📋 Tender Overview
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Olavo Correia, stated on Thursday, November 20, in the Specialized Committee, the central importance of the tourism sector for the economic development of Cape Verde. Olavo Correia made this statement on behalf of the Minister of Tourism and Transport, Jose Luis Sa Nogueira, within the scope of the hearing at the 3rd Specialized Commission on Economy, Environment and Spatial Planning, to debate in detail the State Budget Proposal for 2026 regarding the sector. Tourism is a strategic sector for Cape Verde and this is evident not only by the weight it represents in GDP and the impact it brings to employment, but also by promoting the countrys external image. Furthermore, he said, tourism creates scale for the necessary diversification of the Cape Verdean economy. Cape Verde is a small island and archipelagic state; looking at the islands, due to their population size, if it were from a profitability perspective, none of them would be viable from the point of view of allocating resources for investments. Therefore, we need a market, population, business, and tourism is the opportunity that generates this scale and accelerates the dynamics of development, he added. Olavo Correia also highlighted that the sector is a catalyst for structural and social improvements. Tourism brings positive pressure from the external sector, whether from the diaspora or source markets, to accelerate development in areas such as health, energy, water and services. This is an intangible but determining factor that allows us to diversify and expand the economy, while simultaneously developing the digital economy, he noted. In order to guarantee sustainable and perennial tourism, the Vice-Prime Minister stated that the Government has developed strategic instruments to guarantee the sustainable development of tourism. We have a tourism masterplan for each island, which identifies the potential, challenges and tourism products to be developed, he mentioned. Furthermore, the minister presented the Tourism Operational Program (POT) as a disruptive framework that covers all sectors of the economy and establishes concrete actions for sustainable development in the area. Regarding the 2026 budget, Olavo Correia emphasized that it is destined to support both tourism and the countrys connectivity. We have more than two million contos specifically for tourism, and more than three million contos to invest in connectivity, both directly and indirectly, through the State Budget and public companies that operate in the sector, he explained. The importance of national and international connectivity was highlighted by the Deputy Prime Minister as a key factor in the success of tourism, especially for smaller islands such as Maio, Brava and Sao Nicolau. We will invest approximately 3.2 million contos directly, not counting another 10 million that will be allocated to operations carried out by these public companies, he indicated. Another strategic priority is the diversification and deconcentration of tourism, said the minister. We are investing heavily in all islands and municipalities, in infrastructure, urban qualification, tourist development of rural islands, promotion of cultural and nature tourism. The Tourism Fund has grown and, now with the , foresees investments of over 12 million contos, benefiting not only tourism, but the entire Cape Verdean economy and society, he stated. The Government has set a goal of reaching 1.5 million tourists in 2026, stated Olavo Correia, considering that this objective is completely achievable. We are currently at 1.2 to 1.3 million, and could inject more than 300 thousand tourists. This growth requires rigorous planning, institutional reinforcement and improvement in the level of service, so that the increase in tourist flow does not harm the quality of the destination, he noted. Concluding his intervention, Olavo Correia highlighted the scope of public investment, stating that, when talking about tourism, one cannot only consider the budget of the Ministry of Tourism. There are investments in housing, water, sanitation, energy and infrastructure that directly impact the sector and that are not included in the ministrys budget. According to Olavo Correia, a broad programmatic vision is necessary to guarantee quality, diversified tourism that serves people, especially young people and Cape Verdean women, on all the islands, also involving the diaspora and all visitors who seek Cape Verde to be happy.
