Cape Verde – can it benefit touristically from the World Cup success of its national football team?
At the FIFA World Cup currently taking place in North America the exploits of the national football team from Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) - an archipelago of only half a million people in the North Atlantic and the second smallest nation taking part, after Curaçao - have captivated not only regular supporters of 'the Beautiful Game', but also those that tuned in casually on the advice of the team's playing style, courage and tenacity.
That they won many hearts is indisputable.
Now the question is whether Cape Verde can replicate Croatia (2018) and Morocco (2022) in converting World Cup competition success into tourist receipts.
Early indications are that they can, with online searches for vacations there increasing by 5000% in a matter of days.
Cape Verde is already a popular destination for Europeans, especially, and those that have already visited and become regular tourists there will know that the existing infrastructure is more than adequate. Especially at the top end of the accommodation scale, which is where new visitors from North America, for example, would want to be. Moreover, there is a pipeline of existing and new real estate investors standing by to pump more money still into the country.
But there are problems.
The airports are more than adequate and the concessionaire VINCI Airports is pumping money into them.
But the national airline is not presently capable of handling a sudden new rush of demand. That would have to be by the existing low cost and charter airlines in Europe, and by new airlines from the Americas, and possibly elsewhere.
Medical services need much improvement. Meanwhile, there has been a notable increase in petty crime, although it seems to have stabilised, at the moment.
Already the Cape Verde authorities are plying big business in the US and elsewhere for investment, not only into tourism, but also into logistics, energy and other areas. It might be argued, though, that they need to move swiftly to get the basics right first.
The 'Hand of God' - an expression forever linked in the mind of English football supporters to the World Cup - has dealt Cape Verde an unexpected full flush of cards, and none of them are red. How will the country rise to the challenge?
Summary
- Cape Verde’s breakout first-ever World Cup run has sharply raised global awareness and sparked a tourism opportunity similar to Croatia (2018) and Morocco (2022).
- Online interest surged immediately, with “Cape Verde vacation” searches up over 5,000% and major platforms reporting large increases in US travel searches.
- Tourism is already central to the economy (about 25% of GDP directly and ~40% indirectly), with 1.25 million visitors in 2025 and high occupancy levels.
- Airports are generally well positioned for growth, with VINCI Airports investing heavily under a 40-year concession to expand and modernise facilities.
- The main aviation constraint is limited capacity at Cabo Verde Airlines, meaning additional demand will likely need to be met by foreign LCCs/charters and potentially new US services.
- Key risks that could blunt the tourism windfall include weak medical services (including recent illness outbreaks), rising petty crime, and infrastructure strain on the main resort islands.
A national football team from lower club divisions across the world put the mighty Argentina to the test
There was more than one 'minnow' that performed beyond expectations in the FIFA Soccer World Cup this year (2026), but the accomplishment of the Cape Verde team vastly exceeded those expectations both at home and abroad, and planted the 10-island North Atlantic archipelago, 400 miles (650km) off the west coast of Africa (and home to less than half a million people) firmly in the minds of millions of global admirers.
Appearing at its first-ever World Cup, the team (made up of players from lower level club teams in Türkiye [mainly], also the USA, Ireland, the UAE, Russia, Hungary and Portugal) managed a 0-0 draw against FIFA #2-rated team Spain, a 2-2 draw against Uruguay and a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in the group stage, becoming the smallest-ever nation to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup.
Then in the first knockout round of 32, Cape Verde lost 3-2 to Argentina - Messi and all - the current world champions, in extra time, and in what has been described as the match of the tournament so far.
The question now is; to what degree will sporting success translate into tourism receipts?
Tourism is already the backbone of the economy
The challenge is how to turn achievement on the football field into increased awareness of the country and more tourist visits.
Tourism is already the backbone of Cape Verde's economy, directly driving around 25% of the nation's GDP and accounting for nearly 40% of all indirect downstream economic activity. The sector supports about 10% of formal employment and represents the vast majority of foreign direct investment.
