Cape Verde 'benefits from tourism'

The west African archipelago of Cape Verde is strongly benefiting from the growth of tourism, the country's prime minister has said.

Jose Maria Neves stated that during every year since 2002, the islands' economy grew at a rate of about 20 per cent, reports Travel Daily News....
Article Date : Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The west African archipelago of Cape Verde is strongly benefiting from the growth of tourism, the country's prime minister has said.

Jose Maria Neves stated that during every year since 2002, the islands' economy grew at a rate of about 20 per cent, reports Travel Daily News.

This was attributed to the growing popularity of Cape Verde as a tourist destination, as it has resulted in both visitors and foreign investors putting money into the local economy.

Speaking at an annual meeting of the Africa Travel Association in New York, Mr Neves said this would help the economy to expand and grow.

He described the tourist sector as "the main engine of growth and transformation" on the Cape Verde islands.

Mr Neves' comments come ahead of the launch of new flights by the islands' national carrier TACV, which is offering direct passage to and from London.

The carrier will service both Sal and Praia and begin flying at the end of this month.

http://www.propertyshowrooms.com/capeverde/property/news/article-1444.html

Thank you for posting this great news.

The booming tourism brings a lot of direct investment to the islands. Especialy in the construction of resorts and vacation homes. So it creates a lot of jobs.

In order to receive a growing number of tourists, the goverment is heavily investing in the infrastructure:
- The construction of a new international airport at the capital Praia has been completed in 20006.

- The new international Airport at Boa Vista island is in the certification process

- They are now building a new international airport on the island of Sao Vicente

- The goverment planned to spent $ 450 million to modernize 4 ports on the islands.

On the other hand i must say that the population of Cape Verde is not yet benefitting that much of the booming tourism.

Most devolopers are from Italy, Portugal etc. The do not always employ local people. And earnings of these investments do not stay in Cape Verde. I think that the government must regulate the expansion of foreign influence in order to make the Cape Verdean people profit of the economic growth.

With the booming construction of resorts, the price of a plot of land on some Island (Sal, Boavista) are rizing very fast. This makes it more expensive for the local people and for the Cape Verdeans abroad to purchase a plot of land to build a house.

My conclusion is that the booming tourism is good for Cape Verde, but it has to be more regulated in order to make the Cape Verdean people to profit from the booming industry.

On the other hand i must say that the population of Cape Verde is not yet benefitting that much of the booming tourism.

Easy said:) ...but what is the level of education of Cape Verdean people? People will only be able to profit from it if certain public and private collges and universities offer highly professional courses in tourism, business administration and marketing & sales....courses tailored for the new tourism boom. Otherwise you are out, it is as simple as that!


Do not forget tourism is a huge chance for Cape Verde to join globalization...but aggressive marketing campaigns are still lacking!

What has become of the Dubai project and that of Chinese people from Macau on Cape Verde? Property developers still predominatly seem to come from Portugal and Italy only. Try to target more investors ....like the Dubai, Malaysia, UK, Spain, France, Brazil, Canada etc.

Easy said:) ...but what is the level of education of Cape Verdean people? People will only be able to profit from it if certain public and private collges and universities offer highly professional courses in tourism, business administration and marketing & sales....courses tailored for the new tourism boom. Otherwise you are out, it is as simple as that!


Do not forget tourism is a huge chance for Cape Verde to join globalization...but aggressive marketing campaigns are still lacking!

What has become of the Dubai project and that of Chinese people from Macau on Cape Verde? Property developers still predominatly seem to come from Portugal and Italy only. Try to target more investors ....like the Dubai, Malaysia, UK, Spain, France, Brazil, Canada etc.

I understand your comment Matthias. The level of education is an important factor for the Cape Verean people to profit from the growing tourism. Cape Verde has 1 university. For a number of studies, Cape Verdean students have to go abroad. Most of them go to Portugal or Brazil. So they depend on limited skolorships. What we mis in Cape Verde is a college that specializes in the training people to work in tourist areas. On that area Cape Verde can take an example from Tunisia, wich has a number of l'ecole touristique's.

