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