New tourist destinations appear for all sorts of oddball reasons
New tourist destinations can arise for a variety of well catalogued reasons, some of them arcane. They include viral posts on social media; sites of historical disasters; true-crime events; nuclear accidents (like Chernobyl, in Ukraine) - all of which morph from areas of mourning into educational and oddly thrilling spaces for 'dark tourism'.
Then there is the "Last Chance" rush: doom tourism prompts travellers to flood fragile ecosystems (like melting glaciers, or sinking islands), specifically because the destination is actively disappearing.
Macabre attraction to the scenes of war or other conflict lures people to the site of battles and terrorism. Cities like Sarajevo, now in Bosnia Herzegovina, and Belfast in Northern Ireland, have benefitted from their dark histories.
Then there is what is known as Literary & Cinematic Hyper-Realism: movie fans flock to a location because it is linked to their favourite film or to a TV series, such as the pilgrimages to the 'Friends' apartment block in New York; Hobbiton in New Zealand from The Lord of the Rings; the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland from Harry Potter; Dubrovnik in Croatia, and Iceland from Game of Thrones. And the Royal Crescent in Bath, UK, from the TV series Bridgerton.
And even, at one time, religious ones to the foot of the outdoor concrete staircase at M Street in Washington's Georgetown where victims met their fate in horror classic 'The Exorcist'.
Football appeals to hearts as well as minds
Football brings together two highly attractive factors - 'the Beautiful Game' as it is known, and the Underdog.
The Cape Verde team ticked both boxes absolutely. The country doesn't need to rely on historical disasters or battles or movie stars, and it certainly doesn't need the intervention of a priest to win hearts and minds.
A broad set of attractions…
What Cape Verde (officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, since 2013, but the English translation is used here) does have has long been well documented.
The pristine beaches and water sports of the Sal and Boa Vista islands are the obvious attractions for sun seekers. For more active types the towering active volcano on Fogo island, the dramatic hiking valleys of Santo Antão, and the vibrant cultural and nightlife capital Mindelo on São Vicente island.
The islands of Cape Verde
Source: Google Maps.
Only the capital and largest city, Praia, seems to lack much in the way of charm, although it does occasionally attract both international government and commercial conferences and events, and its Santiago island does contain a UNESCO World Heritage site. While half of the islands and islets still remain undeveloped, for those that seek 'the real Cape Verde' (São Nicolau, Santa Luzia, Maio, Fogo and Brava).
Probably not for long though.
…but mainly sun and sea seekers
While the people who visited Cape Verde up to the end of the 1980s were mainly travellers and adventurers seeking 'real experiences'; an estimated 90% to 95% of tourists visit the islands today primarily for sunbathing and beach life. The only journeys they make within the country are from the airport on Sal and Boa Vista islands to their beachside hotel, and then back again seven or 14 days later.
Real estate investors have flocked there
That has made the islands a paradise for real estate investors and speculators.
They offer such investors attractive year-round sunshine for their clients.
There are no 'off-seasons' as there are in southern mainland Europe, while the climate is more temperate than it is in the Spanish Canary Islands.
Other benefits to investors are strong rental yields of 8%-10%.
With highly competitive entry prices compared to saturated European markets, it has emerged as a premier Atlantic destination.
Tourism is constant, not peaky
Cape Verde features a warm, tropical climate year-round, with temperatures averaging 24°C to 30°C, defined by a long dry season (Nov-Jun) and a brief, humid rainy season (Aug-Sep). Constant cooling trade winds keep the islands comfortable, especially Oct-Jul.
Hence, tourism is constant and stable over the year, rather than being experienced in 'peak and trough' seasons.
The only downside is that the islands are occasionally visited by the tailwinds of Atlantic Ocean hurricanes, but that is a rare experience, and with no comparison whatsoever to the Caribbean islands - which are heavily affected by them.
Cape Verde is often the actual birthplace of such hurricanes and tropical storms. Most develop into full hurricanes further out across the Atlantic, and Cape Verde suffers only from their remnants as they blow back eastwards.
Consistent tourism growth has been experienced in the 2000s
On top of that, there is consistent tourism growth already.
To say, as a Cape Verdean emigrant to the USA did to the newspaper USA Today, that "before this World Cup, many people had never heard of Cape Verde" is wildly inaccurate.
