| Yesterday I had a chance to meet Bruce Poon Tip, | | | | business man, Bruce Poon Tip has a conscience and |
| owner and CEO of G.A.P Adventures, one of | | | | he has founded his entire entreprise on the concept of |
| Canada's most successful travel entrepreneurs. You | | | | sustainability and established travel practices that show |
| may wonder, what is he like? Bruce is the owner of | | | | consideration of natural surroundings and local cultures. |
| Canada's largest adventure travel company, an | | | | By limiting the travel group size to 12 people, by taking |
| attractive man of about 37 years of age, dressed in | | | | local transportation and staying in small, locally owned |
| casual attire and not afraid to speak off the cuff. | | | | hotels and guesthouses, G.A.P travellers are able to |
| Certainly a charismatic personality who was able to | | | | minimize their footprint in foreign communities and get |
| captivate last night's capacity crowd at the G.A.P. | | | | maximum exposure to local culture.Planeterra is a |
| concept store in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood.In | | | | non-profit organization founded by G.A.P to give back. |
| 1990 Bruce went on an organized backpacking trip to | | | | Today Planeterra raises funds for a number of |
| Thailand where he had a chance to explore the | | | | community projects, international charities and an |
| people and the country on $10.00 a day. This | | | | endowment fund to ensure long-term support of |
| experience gave him the idea to create G.A.P | | | | community development and conservation projects for |
| Adventures, today Canada's largest adventure travel | | | | years to come. Some of the community projects that |
| company that now sells thousands of different trips | | | | G.A.P sponsors through donations include a community |
| and annually sends 40,000 passengers on their own | | | | school in Ecuador, a foundation in Honduras to help |
| small-group adventures. G.A.P has about 300 | | | | women start their own businesses, an NGO in Costa |
| employees today, headquartered in Toronto, with | | | | Rica for environmental and wildlife conservation |
| operational offices in various countries of Latin | | | | projects, a local battery recycling project in Chile, a |
| America. It's most recent endeavours are the G.A.P | | | | drop-in center for street children in Cuczo, Peru, and |
| concept stores which have recently been opened in | | | | many more. G.A.P Adventures itself also initiated a |
| high-traffic areas in Toronto and Vancouver, places | | | | Women's Weaving Project in Peru that taught local |
| where travellers can research their adventure trip, get | | | | women ancient weaving techniques as well as natural |
| more information about their desired destination and | | | | fabric dye processes. Today all G.A.P travel groups |
| book their once-in-a-lifetime experience supported by | | | | visiting the Sacred Valley in Peru have a chance to |
| good advice with no sales pressure.For his | | | | see and purchase high quality textiles produced by |
| entrepreneurial savvy Bruce has won numerous | | | | these weavers, all sold at fair trade prices.As another |
| awards, besides receiving an award as one of | | | | example of the innovativeness of his company, Bruce |
| Canada's Top 40 Under 40, Bruce has been also been | | | | shared with us the story of how he went out to |
| honoured as one of Canada's top 5 entrepreneurs by | | | | purchase the "Explorer", the world's first purpose-built |
| Canadian Business as well as Canada's 100 leaders of | | | | expedition cruise ship. In March of 2004 Bruce went on |
| tomorrow. Profit Magazine named him in their 20th | | | | an expedition cruise through the Antarctic and fell in |
| anniversary issue cover story as one of Canada's | | | | love with the experience. He figured he need to buy |
| Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the last 20 years. Bruce also | | | | his own expedition cruise ship and started looking for |
| received the Global Traders Leadership award from | | | | suitable vessels. In April of 2004 he found the |
| the government for his ground breaking ideas in | | | | "Explorer", a historic expedition ship with a capacity of |
| exporting services.Recently Bruce was asked by the | | | | 112 passengers and a crew of 60 people. The ship had |
| World Bank and UNESCO to represent a team to visit | | | | been docked in Genoa, Italy, for many months due to |
| the Peoples Republic Of China to lecture on | | | | the financial problems of its owners. Just another 2 |
| Sustainable Development. In January of 2002 Bruce | | | | months later, but after many complications, G.A.P took |
| was the only Canadian operator invited to speak at | | | | possession of the ship. Only another 4 months later, |
| the United Nations Launch of the Year Of Eco | | | | after extensive restorations, the Explorer went on its |
| Tourism in New York. Bruce defied the odds once | | | | inaugural journey and today offers expedition cruises |
| again last year by winning Canada's prestigious | | | | to such unique places as Antarctica, the Amazon, |
| Entrepreneur of the Year, as well as the National | | | | Spitzbergen, and Greenland. (Incidentally, G.A.P. has |
| Citation for Entrepreneurship.G.A.P's additional awards | | | | agreed to sponsor our first Travel Story Contest and |
| include having two trips chosen among the TOP 25 | | | | the grand prize winner of our contest will win an |
| Adventures in the World by National Geographic | | | | exciting adventure cruise on the Amazon in the |
| Adventure magazine, the Ethics in Action Award, the | | | | Explorer - all thanks to G.A.P. Adventures.)G.A.P's |
| Global Traders Award and the Clean Air Commute | | | | innovative business ideas don't end here. G.A. |
| Award for five straight years.Although a consummate | | | | |