The number of tourists in Cape Verde continues to increase. The year 2023 has even been a record year with over 1 million tourists. This is evident from the new statistics published by the Cape Verdean Bureau of Statistics (Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde). In 2018, we published an extensive analysis of tourism on the Cape Verdean islands. In the past 6 years, the number of tourists has increased by approximately 300,000. This is an increase of over 41% compared to 2017. And compared to last year (2022), this means an increase of over 21%. The graph below shows the development of the number of tourists per year. In 2020 and 2021, the upward trend is interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions.
Development of Tourism in Cape Verde 2013 - 2023
Largest share of tourists from the United Kingdom
In 2023, most tourists to Cape Verde came from the United Kingdom, accounting for 25.1% of all visitors. The increase in tourists from the United Kingdom compared to the previous year is the strongest of all countries. In second place is Portugal with 16.4% of all tourists. A significant number of tourists also came from the Netherlands, accounting for 8.6% of the total. German tourists made up 8.1% of the visitors. Various other countries, mainly from Europe, are also strongly represented. Noticeable is the rise from new markets such as Eastern Europe.
Sal and Boavista remain by far the most popular
The islands of Sal and Boavista together received more than 80% of all tourists in 2023. The islands are known for their beautiful beaches, sand dunes, and resorts. Of the total number of arrivals, 57.1% went to Sal and 24.3% to Boavista. Santiago received 9.7% of the tourists, followed by São Vicente with 4.8%. The remaining islands together attracted 4.1% of the tourists. The smaller islands benefit from their unique attractions and charms, increasingly attracting tourists looking for a different experience than the more tourist-developed islands such as Sal and Boavista.
Romanians have the highest average length of stay
There were more than 5.1 million overnight stays in 2023. Tourists from Romania had the longest stays in Cape Verde, with an average length of stay of 6.5 nights. Other countries with tourists staying relatively long include Germany (5.6 nights) and the United Kingdom (5 nights).