Cabo Verde’s Record Tourism Highlights Economic Potential

According to the National Statistics Institute INE, Cape Verde reached a tourism milestone by welcoming over a million visitors in 2023.

The country closed the year with 1,010,739 guests and 5,150,806 overnight stays, achieving growths of 20.9% and 26.0% over 2022.

These figures exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with a 23.4% increase in guest numbers from 2019.

Tourists from the United Kingdom led in numbers, while visitors from Romania stayed the longest, averaging 6.5 nights.

Sal Island attracted 57.1% of all hotel visits, becoming the top choice. Guests stayed an average of five nights, and hotels saw a 52% occupancy rate.

Tourism Minister Carlos Santos confirmed these trends, announcing over 900,000 tourists in 2023, signaling a solid recovery and a bright future for tourism.

Cape Verde has strategically invested in accommodation and infrastructure to keep tourism growing.

It aims to strengthen ties with European markets and attract more African visitors and from Brazil and the United States.

Tourism accounts for about 25% of Cape Verde’s GDP, mainly focusing on Sal and Boa Vista islands.

This increase in tourism indicates recovery and marks significant economic progress, making Cape Verde an emerging center for international travel.

This achievement shows the island’s charm, resilience, and importance for ongoing development and wealth.

Background

Already in 2022, tourism in Cape Verde showed a significant recovery, with a 481.5% increase, reaching a total of 785,272 visitors, according to the central bank’s annual report.

This growth marked a return to pre-pandemic levels and was notably stronger than the global tourism sector’s performance, which declined 34% in the same year.

The United Kingdom emerged as the primary source of tourists for Cape Verde at 36.6%, followed by Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal.

Gross revenue from tourism grew by 209.7%, while gross revenue per night decreased by 41.1% to 10,729 escudos per day.

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