All of Cape Verde’s islands show potential for the development of rural tourism, according to a study carried out at the request of the National Union of Tourism Operators (Unotur). The study, which was elaborated by Win Resources, investigated the available tourist products and their diversity in rural areas of all of the country’s municipalities.

The study reveals that it is possible to develop rural and nature tourism throughout the entire archipelago, even on the flat, arid islands of Sal and Boa Vista.

The potential id high, so much so that the study recommends greater investments in all of the country’s municipalities, particularly on the level of Basic infrastructures, the service sector and professional training, so that the tourism sector may develop in a sustainable manner around the entire country.

According to Unotur president Gualberto do Rosário, the study will serve as a base upon which new tourist destinations will be promoted and from which the diversity of the tourism sector for both resident Cape Verdean and foreign tourists will be discussed.

It is believed that rural and nature tourism will improve employability conditions, contribute to poverty reduction, help staunch the flow of migrants from rural to urban areas and improve the quality of life of rural populations.

In the opinion of Francisco Tavares, the president of the National Association of Municipalities of Cape Verde (ANMCV), rural tourism will offer leisure alternatives to citizens and encourage domestic tourism. “Tourists will consume genuinely Cape Verdean products and come into contact with the country’s culture, traditions, habits and customs,” he stressed.

A representative from the Ministry of Tourism affirmed that the objective is not for rural tourism to replace other types of tourism, but for all brands of tourism to complement one another.