Cape Verde Tourism Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Record as Sal Leads Remarkable Recovery

Cape Verde has surpassed its pre-pandemic tourism record after welcoming 835,945 guests in 2022, marking a remarkable recovery for one of the country’s most important industries and reinforcing the position of Sal as the archipelago’s leading tourism destination.

New figures released by Cape Verde’s National Statistics Institute (INE) show that guest numbers increased by 394.4% compared with 2021, when the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were still severely restricting international tourism.

More significantly, the 2022 total exceeded the 819,308 guests recorded in 2019, the final full year before the pandemic and previously Cape Verde’s record year for tourism.

The figures provide a major vote of confidence in the long-term prospects of Cape Verde’s tourism industry and particularly Sal, where The Resort Group Plc has invested extensively in the development of large-scale international resorts.

Rob Jarrett, Honorary Chairman of The Resort Group Plc, said:

“These figures demonstrate the extraordinary resilience of Cape Verde and the strength of its tourism proposition. To move beyond the levels achieved before the pandemic so quickly is an important milestone for the country.

“When we first invested in Cape Verde, we did so because we believed in its long-term potential. Sal has the natural ingredients required of an outstanding international destination-year-round sunshine, magnificent beaches, a welcoming population and a location that makes it highly accessible to the European market.

“The fact that Sal is once again responsible for the majority of tourism demand across Cape Verde reinforces that confidence. There is still considerable potential ahead as the destination develops further and its international connectivity continues to grow.”

Sal accounts for 61.8% of arrivals

The statistics underline the increasingly important role played by Sal in Cape Verde’s tourism economy.

Sal accounted for 61.8% of all guest arrivals recorded by tourist accommodation establishments during 2022, substantially ahead of every other island.
Boa Vista represented 21.0% of arrivals, while Santiago accounted for 9.3%.

Sal also led the country for overnight stays, accounting for 57.8% of the national total, compared with 34.8% for Boa Vista and 3.5% for Santiago.

The performance is particularly significant for The Resort Group Plc, which has been a major investor in Sal’s hospitality sector and has played a role in developing the large-scale resort accommodation required to meet growing international demand.

Lisa Kellett, Chief of Staff at The Resort Group Plc, said:

“Sal’s performance is exceptional, but for those who know the island and have watched its tourism industry develop, its popularity is understandable.
“The island has built a very strong international proposition. Visitors can enjoy beautiful beaches and warm weather throughout the year alongside an increasingly established resort and hospitality sector.

“Tourism also supports a much wider ecosystem on Sal. From hotel employees and suppliers to restaurants, transport providers and other local businesses, continued growth in visitor numbers has the potential to create opportunities throughout the island’s economy.”
UK remains Cape Verde’s number one tourism market

The 2022 figures also underline the importance of British holidaymakers to Cape Verde.
The United Kingdom accounted for 30.9% of all guest arrivals, making it by far the country’s largest international source market. In total, 258,422 visitors from the UK stayed in Cape Verde’s tourist accommodation during the year.

Germany was the second-largest source market with 11.5%, followed by the Netherlands and Portugal, both with 10.5%, and France with 5.6%.

Britain’s contribution was even greater when measured by overnight stays, with UK visitors responsible for 35.3% of the national total.

British guests also recorded an average stay of 5.6 nights, while almost all their overnight stays were concentrated on Sal and Boa Vista.

Jarrett said:

“The strength of the British market has always been one of Cape Verde’s great opportunities. For British travellers looking for reliable winter sunshine, Cape Verde provides something distinctive within a relatively accessible flight time.

“What is particularly exciting is that there remains room for the market to develop. Greater air connectivity, increased awareness and continued investment in the visitor experience can introduce Cape Verde to an even wider audience.”

Hotels overwhelmingly dominate accommodation market

The statistics also demonstrate the importance of the traditional hotel and resort sector to Cape Verde.

Hotels accounted for 94% of all guest arrivals during 2022 and 97% of overnight stays, significantly outweighing other forms of tourist accommodation.
Residential accommodation represented 2.6% of arrivals, followed by guesthouses at 1.6% and apartment hotels at approximately 1%.

Overall, Cape Verde recorded 4,088,412 overnight stays during 2022, an increase of approximately 387% compared with 2021. While guest numbers exceeded the previous 2019 record, overnight stays had not yet returned to the 2019 high of more than 5.1 million.

The recovery also accelerated as 2022 progressed.

The fourth quarter, covering October to December, was the strongest period of the year, recording 284,611 guests and 1,328,434 overnight stays.

For a destination offering warm temperatures throughout the European winter, the strength of the final quarter further illustrates Cape Verde’s potential as a year-round tourism market.

From recovery to long-term growth

The scale and speed of the rebound represent an important moment for Cape Verde.
Rather than simply returning to its previous level, the country has now established a new record for annual guest numbers following the most disruptive period the global tourism industry has experienced in modern times.

For The Resort Group Plc, the results reinforce the Group’s long-term confidence in Cape Verde and particularly in Sal.

Kellett added:

“Surpassing the pre-pandemic guest record is something the whole Cape Verde tourism industry can take confidence from.
“The priority now should be ensuring that growth is sustainable and that the benefits of a successful tourism economy continue to be felt throughout the communities that support it.

“Sal has established itself as Cape Verde’s leading tourism island, but there is no reason to believe its development has reached its limit. As international awareness grows, the opportunity is to keep improving the quality of the destination while ensuring visitors continue to receive the warmth and hospitality for which Cape Verde has become known.”

Jarrett added:

“Successful destinations are built over decades, not years. Our commitment to Cape Verde has always been based on that long-term perspective.

“The recovery demonstrated by these figures is enormously encouraging, but the bigger story is what can happen next. Cape Verde has the opportunity to build on this momentum and establish itself even more firmly on the international tourism map.”

With 835,945 guests, Sal commanding more than six in ten arrivals and the UK firmly established as the country’s leading international market, Cape Verde entered 2023 having not merely recovered from the pandemic but having surpassed one of its most important pre-pandemic tourism benchmarks.