The Prime minister of Cape Verde last year lounched a campaign to atract skilled Cape Verdeans who live in the Diaspora, he started this campaign by giving the new boeing 757 of the Cape Verdian Airlines the name of 'emigranti'.
More Cape Verdeans live abroad than in Cape Verde.

The reason that Cape Verde is lacking of agressive marketing campaigns, is that the infrastructure is not yet ready to receive the mass tourism. But it has to go step by step. The first step is the construction of more international airports. The second step is privatization of the national airline TACV, so that other airlines can compete in the offer of flights to the Islands.
Tourism is indeed a huge chance for Cape Verde to develop the country's economy.

The investment of the Dubai based Profile Group(also known from The Palm) has already started, The Cesária Resort will absorb some 500 million euros in investments in its first phase. Hanif Mohammed Khoda (CEO) also made a point of stressing that the Profile Group’s projects in Cape Verde will not be limited to the Cesária Resort, and said that investments projected for the next fifteen years will reach nearly 1.5 billion US dollars.
Private investor David Chow from Macau has started his investment to build a huge casino complex including a hotel on a private island wich wil be connected by a bridge, Linking the Island of Santiago with the tiny island of Santa Maria. The entire project is evaluated at more than US$ 100 million, but, depending on the evolution of business, Chow’s investments could reach as high as US$ 300 million.

Many people say that Cape Verde is in the same phase as the Canary Island 20 years ago. But the development is gowing to a good direction. Cape Verde graduated this year to a 'middle income country'. The EU is also preparing a special partnership for Cape Verde.
The time wil learn if the Cape Verdean people will benefit from al these investments.

I fear that CV is turning into another Carribean or Gambia. Where all the hotels are owned and managed by foriegners who import managers and foreign food. CV will be left with jobs as waiters and cleaners. They would be better off having slower tourism growth to give local people more of a chance to get involved. Foreign investment is a quick fix but offers poor potential in the long-term. Do we ever learn?

I understand your comment Matthias. The level of education is an important factor for the Cape Verean people to profit from the growing tourism. Cape Verde has 1 university. For a number of studies, Cape Verdean students have to go abroad. Most of them go to Portugal or Brazil. So they depend on limited skolorships. What we mis in Cape Verde is a college that specializes in the training people to work in tourist areas. On that area Cape Verde can take an example from Tunisia, wich has a number of l'ecole touristique's.

So why don´t you start to work together with Tunisia is this regard? Any initiatives taken so far?:)



The reason that Cape Verde is lacking of agressive marketing campaigns, is that the infrastructure is not yet ready to receive the mass tourism. But it has to go step by step. The first step is the construction of more international airports. The second step is privatization of the national airline TACV, so that other airlines can compete in the offer of flights to the Islands.
Tourism is indeed a huge chance for Cape Verde to develop the country's economy.

Why step by step again? Your country is small and manageable!
How many new international airports are planned or u/c? What about the road network, the roads that I have seen are in a pretty good shape! Didn´t Praia get a new international airport and public transport looks nice, too? Decent public buses can be spotted on the pics and not cranky old buses that the "First World" gives to the "Third World" for free.

The investment of the Dubai based Profile Group(also known from The Palm) has already started, The Cesária Resort will absorb some 500 million euros in investments in its first phase. Hanif Mohammed Khoda (CEO) also made a point of stressing that the Profile Group’s projects in Cape Verde will not be limited to the Cesária Resort, and said that investments projected for the next fifteen years will reach nearly 1.5 billion US dollars.
Private investor David Chow from Macau has started his investment to build a huge casino complex including a hotel on a private island wich wil be connected by a bridge, Linking the Island of Santiago with the tiny island of Santa Maria. The entire project is evaluated at more than US$ 100 million, but, depending on the evolution of business, Chow’s investments could reach as high as US$ 300 million.

