How Airlift To Cape Verde Has Changed
Cape Verde’s skies have never looked more different. There was a time, years ago, when Cape Verde could only speak of two airports and two aeroplanes in its service. Now, each of its nine Islands has an airport, and the country is serviced by 112 direct flights by 12 airlines, with flights coming in from all over the world.
The skies have changed, thanks to the increase in airlift to Cape Verde – and so has the reality on the ground.
A hidden beauty
Cape Verde was once an undiscovered treasure, largely inaccessible to the tourists that would have liked to visit.
But The Resort Group PLC understood the value of Cape Verde and what it could become. With stunning beaches, lovely weather and a varied landscape, Cape Verde had the potential to be a number one tourist destination. And the airlift scene was already beginning to change – new airports were springing up on several Islands and the government was committed to nurturing the tourism industry.
Increase in airlift to Cape Verde
There are many direct flights from the UK and Europe to Cape Verde. The journey is only six hours long and there is only 2 hours time difference in summer and only 1 hour difference during winter – making the Islands a comfortable and easy journey.
This is due to the investment in infrastructure on the Islands. Cape Verde is one of only a handful of African countries that can boast a category one certified airport. Both São Vicente and Boa Vista – the fastest-growing tourism markets in the country – have international airports, and tourists can head to the US from the Sal and Praia airports.
The government has plans to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) to develop the aviation industry. Aeroportos e Segurança Aérea (ASA), an organisation responsible for regulatory stability to attract more FDI, hopes to increase economic efficiency and technology transfers to build a stronger and better aviation sector. In the end, an increase in airlift to Cape Verde is beneficial for everyone. As a senior executive from ASA puts it: “Our main market is tourism […] We may not have oil or gold, but we do have the sun, sea, sand, and mountains.”
Blue skies ahead
And the world is beginning to take notice of the treasure that is Cape Verde. Increased accessibility to the Islands means that more tourists are looking to visit, lured by the hassle-free flights, no jet lag and cheaper costs. The Global Travel Search Index – a company that ranks holiday destinations according to what has shown the greatest increase in Google search interest over the past 12 years – has given Cape Verde the top spot. According to them, the country has seen a jump in Google searches of more than 3,000% since 2004. This tourist boom looks set to continue far into the future. The number of visitors has climbed 115% since 2000 and is expected to double again by 2024.
For more information about how The Resort Group PLC is transforming Cape Verde and to speak to one of our team visit our contact us page.