The number of tourists who sought Cape Verde in 2022 exceeded 700,000, about 90% of the record 819,000 in 2019, the Minister of Tourism and Transport revealed today.
“By our numbers already received – and not yet confirmed by the National Statistics Institute [INE] – may be reaching the 700,000 tourists who have arrived in Cape Verde; this means 90% of what we received in 2019; these are interesting numbers,” revealed Carlos Santos.
Speaking to journalists as part of the second Council of the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, held in the city of Praia, the minister said he hoped the country could this year surpass the record number of tourists received in 2019.
“We hope so. I believe that if there are not these international disturbances, an inflationary escalation in the second half of the year, we can reach the numbers of 2019,” the ruler prospected, noting that “recovery has arrived” after tourism demand fell more than 60% in 2020 due to restrictions imposed to contain the covid-19 pandemic.
After that drop, the minister said that the country is becoming a “destination much appreciated by tourists,” who have a different profile, searching for another type of product, namely cultural and gastronomic.
“This demands from us a greater concern and care, in the sense of providing quality services, food safety and hygiene, people’s safety, accessibility,” Carlos Santos pointed out, stressing that all this also represents opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs, especially the younger ones.
And to promote tourism, the minister said that the government is working on several fronts, including encouraging air tour operators to the archipelago to diversify the provenance of tourists and further increase the contribution of this sector, which guarantees 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Cape Verde.
The Council of the Ministry of Tourism and Transport will focus on the Tourism Operational Program (POT) 2022-2026, which reflects the vision and ambition of the Government in this that is the main sector of economic activity in the country, and with transport, contribute to 35% of GDP.
Budgeted around €200 million for the next four years, the minister revealed that about 50% of this amount has already been mobilized through the World Bank and the Tourism Fund, aiming to “well structure” the archipelago’s tourism offer.
A good part of the amount is intended to improve tourism infrastructures, but the country wants to invest heavily in the presentation and advertising of the destination. “Without losing sight of sustainability, which today is a guiding principle of growth,” stressed the governor.
One of the program’s goals is to make it so that 40% of tourists arriving in the country in 2026 can go to other islands besides the main ones of sun and beach, such as Sal and Boa Vista.
With some recovery in tourism demand, the country grew by 7% in 2021, according to INE data. However, due to the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, the Cape Verdean government has revised the economic growth perspective for 2022 from 6% to 4%.
However, a new growth revision by the Government and the Bank of Cape Verde estimates it may be higher than 8% of GDP or even reach 12%.
With information from Notícias ao Minuto