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Once a poor European country with no real economy, Andorra has been transformed in the past forty years to a vibrant independent State, sought after by the wealthy for her tax haven status, and skiers for her ski runs that match the best in Europe for facilities and ski holidays infrastructure.

The one drawback that Andorra has had is the distance from a major airport, two and a half hours drive to Barcelona in Spain or Toulouse in France, with some ski holidays starting with a night in one of the hotels in Barcelona before setting off for Andorra.

But that is set to change with agreement for an aiport to be built just fifteen minutes drive from the Spanish / Andorra border.

As well as the extra ski tourists the new airport will impact Andorra as a tax haven. Andorra and the more famous Monaco are Europe's leading tax havens, with residents enjoying the benefit of no income tax. Property prices in Andorra are less than a third of the price of Monaco's.

Commenting on the new airport, Andorra estate agents who specialise in Andorra property for sale thinks that the prices of Andorra properties will rise.

'At the moment Monaco has the advantage of being ten minutes away from an international airport by helicopter, while Andorra is over two hours. With that advantage gone we anticipate more people considering a tax haven will consider Andorra, with a resulting appreciation in property prices.'

Property in Andorra has risen an average of ten per cent a year in recent years, with three streams of buyers - the local market, buyers for ski holiday homes who are often on a Crystal Ski holiday and like Andorra enough to buy a holiday home, plus those looking for a tax haven.

The airport is to be located in Seu d'Urgell, and the first flights are anticipated to be in 2010 or 2011, with a runway of 4,500 feet - not long enough for some medium range aircraft, and it is likely that most commercial airlines using the airport will be 60 to 80 seaters, plus private jets much favoured by the wealthy who might now consider Andorra as a viable tax haven.

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As well as being welcomed by the property business in Andorra, a new airport has been greeted enthusiastically by the skiing industry.

The country has upgraded facilities in recent years, and often competes as a top ski destination in Europe, with well known ski companies like Crystal Ski operating holidays for the British market.

In recent years the number of tourists for the Andorra ski holiday season has topped ten million visitors, and the ski industry is an important part of the country's economy, with the government investing in new infrastructure to help tempt visitors back for skiing for repeat visits.

But last year was the worst season for decades as the snow, which normally falls from end October, didn't arrive until mid March, and the first drop in the number of ski holidays in Andorra being sold by British and other European travel agents dropped from the previous ski season for some years.

The new airport cutting travelling time from the UK, one of the Andorra ski holiday's main markets, could boost the occupancy levels of Andorra hotels significantly.

'When people are considering a ski holiday in Andorra', comment one travel guide, 'At the moment to reach Soldeu, one of Andorra top ski villages, it's two and a half hours from Barcelona to the capital la Vella, and then another twenty minutes on top of that - nearly a three hour trip after a flight. Cutting down resort arrival time from three to one hour will be enough to influence some people's decision on where to visit.'

Recent investment by the government has reached several million Euros designed to keep the country in line with other European winter destinations, and intended to make Andorra a natural choice for the ski and snowboard fraternity, the addition of an airport close to her border could help ensure that.

All that is needed now is a good level of snow in the years to come.
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YourAndorra.com is a guide for Andorra, and includes Andorra hotels information with cheap flights to Barcelona and the ski fields of Andorra with Crystal ski

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Yesterday I had a chance to meet Bruce Poon Tip, owner and CEO of G.A.P Adventures, one of Canada's most successful travel entrepreneurs. You may wonder, what is he like? Bruce is the owner of Canada's largest adventure travel company, an attractive man of about 37 years of age, dressed in casual attire and not afraid to speak off the cuff. Certainly a charismatic personality who was able to captivate last night's capacity crowd at the G.A.P. concept store in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood.