The chart below shows tourism growth overall to the islands from 2009 (less than 300,000 annually) to 2025 (1.25 million).
Cape Verde annual tourism: visitor arrivals from 2009 to 2025
Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation and Cape Verde National Institute of Statistics.
The total of 1.25 million arrivals is 2.3 times the 525,000 population of the entire island group, making Cape Verde the second highest country by 'Tourist-to-Population Ratio' in Africa, after Seychelles.
Those record-breaking 1.25 million international visitors in 2025 generated over 6.1 million overnight stays, and achieved an average hotel bed occupancy rate of 72%.
This sustained tourism surge is heavily driven by European travellers, and has been further boosted by the country's rising global profile.
Cape Verde: visitor arrivals by market for 2025
Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation and Cape Verde National Institute of Statistics.
More than half the visitors are from just five European countries
However it is clear from the chart above that almost 57% of visitors come from just five countries; all of them in Europe.
Cape Verde needs to brace itself for an influx of visitor enquiries, now, from across the world, with all the administration that requires.
Cape Verde does not get into the Top 25 of African countries (out of 54) as measured by foreign visitor arrivals overall, but it is only just outside it, while it is only 50th by land area.
It was 20 years ago that Portugal, the old colonial power, Germany and Italy topped the list of countries providing visitors.
Since then, the British have discovered Cape Verde in droves, thanks to charter flights rather than scheduled services operated by the indigenous operator Cabo Verde Airlines (previously TACV), which continues to struggle.
Visitors to Cape Verde today primarily come from Europe, with the United Kingdom leading as the largest single source country, accounting for about 28% of all arrivals.
So the vast majority of international tourists originate from Western European nations, but there has been recently an uptick of visitors from the United States and within the African continent.
In more detail, the primary countries of origin include:
- United Kingdom: the largest source market, drawn largely to the resort islands of Sal and Boa Vista;
- Portugal: historically and culturally connected to Cape Verde, providing a steady stream of tourists and returning diaspora;
- Germany and France: major contributors to the island's ecotourism and beach holidays;
- Belgium and The Netherlands: strong feeder markets.
A greater degree of stability than found in most other African countries
Possibly of greater importance to many people today is that the country is a stable democracy, benefitting from both a political and religious angle.
There is very little chance of being caught up in terrorism. There is no separation movement; independence was secured 51 years ago in 1975, while the more positive vestiges of Portuguese colonial rule remain.
And there is financial stability. The currency is pegged to the euro.
Personal security: the overall crime rate is falling, but visitors need to be on their guard, and the government needs to keep it under control
Cape Verde is generally considered to be a safe vacation destination with a low violent crime rate.
But it is not as safe as it was only 20 years ago, when the main tourist rush got under way: pick-pocketing, bag snatching, and muggings have become risks, particularly in the capital city of Praia and to some extent in Mindelo.
Additionally, some urban areas continue to grapple with gang violence and drug-related incidents.
The crime rate is not increasing in Cape Verde, though; indeed, overall criminal incidents fell by 11% in the latest nationwide police data. The downward trend has been largely attributed to the implementation of integrated video surveillance and security systems across major urban centres and tourist areas.
Even so, it is critical that the government stamps down harder on crime if it is to benefit from a World Cup windfall.
Provision of medical services for visitors must improve
If the country has a notable weakness - it is a medical one, and that has been the case for decades, without any notable improvement.
Healthcare and medical facilities are limited, especially on the smaller islands like Boa Vista, despite the massive tourist developments there.
Even on the main islands, inhabitants often have to be taken abroad, often to Portugal, for treatment for serious illnesses.
There have been significant and ongoing reports of food poisoning and severe gastrointestinal illnesses among tourists staying at package resorts.
At least eight British tourists died in the last year, after contracting severe gastric illnesses during package holidays in Cape Verde. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a travel warning regarding outbreaks of Shigella and Salmonella across resorts, prompting over 1,700 holidaymakers to pursue legal action against the tour operator TUI.
All visitors are now advised to secure robust Cape Verde-specific travel insurance before arrival.
Along with tackling low-level crime, rapidly improving on demand medical services for visitors needs to be high on the government's must-do list.
