Cape Verde safe for tourists

Cape Verde has been identified as one of the safest countries for tourists to visit in 2021. International SOS, the medical and security services company, has published this information. Cape Verde is included together with Greenland, Switzerland, Norway and Slovenia.

Cape Verde is also the only African country identified as having an insignificant level of risk for tourists. This is the lowest category. This contrasts with the fact that two of the most dangerous countries are in Africa, along with Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

The map that International SOS prepares shows potential tourists where they are most at risk. Such risks include violence, social unrest and given the current pandemic, the impacts of Covid-19. International SOS is a private company, but is one that works with international organisations, companies, governments and NGO’s (non-governmental organisations). It also works with about 36 tourist support centres that serve some 90 countries.

The Cape Verde government was aiming to increase the number of tourists to around one million in 2021. In 2019 the numbers beat the previous record of 820,000 tourists. Sadly because of Covid-19, the numbers will be very significantly lower in 2020. The main tourist islands of Boa Vista and Sal have been closed for most of the year.