Africa-Press – Cape verde. Hotel establishments in Cape Verde broke the record number of guests in 2023, surpassing one million, the National Statistics Institute (INE) announced today.
The year ended with 1,010,739 guests, who provided 5,150,806 overnight stays, that is, increases of 20.9% and 26.0%, respectively, compared to 2022.
The numbers also exceed pre-pandemic values: “compared to 2019, there was a 23.4% increase in the number of guests” and “a 0.7% increase” in the number of overnight stays.
In 2023, the United Kingdom remained the main country of origin for tourists, “but Romanians stood out with the longest stay in Cape Verde, with an average stay of 6.5 nights”.
The island of Sal continues to be the most sought after island, representing 57.1% of entries into hotel establishments.
Guests stayed, on average, five nights in hotel establishments and the occupancy rate per bed, on average, was 52%.
The hotel industry numbers are in line with those referring to the entry of tourists, announced by the minister of tourism in an interview with Lusa, in February, when Carlos Santos announced that Cape Verde broke a new visitor record, with more than 900 thousand tourists, in 2023.
Forecasts point to sustained growth in tourism in Cape Verde, as long as there is investment in accommodation and other infrastructure to meet demand.
At an international level, the objective is to “consolidate” European markets, responsible for more than 90% of tourists traveling to the archipelago, but also to attract visitors from African and American countries, such as Brazil and the United States.
Tourism, a sector responsible for around 25% of Cape Verde’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is centered on the islands of Sal and Boavista.
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