Euro Ski Slump Turns Andorra Family Friendly For 2008 Season

by Paul la Vella

European ski holiday country Andorra has transformed her holiday image over the last 20 years from a 'poor man's Switzerland' to a fully functional ski country able to compete with other European countries during the December to April European ski season.

So successful has the transformation been that nearly ten million tourists visit the country each year, with a blip this year after later than normal snow fall.

And for next year's ski season Andorra has opened a new family friendly ski park in Arinsal, moving away further still from her old image of a cheap and cheerful ski holiday for 18-30 year olds to one that caters well for all.

The snow park includes a conveyor belt and a game zone, designed to give children confidence before they ski and use the chair lifts.

Well known ski villages in Andorra include Soldeu and Ordino as well as Arinsal.

Other new developments in Andorra for the 2007 ski season include a 540 space underground car park in La Massana close to the cable car, and an extension of the beginners area in Arinsal.
Commenting on the new facilities, an Andorra travel guide claims that the investment in Andorra's infrastructure is ongoing, and will allow Andorra to compete with other ski areas in Europe for years to come.

Looking Forward

As well as being a top ski destination, Andorra is also a tax haven, with many people moving to the country to benefit from her income tax free status.

Property prices have risen dramatically over the last ten years, and according to Andorra real estate specialists two bedroom apartments now start from around 250,000 Euros.

Buying a property in Andorra is often seen as a route to residency, which entitles people to live in Andorra and benefit from her tax haven status.

To obtain residency in Andorra, applications need to be submitted in Catalan. A notarised copy of the applicants passport, birth certificate and a certificate of good conduct from the home country are submitted at the same time. Residency normally takes between three and six months to be approved.

Once residency is granted, residents are supposed to spend six months a year in Andorra, but this isn't policed.

One of the drawbacks for those looking to become a resident in a tax haven when considering Andorra has been that the country has no airport of its own, and is unlikely to have in the future given that it is located in the Pyrenees. The nearest airports are Barcelona and Toulouse.
But recent improvements in the road from Barcelona to Andorra though have cut the travelling time by some thirty minutes to two hours fifteen minutes.

'Given the tax advantages Andorra has', note the travel guide, 'A two and a quarter hour trip to the nearest international airport could be viewed as a small price to pay for those who will be saving substantial amounts of money in tax. Especially when you consider that their properties could be rising in value quite significantly in the years to come, and for those who like skiing it's a holiday and tax haven rolled into one.'

About the Author
For more details about Andorra, including the Soldeu ski resort, hotels and expedia ski holidays visit YourAndorra.com