Lovely news!:banana: And nice to know that projects get done! Nice to know that Macau businessmen come to Cape Verde, too:cheers: Macau is a nice and thriving place!

Many people say that Cape Verde is in the same phase as the Canary Island 20 years ago.

I have read this, too!
But cape Verde needs to tap more markets than just Portugal and Italy. Look at French, Belgium , English , Canadians and American tourists, too. People from Asia...Bring in the people with BIG CASH! If things are cleverly managed (for example the creation of offshore banking, into the bargain, have you thought about this?). I read that Cape Verde might have oil? But maybe this is just a rumour! Do you know anything about it?

Your country has everything to succeed: it is relatively close to Europe. It is politically stable and above all it seems to be comparatively crime-free and it has an image to sell that Western people are generally fond of: your country offers sunshine, the landscape is breath-takingly beautiful and it is culturally at the crossroads between Africa, Brazil and Portugal... Cape Verde is like the French West Indies but just more interesting!:) all fused into one Cape Verdian identity and spirit. Even each of the individual islands on Cape Verde have their own distinctive character! This fusion/mixture/various influences are "unique" in Africa.

But the development is gowing to a good direction. Cape Verde graduated this year to a 'middle income country'. The EU is also preparing a special partnership for Cape Verde.

What kind of special partnership is this, please? Can you enlarge on it? I heared of it, too, but when someone from a country tells you something about it, it is always better than what you read in the papers.

The time wil learn if the Cape Verdean people will benefit from al these investments

I do hope that this will be the case but I am optimistic!:) Cape Verde people seem to be business-minded and open-minded, many are western educated which helps a lot, in my opinion...many have even created business abroad, from what I have heard....so Cape Verdians won´t end up what Popa1980 is saying as waiters and bellboys! Crap talk!

I fear that CV is turning into another Carribean or Gambia. Where all the hotels are owned and managed by foriegners who import managers and foreign food. CV will be left with jobs as waiters and cleaners. They would be better off having slower tourism growth to give local people more of a chance to get involved. Foreign investment is a quick fix but offers poor potential in the long-term. Do we ever learn?

I think that in this case, Cape Verde has to learn from other countries. The government has to learn from the faillures of other developing countries as well as take notice of the success-factors of the development of other similar nations.

In order to regulate the quick fix investment, the goverment has to formulate some restrictions in the sense of employing a number/percentage of Cape Verdean Nationals. We are talking about Foreign Direct Investments that will be the double of the GDP in 2007. And this number is growing fast.

We need more long-term investments like in the articele below:

Investors in Cesária Resort guarantee they are not just out to make money
18-07-06
http://www.asemana.cv/IMG/arton18798.jpg
This is the affirmation of the president of Dubai-based Profile Group, the main investor in the tourist enterprise, made during the presentation of the project Monday in Praia. The Cesária Resort will absorb some 500 million euros in investments in its first phase.

Hanif Mohammed Khoda was emphatic in affirming that the group’s intention is not to “earn money and then disappear,” and guaranteed that, on the contrary, the idea is “to be here for a long time and work with the government and with Cape Verdeans” toward the development of the country.

Cesária Resort is a tourist and real-estate enterprise to be built near the coastal zones of Palha Carga and Calheta Grande on the island of São Vicente, covering a total area of some 1,309 hectares. The project will include more than 2,200 apartments, 1,700 villas, five hotels, a marina, a casino, golf courses, sports centers, commercial centers and spas.

“It’s a major enterprise that was born of a great dream. Now the hard work will begin - turning the dream into reality,” said the president of the Profile Group, who added that the investors’ objective is to make Cesária Resort “the largest resort ever built in Cape Verde” and to turn the country into “Africa’s biggest tourist destination.”

Hanif Mohammed Khoda also made a point of stressing that the Profile Group’s projects in Cape Verde will not be limited to the Cesária Resort, and said that investments projected for the next fifteen years will reach nearly 1.5 billion US dollars.

Khoda said he hoped Cape Verdeans would become very much involved in the implementation and management of the Cesária Resort, and challenged Cape Verdean society to “make its contribution” with the “expertise” of local young professionals.