The influence of TACV/Cabo Verde Airlines has waned in favour of charters and LCCs
Tourism to Cape Verde began in the 1960s, but it wasn't large group tourism; rather, individuals, travellers rather than tourists, who accessed the islands usually via Lisbon and tended to visit all or at least many of them, staying in basic accommodation, including family homes, in an early form of 'bed and breakfast.'
Having its own long-standing scheduled airline - then TACV, now Cabo Verde Airlines, helped, and it was also assisted by the ex-colonial flag carrier, TAP Air Portugal, which remains the case today.
So Cape Verde wasn't heavily reliant on charter airlines, and TACV performed the tourist role, although originally its purpose was to connect the archipelago's widespread islands.
But since the turn of the century, foreign charter flights firstly, and then low cost airlines, have taken over as by far the greatest provider of tourist seats.
Take the Amilcar Cabral airport on Sal island, for example, the busiest in the archipelago for the simple reason it is the main holiday resort.
According to data from CAPA - Centre for Aviation and OAG for the week commencing 13-Jul-2026, 92% of seats are on foreign airlines, and over 50% are on LCC and charter flights.
The two leading airlines are easyJet and TUI, with 33% of international seat capacity between them, relegating the old guard of Cabo Verde Airlines and TAP Air Portugal each to just less than 9% each.
Sal Amilcar Cabral International Airport: international departing seats, all airlines, for the week commencing 13-Jul-2026
Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation and OAG.
Lack of aligned airlines
Another notable fact is that almost 90% of seats at Sal are on unaligned airlines.
So, if you are lucky enough to live close enough to an airport, where there is point-to-point low cost or charter services already, or where there is sufficient demand to start one, the chances of easy accessibility to Cape Verde are high.
But if you are reliant on alliance connectivity, there is less opportunity as things stand. (Cabo Verde Airlines is unaligned, but TAP Air Portugal is a member of the Star Alliance. However, that could change in line with its proposed partial privatisation).
Of course, the situation at each individual airport is different.
The capital, Praia's, airport has more full service airlines
Praia's Nelson Mandela Airport, for example, has a greater ratio of full service airlines (83% of international seats, with less than 15% on LCCs and charters combined, befitting its capital status), while the overall Cape Verde system has 45% full service (that level increases when looking at system seats that also include the domestic inter-island services operated by Cabo Verde Airlines and the state brand Cvsky, which was launched exclusively to manage and stabilise domestic flights across the archipelago).
Cabo Verde Airlines cannot provide many of the new services that might be needed
As Cabo Verde Airlines is the only long haul scheduled airline, it ought to carry the weight of expectation for delivering new services to aid tourism growth.
But in reality, it cannot. Its fleet has been reduced to a total of four aircraft - two ATR 72-600s, a Boeing 737 MAX-8 and a Boeing 737-700.
There are no aircraft on order.
While it has had a variety of routes to Europe and the Americas in the past, it is presently operating to only four European cities, plus one in the US (Rhode Island) and one in Brazil (Recife).
The idealistic concept of an Atlantic 'hub' operation involving the airline and partners, similar to that of Icelandair (which was once a controlling shareholder before Cabo Verde Airlines was renationalised in 2021), and which was fashionable a decade ago, together with a new airport to handle up to 50mppa, now belongs to history and in the realms of fantasy.
The airline is not the force it was, and that force never amounted to much anyway.
Cape Verde's diaspora is widespread and there are many in the US
To a considerable degree Cabo Verde Airlines' routes are predicated on the country's widespread diaspora, which is mainly found in Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Senegal; also very much in the United States, where some 500,000 live, mainly in New England.
There are pockets elsewhere - for example, in South Wales in the UK, linked, like most of the others, to the slave trade in the 16th - 19th centuries, but with insufficient numbers to merit an air service for them.
Cabo Verde Airlines: network map for the week commencing 13-Jul-2026
Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation and OAG.
Cabo Verde Airlines' woes are additionally compounded by the fact that it operates out of two main hubs and a minor third one - Sal, Praia and the San Pedro Cesaria Evora airport on São Vicente island, serving the commercial capital of Mindelo.