In 1990 Bruce went on an organized backpacking trip to Thailand where he had a chance to explore the people and the country on $10.00 a day. This experience gave him the idea to create G.A.P Adventures, today Canada's largest adventure travel company that now sells thousands of different trips and annually sends 40,000 passengers on their own small-group adventures. G.A.P has about 300 employees today, headquartered in Toronto, with operational offices in various countries of Latin America. It's most recent endeavors are the G.A.P concept stores which have recently been opened in high-traffic areas in Toronto and Vancouver, places where travellers can research their adventure trip, get more information about their desired destination and book their once-in-a-lifetime experience supported by good advice with no sales pressure.

For his entrepreneurial savvy Bruce has won numerous awards, besides receiving an award as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40, Bruce has been also been honored as one of Canada's top 5 entrepreneurs by Canadian Business as well as Canada's 100 leaders of tomorrow. Profit Magazine named him in their 20th anniversary issue cover story as one of Canada's Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the last 20 years. Bruce also received the Global Traders Leadership award from the government for his ground breaking ideas in exporting services.

Recently Bruce was asked by the World Bank and UNESCO to represent a team to visit the Peoples Republic Of China to lecture on Sustainable Development. In January of 2002 Bruce was the only Canadian operator invited to speak at the United Nations Launch of the Year Of Eco Tourism in New York. Bruce defied the odds once again last year by winning Canada's prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year, as well as the National Citation for Entrepreneurship.

G.A.P's additional awards include having two trips chosen among the TOP 25 Adventures in the World by National Geographic Adventure magazine, the Ethics in Action Award, the Global Traders Award and the Clean Air Commute Award for five straight years.

Although a consummate business man, Bruce Poon Tip has a conscience and he has founded his entire enterprise on the concept of sustainability and established travel practices that show consideration of natural surroundings and local cultures. By limiting the travel group size to 12 people, by taking local transportation and staying in small, locally owned hotels and guesthouses, G.A.P travelers are able to minimize their footprint in foreign communities and get maximum exposure to local culture.

Planeterra is a non-profit organization founded by G.A.P to give back. Today Planeterra raises funds for a number of community projects, international charities and an endowment fund to ensure long-term support of community development and conservation projects for years to come. Some of the community projects that G.A.P sponsors through donations include a community school in Ecuador, a foundation in Honduras to help women start their own businesses, an NGO in Costa Rica for environmental and wildlife conservation projects, a local battery recycling project in Chile, a drop-in center for street children in Cuczo, Peru, and many more. G.A.P Adventures itself also initiated a Women's Weaving Project in Peru that taught local women ancient weaving techniques as well as natural fabric dye processes. Today all G.A.P travel groups visiting the Sacred Valley in Peru have a chance to see and purchase high quality textiles produced by these weavers, all sold at fair trade prices.

As another example of the innovativeness of his company, Bruce shared with us the story of how he went out to purchase the "Explorer", the world's first purpose-built expedition cruise ship. In March of 2004 Bruce went on an expedition cruise through the Antarctic and fell in love with the experience. He figured he need to buy his own expedition cruise ship and started looking for suitable vessels. In April of 2004 he found the "Explorer", a historic expedition ship with a capacity of 112 passengers and a crew of 60 people. The ship had been docked in Genoa, Italy, for many months due to the financial problems of its owners. Just another 2 months later, but after many complications, G.A.P took possession of the ship. Only another 4 months later, after extensive restorations, the Explorer went on its inaugural journey and today offers expedition cruises to such unique places as Antarctica, the Amazon, Spitzbergen, and Greenland. (Incidentally, G.A.P. has agreed to sponsor our first Travel Story Contest and the grand prize winner of our contest will win an exciting adventure cruise on the Amazon in the Explorer - all thanks to G.A.P. Adventures.)

G.A.P's innovative business ideas don't end here. G.A.P also has a travel TV Show: Great Adventure People TV shows viewers the world G.A.P Adventures style. The camera accompanies small groups of G.A.P Adventure travelers and follows them on unique G.A.P. adventure trips cycling through the fascinating country of Vietnam, exploring exotic Morocco, and hiking, biking and rafting through captivating Spain and Italy. New episodes can be seen in Canada on CTV and will soon also be available in Great Britain on the UK Travel Channel.

