How the tourism industry in Cabo Verde became more sustainable
Following an assessment of the major impacts of tourism on the two most-visited islands in Cabo Verde, Sal and Boa Vista, the Travel Foundation brought together industry stakeholders in a ‘Destination Council’, empowering them to create a shared vision and actions for sustainable tourism.
We brought together hotels, restaurants, excursion providers, transport operators, utilities companies, community groups and government agencies to help manage tourism in Cabo Verde more sustainably.
After cutting their teeth on some smaller projects, including cleaning up beaches and supporting local artisans to gain more revenue from craft sales, the Destination Council successfully undertook two major projects: to reduce energy and water consumption and waste production by hotels, and to make the excursions sector better for local communities and the environment.
As well as delivering a reduced environmental impact and benefits for local people, the work has demonstrated the importance of bringing the industry together to make overarching decisions on how tourism is managed.