It does that to satisfy the demands of its own communities and the diaspora, but it is an unsuitable arrangement for growing international tourism.
Potentially Delta might offer US connections if Cabo Verde Airlines cannot
So apart from the European tourism - that will increase naturally as a result of the World Cup exploits, and out of which there are already 21 airlines serving Cape Verde from that continent - in order to capitalise on the recent publicity, airlines other than Cabo Verde Airlines will need to begin services.
The USA is a logical place to start. The half a million strong diaspora there will already act as ambassadors for Cape Verde.
If Cabo Verde Airlines is not - initially, at least - capable of meeting extra demand, then Delta Air Lines is viewed as the airline best suited to do that from North America.
Delta already serves five African destinations - Dakar in Senegal (the closest to Cape Verde); Accra in Ghana; Lagos in Nigeria; and both Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa; all from Atlanta (in most cases) or New York. It is by far the biggest US airline between the two continents.
There might be the possibility, in the first instance, to combine some of those existing routes with Cape Verde as Fifth Freedom ones, depending on the individual bilateral agreements.
The ambitious SATA Air Açores could provide another entry transit point
Another possibility might be the extension of the existing sixth freedom operations by the ambitious SATA Air Açores (Azores Airlines), via Ponta Delgada Airport, which already operates Europe - North America connections, and which has an existing service to and from the Praia airport in Cape Verde's capital.
Azores Airlines: network map for the week commencing 13-Jul-2026
Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation and OAG.
Azores Airlines already connects five North American airports, on the East Coast, and 12 mainland European airports and the addition of Praia (and Sal, if it could) would open up a vast potential, not only for connecting travel between countries, but also travel within the North Atlantic island grouping.
Airports are in good order and VINCI is now in charge
One area in which Cape Verde is, in theory at least, secure, is its airports, and how they present themselves to the travelling public.
The government was responsible for the airports, often employing international consultants to plan their growth, and did a good job maintaining and improving them.
The old Praia airport was replaced by a new one on the same site in 2005, with modern facilities befitting its status.
It has since become the second busiest airport on the islands, even though it handles comparatively little leisure traffic.
Top four busiest airports in Cape Verde in 2025
|
Airport |
Passenger numbers 2025 |
Increase/decrease on previous year |
|
1, 590, 000 |
+19% |
|
|
Praia |
753,000 |
+12.6% |
|
Boa Vista |
670,000 |
+8.5% |
|
São Vicente |
354,000 |
+17.8% |
Source: CAPA Airport Profiles
Then, in Jul-2023, VINCI Airports officially took over the operation of all seven of them, the French operator having signed a 40-year concession agreement in 2022.
The deal covers four international airports (Praia, Sal, São Vicente, and Boa Vista) and three domestic airfields (São Nicolau, São Filipe, and Maio).
Operations are managed in a partnership with VINCI's Portuguese subsidiary: ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal, which holds a 30% stake.
VINCI/ANA have been criticised for a perceived lack of investment in the Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, and that may have influenced a quick combined investment of EUR212 million in 2025 (completion) of runway renovations at Sal and São Nicolau airports, also terminal modernisation, and deploying solar power plants across multiple platforms at Sal, Praia, Boa Vista, and São Vicente airports.
Then, in and from 2026, a follow-up expansion phase targeting terminal expansions, new commercial areas, and a runway extension at Boa Vista.
The upgrades are backed by substantial sustainability-linked financing agreements to boost capacity and enhance the passenger experience.
Passenger volumes surged by 60% between 2022 and 2025, driven by the launch of 35 new routes and the attraction of low cost airlines like easyJet, making travel to and within the archipelago significantly more affordable.
VINCI Airports is widely considered to be doing a successful job managing airports in Cape Verde, driving substantial connectivity growth, modernising facilities, and significantly boosting tourism.
The tourist infrastructure is in place; at least some of it
Apart from airline service and airport provision, another important factor is tourist infrastructure to match a surge in visitor interest? In many ways the answer is - yes.
Cape Verde has highly developed tourism infrastructure, particularly on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista, which draw the majority of the annual international visitors. The country features vast resort networks, modern utilities, and much improved digital connectivity.