Minister of the Economy, Growth and Competitiveness João Pereira Silva was also present at the ceremony, stressing its dimensions and future contribution to the development of Cape Verde.

Source: www.asemana.cv

So why don´t you start to work together with Tunisia is this regard? Any initiatives taken so far?:)

I have never heard of any cooperation in that direction, not with Tunisia or the other Maghreb countries. The partnerships that Cape Verde has are just limited to the Portugese-speaking countries and the ECOWAS-community.

Why step by step again? Your country is small and manageable!
How many new international airports are planned or u/c? What about the road network, the roads that I have seen are in a pretty good shape! Didn´t Praia get a new international airport and public transport looks nice, too? Decent public buses can be spotted on the pics and not cranky old buses that the "First World" gives to the "Third World" for free.?

It is true that Cape Verde is a small country. But at the moment the infrastructure is undergoing a huge change, the flights-sector is in the process of being an open market. The international airport of Sao Vicente is under construction. The airport of Boa Vista is in its certification process, yesterday it received its first jetliner. The new airport of Praia is fully operating since the beginning of this year.
The roads on the Islands with the most economic activities (Sal, Santiago and Sao Vicente) are in very good condition. On the other Islands they are still working on the construction of roads. The public buses on the most of the Islands are from reasonable comfort.

Lovely news!:banana: And nice to know that projects get done! Nice to know that Macau businessmen come to Cape Verde, too:cheers: Macau is a nice and thriving place!?

Macau is indeed a very nice place, I have been there 4 years ago. It is a unique place in China, with the atmosfere that you are in a southern European country.
Macau is a strategic partner for Cape Verde. We can learn from them, because Macau is the place in China that absorbs the most tourists from mainland China and Hong Kong. And there is also now language barriere because they also speak Portugese.
Macau can be a hub for Cape Verde to attract the explosive growing number of Chinese tourists

I have read this, too!
But cape Verde needs to tap more markets than just Portugal and Italy. Look at French, Belgium , English , Canadians and American tourists, too. People from Asia...Bring in the people with BIG CASH! If things are cleverly managed (for example the creation of offshore banking, into the bargain, have you thought about this?). I read that Cape Verde might have oil? But maybe this is just a rumour! Do you know anything about it??

That is true, theMinister of the Economy, Growth and Competitiveness José Brito said that Cape Verde has to devirsify the sources of tourists. There are already some Irish and English investors active in Cape Verde. I think that the Americans could be a great source for tourism in the future, 500.000 Cape Verdeans live in America. The national airline recentley introduced a weekly flight to Boston where most people of the Cape Verdean community live in the U.S.

Your country has everything to succeed: it is relatively close to Europe. It is politically stable and above all it seems to be comparatively crime-free and it has an image to sell that Western people are generally fond of: your country offers sunshine, the landscape is breath-takingly beautiful and it is culturally at the crossroads between Africa, Brazil and Portugal... Cape Verde is like the French West Indies but just more interesting!:) all fused into one Cape Verdian identity and spirit. Even each of the individual islands on Cape Verde have their own distinctive character! This fusion/mixture/various influences are "unique" in Africa.

Yes, you appointed the main ingredients for succes:banana:

What kind of special partnership is this, please? Can you enlarge on it? I heared of it, too, but when someone from a country tells you something about it, it is always better than what you read in the papers.

The special status of Cape Verde within the EU will make it possible for the Islands to obtain some structural funds in the same way as the neighbouring Spanish Canary Islands and the Portuguese Azores and Madeira Islands. In this proposal Cape Verde was backed up by Portugal, Luxemburg and Spain. The diplomats said that the process would be a long one as there was no precedent set for a country outside the European continent to have a special status in relation to the EU.

I think that the special partnership is not important at all. Cape Verde's proposal has not been received that good within the ECOWAS-community. I would rather see Cape Verde make more deals with the West-African community, as we see that a large number of African countries are developing very fast.