Africa-Press – Cape verde. The president of the Chamber of Tourism considers that Cape Verde’s training capacity does not cover the needs of the hotel and tourism sector, because many of the trainees emigrate, attracted by Portugal and other countries.
“The Cape Verde Hotel and Tourism School has done a great job, but it is not enough, because it seems that people go abroad faster than they are trained and we still have a gap”, says Jorge Spencer Lima , regarding the 2023 sector balance sheet, which confirmed the trend of increasing numbers of tourists in the archipelago.
Last year, the total number of visitors exceeded the traditional round estimate of 800 thousand tourists per year and the official believes that, by 2026, Cape Verde could receive 1.2 million annually.
But there is a problem: there is a lack of accommodation capacity, infrastructure and human resources.
“There is a great need for staff and public debates have already been heard questioning the fact that Cape Verde is investing in training, so that new staff can then emigrate”, he states.
“Portugal is playing its role, because it needs cadres, here you can find them and come and get them. It’s correct and if I were Portuguese I would do the same”, says Jorge Spencer Lima, adding that Cape Verde must continue to “increase its training capacity to respond to the country’s needs – and when Portugal needs it, let it come and get it”.
“I prefer to have qualified emigrants instead of those who went to work without qualifications” several decades ago, he adds.
The deputy prime minister, Olavo Correia, questioned about the matter by Lusa in January – when signing a protocol to reinforce professional training with Portugal – said that businesspeople must offer better salaries to hire professionals, because, with the globalization, compete with the conditions offered by employers around the world.
On the occasion, Olavo Correia said that the Government is committed to supporting the efforts of businesspeople and that is what Jorge Spencer Lima insists on, so that there are measures.
“It is necessary to think about this [increase in salaries] in a balanced way: it is not just about increasing”, highlights the president of the Chamber of Tourism.
“We want our workers to earn as much as possible and, when they earn more, they will settle” in Cape Verde, he highlights, noting that no one emigrates “if they have a suitable job” in the archipelago.
The official argues that “the authorities must create conditions” so that companies can change costs, such as salaries.
For example, “electricity and water costs are absurd”, he says, adding that, by lowering other fixed costs, it will be possible to increase salaries.
“There is a necessary balance, because if the final cost of the tourism product starts to rise, the destination will no longer be competitive compared to other destinations in the world. We have to maintain this internal balance in costs so that the price of tourist packages that agencies sell Cape Verde does not drive away visitors to other destinations”, he notes.
In a direct message to the Government, he warns that businesspeople need to have “more predictability”, without changes “in fees, left and right”, for example with changes to airport taxes or import costs.
“Tour packages are sold [to agencies] a year in advance. If the Government starts making increases, the businessman will bear the burden of the costs”, he warns.
Portugal more than quadrupled the issuance of visas to Cape Verdeans for work purposes in 2023, exceeding six thousand, in part thanks to the creation (in 2022) of the work search visa, with the aim of speeding up and simplifying worker mobility migrants, as well as responding to labor shortages.
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