The season was so bad that it was decided to close the slopes at the end of the long Easter weekend, in previous years the slopes have been open until the end of April, and this effectively cut the 2006/7 season by three weeks.
There was hope in the middle of March when the snow finally arrived that it could increase substantially the number of visitors for the last six weeks, but despite Easter week seeing normal levels of hotel occupancy, it failed to trasllate into bookings for the few weeks after.
For a small country with a population of 70,000 reliant on the ski industry, the economy has been hit not only direct in the travel trade, but others sectors feeling the pinch include Andorra's shops and departments stores which offer some of the cheapest quality shopping in Europe, and also the restaurants, petrol stations and real estate.
A nervous wait is in store for Andorra for the 2007 to 2008 season, with the hope that snow levels, which were poor throughout the European ski resorts this year, will return to normal.
Andorra has invested heavily in recent years to bring the standard of ski facilities and other infrastructure up to the quality of competitor European ski resorts, with a resulting ten million tourists a year prrior to this year.
Included in the investment has been a new ski park in the village of Arinsal designed with children in mind, with the aim of encouraging their ski ability before being let loose on the slopes, and new hotels in Andorra's prime ski resort of Soldeu and improvements in the road system.
Fortunately for Andorra, as well as skiing, the country enjoys a tax haven status, with subsequent high employment in banking and an active real estate industry for those looking to gain residency.
Andorra The Tax Haven
Surprisingly perhaps for a tax haven, mortgages for a property are as available as many European countries, with rates around the same level. Up to eighty per cent of a property's value is often agreed by the banks in Andorra.
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 ine future given that it is located in the Pyrenees. The nearest airports are Barcelona and Toulouse.
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 a local 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.'
There are opportunities countrywide for investing In UK land:
? Farmland
? General agricultural plots
? Wooded areas
Land developers are snapping these up.
So, why is land such a good investment in the UK?
Why UK Land Prices are Booming
1. There is a need for up to 3,500,000 new homes over the next 15 years, rising to 4,400,000 new homes over the next 20 years.
3. 90% of towns in the UK are unaffordable for first time buyers.
4. The UK is the second most densely populated country in Europe and has a fast rising migrant population
5. The UK suffers from some of the oldest housing stock in Europe and a huge shortage of supply of affordable and mid priced housing.
6. Over the last 30 years, the demand for new homes has increased by 30% whereas over the same period, house-building rates have dropped by over 50%.
7. Since 1997, the Government has increased the average number of new homes built per hectare from 25 to 40.
Categories of UK Land
There are three basic categories of UK land:
1. Brownfield land: Generally found within urban areas - land that has had a previous use such as residential, industrial or commercial.
2. Greenbelt Land Green belt forms a buffer zone around urban areas.
3. Open Countryside: Are areas of open country free of development and therefore free of economies capable of supporting development.
Which Category is Best?
The Government says that a record 70% of all new building is now on brown field land. This figure is regarded as being unsustainable, as to continue to build on brownfield land will lead to overcrowding in cities, which will impact on existing infrastructure and services within these areas.
While opportunities exist in brownfield land, greenbelt land offers the biggest gains, and it is inevitable that over the coming years considerable areas are developed.
You should not invest in open countryside, as capital growth potential is poor ? land that is ready for developing is a much better investment.
Capital Growth in UK Land is all About Location!
Owning land for speculation is all about getting the right location, and this means obtaining land for which planning permission is obtainable.
If you are looking at purchasing land in the UK as a domestic or overseas investor, you will want to find an advisor who can help you. Many companies provide this service and they can help you find the right location for capital growth.
You Don't Need a Big Investment to Participate
Generally, small investors can participate in this investment as plots of land can be subdivided into parcels and sold to many different speculators, who can all take advantage of the growth potential of a single development.
Investing in UK land - The Perfect Low Risk, High Reward Investment Opportunity!
If you take into account that UK land prices are rising, downside risk is relatively low and growth potential is high, you have the perfect investment to diversify your portfolio away from traditional asset classes such as shares or bonds.
Both Roger Munns & Stephen Todd are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Roger Munns has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Family Travel and Cars. For more details about Andorra, including the village of visit Andorra travel guide YourAndorra.comThe guide includes. Roger Munns's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Stephen Todd has sinced written about articles on various topics from Currency Trading, Modelling and Green Tea. To learn more about and other low risk high return land investments please visit our web site:. Stephen Todd's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.