BTL 2024 showcases Cape Verde as star destination for guests

Friday, January 19, 2024

Cape Verde stars as the guest destination at the 2024 Lisbon Tourism Exchange, showcasing its beaches, culture, and growing appeal to global tourists.

The 2024 Lisbon Tourism Exchange (BTL) will shine the spotlight on Cape Verde as its distinguished international guest, set to occur from February 28th to March 3rd at FIL – Parque das Nações.

Renowned for its magnetic appeal to global travelers, Cape Verde is a gem in global tourism. This archipelago enchants with its picturesque beaches that provide a serene escape and prime conditions for aquatic adventures. The local streets resonate with the vibrant rhythms of morna and funaná, epitomizing the rich cultural fabric of the nation. This cultural essence extends to the culinary scene, where Cape Verdean cuisine presents a tantalizing blend of African, Portuguese, and Creole influences, captivating food enthusiasts with its traditional fares.

Each island within the archipelago boasts its unique charm, from Santiago’s dynamic vibe to Santo Antão’s serene allure. Cape Verde’s diverse landscapes, from majestic scenery to serene trails and inactive volcanoes, invite exploration and adventure. The country’s strategic and dynamic promotional efforts have bolstered its international reputation.

Cape Verde’s deep-rooted cultural ties with Portugal, through shared language and historical connections, render it a particularly endearing destination for Portuguese travelers. This shared heritage fosters a sense of familiarity and connection for global visitors, enhancing the appeal of this destination.

The archipelago’s proximity and convenient travel options, including regular direct flights, make it an increasingly popular choice for Portuguese tourists seeking both leisure and business opportunities. Cape Verde’s unique landscapes offer both relaxation and potential business prospects. It’s also a haven for those wishing to reconnect with their heritage, visit loved ones, and strengthen familial bonds – a nearby “sister country” only four hours away.

Recent data from Cape Verde’s National Statistics Institute (INE) underscores this growing interest among Portuguese tourists. For the second quarter of 2023, Portugal was the second-largest source of international tourists to Cape Verde, accounting for 12.2% of arrivals and 12.3% of overnight stays.

Cape Verde’s participation in the BTL event is set to bolster the relationship between Portugal and Cape Verde, offering visitors a comprehensive insight into the diverse tourist attractions and cultural depth of this captivating destination. Beyond its world-famous beaches and natural wonders, Cape Verde is a country rich in soul and culture, waiting to be further explored.

For the Minister of Tourism and Transport, Carlos Santos, “Cape Verde being named by BTL as a guest international destination is a huge honour and clearly recognition of the work that the Cape Verdean government has been doing since 2016 to develop and improve the destination. Firstly, by choosing tourism as the country’s development engine and the catalyst and inducer of all economic activity. Secondly, by making tourism the primary instrument for reducing poverty, by creating jobs and maximising the impact of the positive effects, through virtuous and sustainable growth, for the benefit of the population and communities, especially young people and women.”

“This is going to be a year of great achievements for Cape Verdean tourism. Firstly, with the presentation of the new Cabo Verde brand, aimed at more targeted communication to diversify the product and the market, reflecting a well-defined strategy based on planning that projects the country as a platform for services. On the other hand, conditions are being created for tourism to have a territorial scope on all the islands and for the environment, culture and history to be the main ingredients in product development.

The country is going through one of its best times ever. In the year just ended, 2023, according to the data estimated so far, Cape Verde received more than 900,000 tourists, surpassing 2019’s figures by around 12 per cent. And the expectation for 2024 is for continued growth. Indeed, Cape Verde’s presence at BTL as a guest country is certainly the ideal and unique setting to showcase the tourist destination, its people, its landscapes, its culture and the historical heritage that the islands present,” adds Cape Verde’s Minister of Tourism and Transport, Dr Carlos Santos.

“Cape Verde is a very special destination for portuguese travellers. Welcoming it as a guest international destination at BTL 2024 is a way of celebrating the close and lasting link between our two markets. For Cape Verde, BTL offers a prominent platform to develop commercial synergies with various players in portuguese tourism, but also a privileged space to promote the destination’s novelties and make direct contact with the consumer. There’s a lot to discover in Cape Verde – and we’re sure that the archipelago’s return to BTL, in a prominent position, will be a way of strengthening our value proposition for tourism professionals and consumers,” says Dália Palma, manager of the Lisbon Tourism Exchange.

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