Boa Vista Cape Verde - Economy & Future Potential - Boa Vista Experience
Boa Vista Cape Verde - Economy & Future
Boa Vista Economy & Future Potential
Cape Verde
Cape Verde has very few natural resources and its history of droughts has meant that there is not even enough agriculture to feed its own people. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1975 the government of Cape Verde has realised that it would need to attract large amounts of inward investment in order to even be able to pay to feed its own people. When tourism was put forward as one method of attracting such investment one government minister was quoted as saying "who would want to come here, all we have is Sun Sea and Sand", the rest is now history.
The progress that has been made in recent years is a fantastic tribute to the Cape Verdean people. Among the many changes that have taken place in the last few years are:
In addition to the existing international airport on Sal, 2 further international airports (Praia and Boa Vista) have been opened in just over 2 years with a 3rd new international airport (Sao Vicente) due to open in 2008.
Cape Verde is due to join the World Trade Organisation in 2008.
Many of the islands are having significant infrastructure upgrades including roads, electricity supply, water supply, sea ports and hospitals.
Cape Verde’s has recently been removed from the UN’s list of "least developed nations"
Cape Verde has been successful in negotiating a "special partnership" agreement with the European Union.
Boa Vista
Boa Vista is one of the islands which have been earmarked for the major development of tourism. The island has the smallest population of any if the islands, less than 1% of the total for Cape Verde. The island historically has not been able to support any substantial population due to the harsh conditions and persistent droughts. This is set to change rapidly. In October 2007 the new international airport on the island opened, early in 2008 a new road is planned to be started heading to the south of the island to the glorious beach of Santa Monica. Once this road is opened further development is due to take place with hotels and beach resorts being built behind Santa Monica Beach. The Spanish company BUCAN is investing 220 million euros into these projects. In 2008 the 900 bed Riu Karamboa is due to open on Chaves beach to add to the newly opened 1000 bed Venta Club resort already there. Boa Vista is projected to have 30,000 hotel beds and be receiving 900,000 visitors a year by 2018.
In addition to the major hotel developments there are numerous other small private developments that are planned for the island in particular along Cabral beach north of the main town Sal Rei and on Estoril beach and Chaves beach to the south of Sal Rei. Along side this expansion of tourism will come the building of additional power plants, upgrades to the port of Sal Rei, additional desalination plants, the building of more new roads to circle the whole island, a new hospital, to name but a few of the changes.
It can only be hoped that the planners have done their homework and that the island will be able to cope with these significant changes without losing its charm and appeal, only time will tell. What is certain is that the economic future of the island, from which so many Cape Verdean’s have fled in recent history, will now be secure.
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