Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Santiago Tourism Association considered this Friday that the end of the project for the hotel-casino on the islet of Santa Maria is a “ great opportunity ” to think together about the organization of the seafront in the city of Praia.
Case of Ilhéu Santa Maria project suspended: End of Macau project in Cape Verde is an opportunity – tourism association
The Santiago Tourism Association considered this Friday that the end of the project for the hotel-casino on the islet of Santa Maria is a “ great opportunity ” to think together about the organization of the seafront in the city of Praia.
“ I’m glad that an end point has been reached, this has been predicted for many years. Now is the time to stop and think about the whole, the area that goes from Praia Negra to Quebra Canela. It is a great opportunity for the city of Praia, for the island of Santiago and for Cape Verde ”, declared the president of that association, Eugénio Inocêncio.
The opinion comes after the Macau Legend Development group, owned by businessman David Chow, abandoned the construction of a tourist complex in Gamboa and on the islet of Santa Maria, which is considered an “ex-libris” of the city of Praia.
The project, which was budgeted at 250 million euros and was the largest in terms of tourism in Cape Verde at the time, included a hotel with 250 rooms, marina, convention center, casino, swimming pool, restaurants and bars, occupying an area of 152,700 meters .
For Eugénio Inocêncio, its slowness – the first stone was laid in February 2016 – conditioned the entire tourist development of the island of Santiago and the city of Praia.
The leader recalled that there is a study, carried out around 10 years ago by an international company, which concluded that, in terms of tourism, the country’s capital can also be a sun and beach destination, taking advantage of the coastline that runs from Praia Negra to Quebra Canela, passing through Gamboa and Prainha, and including Farol Maria Pia.
Therefore, he declared himself satisfied with the end of the project and said that the association he heads is available to give its opinion on the fate of the site, currently fenced off with metal sheets and where the hotel was built, which is closed, and the access bridge to the islet.
“ Not what to do with the project itself, but much more than that: the prospect of transforming the city of Praia into a sun and sea tourist destination ”, suggested the economist.
“ The design of this space must be included in the design of the seafront in the city of Praia. You cannot think of a region that has great potential by individualizing a range, even if that range is very important ”, he highlighted.
Someone who also wants to take advantage of this opportunity to organize Praia’s maritime front is the president of Pró-Praia, an association that defends the interests of the country’s capital.
José Jorge Pina said he hopes that, this time, more work will be done on a project to explore the entire seafront in the city of Praia, which, he stated, is “ barely occupied ”.
In addition to the hotel-casino, the president of Pró-Praia pointed out several other large projects considered structuring for the country’s capital, some of which never even started, making tourist and industrial development in the city “ungrateful ” .
The Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Ulisses Correia e Silva, announced on Thursday that the Government will reverse the concession of the project and then look for another destination for the investment.
In an interview with Hong Kong television TVB, broadcast on Wednesday night, the president and chief executive of Macau Legend Development, Li Chu Kwan, announced that the group intends to cease operations in both Cape Verde and Cambodia by 2025.
The company received a 25-year license from the Government of Cape Verde, 15 of which on an exclusive basis on the island of Santiago, and a special license to exclusively explore online gambling throughout the country and the sports betting market. for ten years. The Week with Lusa
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