G.A.P is a unique company, with a unique philosophy and a unique way of operating. I am looking forward to interviewing Bruce personally and to finding out how he is able to combine a successful high-growth adventure travel business with his dedication to social causes and sustainable travel. Stay tuned for some interesting insights into a brilliant entrepreneurial mind....
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Susanne Pacher is the publisher of www.travelandtransitions.com, a web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand new

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On the small tropical island of Koh Samui off the eastern seaboard of Thailand there exists what has got to be the quaintest little airport on the planet.

Why is that? Well, for starters every building on the airport complex is entirely thatched over with palm leaves and not many airports can claim that can they? In the main public areas the exterior walls have wide-open sides for the ocean breezes to waft through keeping it at a nice cool temperature. The smiling staff who work there are ever-helpful and polite and greet every new-comer as though they have just come from outer space which to those on this remote island is exactly how it must feel to them. Its the opposite when you leave because the islanders really hate to see people depart from their island, they figure: having spent ALL that money to get there why would anyone want to leave? And it makes you wonder who really is nuts - the smiling islanders or the grinning farang!

When they gently direct you to Terminal One with pride in their hearts you really have to chuckle because of course its the only terminal they have! There are no gate numbers to rush to, as all passengers arrive and depart courtesy of a clean and modern air-conditioned shuttle bus, which covers the distance from the plane to the main building or vice-versa in about two minutes flat. There is no carousel except the one going around in your head. There are no loudspeakers and no information screens. Just people cheerfully carrying out their tasks with absolutely no hustle or bustle on their minds. Time has almost stopped still.

There is only one single arrow-straight runway to handle both incoming and outgoing planes, which total no more than about twenty flights per day between 6.30 am when the airport opens for business at sunrise and when it closes at sunset exactly twelve hours later.

Playing the ace green card, Bangkok Airways, who built and own the airport (International Airport Code - USM) have attempted a truly unique experiment and one of which they can be proud. The actual buildings, which were finished in 1984, are not only pleasing to the eye but work hand-in-glove with the islands natural environment. It is, in itself, a compelling advert for greenness in all its forms. The vast Bangkok Airport (BKK) may be the newest and flashiest airport in the world but Ive never seen anyone standing around taking hundreds of photos of it like they do of Samui Airport. This airport almost seems to be smiling at you wanting its photo taken. And for sure no other airport replaces its roof with fresh palm leaves every two or three years like they do here. The fact is, once upon a time, little Samui was the worlds largest exporter of coconuts and palm trees are one commodity they still have plenty of. Its what they have used for centuries on the roofs of their villas and bungalows and the ubiquitous salas that abound everywhere so they figure; why stop there? Why indeed?

As the plane starts its gradual descent approach towards the narrow jutting peninsula on the northeast sector of the island you will now get a fantastic birds eye view of Samui and all the other outlying islands. Youll see the surf breaking on the beaches and trace the wakes of small fishing craft as they criss-cross the incredibly green-blue turquoise sea. Then as you get closer you can make out the coral reefs growing beneath the dappling clear water. And if you look harder still you might even see a pod of dolphins jumping and dodging around the fishing craft waiting for the friendly fishermen to throw them a morsel. Phew, what a sight for sore eyes!

Frankly, the whole experience is just too much for the human soul to contemplate and you really cannot wait to land to check that it really wasnt a figment of your imagination. Maybe the airport workers are not that wrong because it certainly feels like youve just come from outer space - as surely nothing on this planet awaits the visitor more pleasingly than this tropical hideaway located in the balmy Sea of Siam. Jet lag? Well, you cant get jet lag in paradise, but I bet you didnt know that either did you?
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Derek Taylor runs Only In Samui, the premier Koh Samui Villas resource and rentals web site.

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