Our Positive Impact on the Local Community

This year marks our ten-year anniversary and it has been a decade of incredible growth and progress for both the Group and Cape Verde. It is a partnership between country and company that has seen a great deal of achievements, and whether that be economic, environmental and social, we have been proud to be a part of each and every one.

Cape Verde is blessed with an outstanding natural beauty and we are all aware that a deep respect for the environment is central to our continued success. Tourism businesses must care about sustainability to help protect the unique natural and cultural characteristics of our resorts, so they continue to attract tourists in the future. We continually look for ways to improve our environmental footprint and protect the natural environment.

As a result, we were very proud to be granted the Travelife Sustainability in Tourism Gold Certification for MELIÃ Tortuga Beach Resort and the MELIÃ Dunas Beach Resort & Spa. Every element of the resorts’ operations was taken into consideration – from our energy-saving efforts on resort, waste reduction through recycling, day-to-day environmental measures and our various methods to save water, to our regular staff training programmes, support of local businesses and sustainable communication to guests. The certificate is a fantastic recognition of our work to improve our environmental footprint. We would not have achieved this level of success around the world without the support of the communities which reside in Cape Verde and the respect we have for these communities and the environment, so we would like to extend our thanks to the people of the Island.

May of this year saw the opening of the University of Cabo Verde Business and Governance School. The school includes twelve classrooms, a new sports ground, laboratories, cafeteria, amphitheatre and a library. The partnership between the University of Cabo Verde and The Resort Group will improve living conditions for the academic community and has been funded with the sole purpose of teaching and nurturing the next generation of managers and business students to ensure Cape Verde continues to prosper and grow. But that’s not all, because we have also committed to providing 20 scholarships a year to guarantee continued learning and development for those who would not normally get the opportunity to carry on with their studies.

We’ve also held initiatives throughout the year for the Cape Verde Foundation, the staff at The Resort Group alone raised over £10,000 in fundraising activities. Always focused on how we can help within the community, we have achieved much with the funds raised over the years. The support we have received in 2017 has meant we have helped more than 170 children visit the Viveiro Botanical Garden on Sal Island, donated sports equipment, opened a Summer school for the local children, as well as provided much needed medical supplies. And we’re not stopping there.

We now have a market share of 67% of the five-star hotel segment in Cape Verde and the largest resort and hotel pipeline in this rapidly growing tourist destination. Among investors, we are known for our long-term plans, excellent track record and dedication to the ongoing success of our developments. With the latter in mind, this year we have made great strides in expanding the hospitality side of the business – working hard to create a well-rounded experience for guests including on-site medical care, boutiques, beauty salons and a wide array of restaurants catering for day and night. This means not just a boost to the economy but also a range of new employment opportunities to the local community – our workplace ratio already sits at 97% Cape Verdean and it is something we want to ensure continues.

As we look back over the years, it is clear that The Resort Group and The Cape Verde Foundation have worked side by side to develop the local community on all fronts, and we will continue to help with this progress into the future. We take our responsibility to Cape Verde seriously and we are always looking for ways to improve through our policies and initiatives, as well as through the work of The Cape Verde Foundation.

If you would like to get in touch with us about our work, get in touch today via our contact page.