Africa-Press – Cape verde. The prospects for the movement of tourists in 2023 to Santo Antão are good, according to A NAÇÃO, the president of the Association of Professional Tour Guides of Santo Antão (AGUISA), Odair Gomes.
This professional says that professionals in the sector are “expectant”, in general, taking into account the dynamics that took place between September and November which, as he said, were “fruitful” and that the trend is to continue, even in matters of cruise ships.
However, he warns that these expectations, in order to materialize, also depend on the transport sector, which needs to be “working at 100%”, and which has been “conditioning” greatly the creation of excursions on the island of the mountains, from the Sal and Boa Vista.
According to Odair Gomes, “there are many tourists from Sal and Boa Vista who want to go to Santo Antão but connectivity does not allow” in good time, especially with regard to maritime connections. As for flights, he warns that tickets are “expensive”. “Transport needs to improve”, he appeals.
Greater security
That professional, who leads an association with 72 registered guides, also draws attention to the need to move forward with the “requalification, recovery and improvement” of the neighboring paths that need intervention, already signposted, to provide greater safety and quality to the destination.
However, he welcomes the ongoing project for signaling the trekking paths that “will help in the promotion” of tourism on the island of Santo Antão, whose works, he attests, are already in progress.
With regard to safety in the mountains for tourists who go hiking, Odair Gomes also calls for a “greater organization” of the sector on the island and “supervision”, to avoid accidents that harm the image of the destination.
Use professional guides
According to him, the operators themselves need to encourage tourists to go out into the mountains with “professional local guides” who know the terrain. “Many tourists are enticed to go without guides, and that is a reckless act”, he warns.
Added to this is the fact that if there is an accident in the mountains, “the rescue is not as fast as it should be. It takes hours and a guide is only qualified to provide first aid”, he clarifies. This is because prevention must be prioritized for the sake of the Santo Antão brand.
As he concludes, the number of professional guides in Santo Antão has been growing, with a course being taught by the IEFP of Ribeira Grande, which shows the potential of the sector on the mountain island.
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