurship (co-op option), Brock University
- Current position: Partner, Owner & Guest Management
- Organization description: Rancho Relaxo is a farm, restaurant, and hostel located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains on Colombia's Caribbean Coast. Our sustainable operation offers fresh and delicious farm-to-table meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Bio: While attending Brock University, Ryan Dear designed business plans for various ideas, focusing on their development over his time in post-secondary. After securing grant funding, he started an electronics recycling company. But after growing tired of the pace of life and lack of culture in the GTA, he sold my company and invested in 167 hectares of land in Colombia that was to become a hostel business with several other partners. Ryan had never been to Colombia, couldn't speak Spanish, couldn't cook, and had no idea how everything was going to play out. Now Rancho Relaxo has plenty of guests and has completely transformed from the neglected cattle farm it once was.
- Countries I've worked in: Colombia, USA, Canada
- Sector / subsectors: Hospitality and tourism
- Areas of expertise: New venture creation, innovation, import/export, marketing. Entrepreneurship, business
- Country: Colombia
- Region: South America
- Sector: Tourism & hospitality
- Degree subject: Arts
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Who are you and what do you do?
Ever wondered why you should be neighborly? It might result in owning a hostel in South America, as Ryan explains.
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What do you enjoy most about working internationally?
Hostel ownership can feel like owning a frathouse. But for the right person, the benefits outweigh the challenges.
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What are some of the challenges that you've faced?
Cross-cultural differences aren't just limited to language barriers. Ryan reveals the one thing he wish he had been given when he arrived in Colombia.
Tags: communication teamwork -
What legalities are involved in owning a hostel abroad?
Yes, unfortunately, there's paperwork involved. So just how hard is it to buy land and start a business in Colombia?
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What skills are needed to succeed in your role?
Being open-minded goes a long way when it comes to working with people from around the world every single day.
Tags: crosscultural -
What career opportunities exist in Colombia?
From French bakeries to breweries, there's no shortage of jobs for the entrepreneurial-minded.
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What education is necessary for this?
If you have this one skill, you'll be ahead of the game. Ryan shares the best education you can get to help you run a hostel abroad--and it's not a degree in hospitality and tourism management.
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What advice would you have for people interested in international hospitality and tourism?
There's one personality trait that will help you to thrive in an international tourism setting.
Tags: tourism hospitality