Sal and Boa Vista are home to high class, all-inclusive resorts, operated by major international brands like Meliá and TUI. There are also numerous boutique hotels and vacation rentals.
The government is investing heavily into modernising its 'blue economy' (a sustainable economic concept encompassing all activities and industries related to oceans, seas, and coastal regions) and shifting toward sustainable, eco-friendly tourism across the less developed islands.
Basic services could be overwhelmed by a tourist influx
However, in other ways it might struggle.
Rapid, unplanned coastal development has historically overwhelmed infrastructure-resorts on popular islands like Sal and Boa Vista, They have been built faster than waste systems and medical facilities could expand.
With a surge of tourists, water shortages, environmental degradation, and localised health crises (like the recent widespread stomach infections mentioned earlier) are major risks.
Sudden influxes of visitors have previously overwhelmed medical resources during outbreaks of contagious illnesses like Shigellosis.
The rapid pace of resort construction on previously undeveloped islands has stretched basic utilities.
Sal and Boa Vista have faced issues with waste management and freshwater supply, due to reliance on expensive desalination.
The country comprises nine inhabited islands - but tourism is heavily and overly concentrated on only two. An unexpected spike in visitors would immediately overload the limited inter-island ferry and flight services.
While tourist numbers were already skyrocketing before the World Cup, the financial benefits and infrastructure developments are heavily concentrated, leaving the other seven islands without the means to absorb a surge.
Ease of entry facilitates arrivals
Getting into Cape Verde is relatively straightforward for travellers from most regions, primarily requiring a valid passport, an online pre-registration, and an airport security fee.
Citizens of EU countries and the UK do not require a tourist visa for stays less than 30 days, and only need to complete the pre-registration and pay the Airport Security Tax on the official platform before arrival to avoid double fees at border control.
Depending on where a visitor is travelling from, citizens of many other countries (such as the US or Canada) can stay visa-free for up to 30 or 90 days, though they must still register on the online platform.
For citizens of certain countries, a visa applied for in advance may be required.
Online vacation searches increase by 5000%
Cape Verde is not alone in being forced suddenly into the limelight.
After previous competitions Croatia (2018) and Morocco (2022), for example, both turned World Cup success into enhanced visitor numbers, and which injected billions of dollars into their respective tourism economies in the subsequent years.
Already, Google Trends registered "Cape Verde vacation" as a breakout search, with baseline interest spiking by over 5,000%.
Online booking agency Expedia reported an 800%+ increase in US travel searches for Cape Verde, while TUI also noted that general booking interest has doubled.
The Cape Verdean government is actively leveraging its newfound visibility in host cities like Atlanta and Houston to court US and global business investments. '
The target sectors extend beyond tourism into logistics, renewable energy, and fisheries.
Football success is only the opening whistle in Cape Verde's tourism opportunity
Cape Verde's World Cup story has delivered something that even the most ambitious tourism marketing campaign could never buy: global awareness, emotional engagement and a compelling narrative. But history suggests that sporting success is rarely enough on its own to create a lasting tourism dividend.
The destinations that have benefited most from moments like these have been those that moved quickly to convert attention into improved air connectivity, targeted marketing, stronger visitor infrastructure and a broader tourism proposition.
Cape Verde already possesses many of those foundations. It has a stable political environment, modern airports under experienced private management, an established European tourism base and an increasingly competitive aviation market.
The challenge now is ensuring that the sudden spotlight translates into diversified source markets rather than simply reinforcing existing dependence on Western Europe.
The United States, with its substantial Cape Verdean diaspora, appears the most obvious opportunity, while carefully expanding scheduled connectivity beyond traditional leisure routes could unlock new visitor segments.
Football people often say that "form is temporary but class is permanent". Cape Verde has shown real class on the world's biggest stage, but now faces the second half of a very different contest.
The country has won plenty of admirers; now it must convert them into visitors.
The ball is firmly at the government's feet, the crowd is watching, and the final score will depend not on one memorable tournament, but on whether Cape Verde can turn a giant-killing performance into a long-term victory for its tourism economy.