TUI Group is set to expand its portfolio of owned hotels in the Cape Verde Islands with the addition of a new resort. The first TUI Magic Life club in the island state off the west coast of Africa will be developed in the island of Boa Vista. The extensive resort is located directly on the Praia de Chaves beach and will feature 575 rooms. It is scheduled to open in the 2021/22 Winter season. TUI’s portfolio in Cape Verde will thus grow to seven owned hotels. Apart from five Riu hotels, the first Robinson Club is currently being built in the island of Sal. The travel brand also operates the TUI Sensimar Cabo Verde Resort & Spa concept hotel in the island.
“We already have around 350,000 customers per year travelling to Cape Verde with TUI,” said Sebastian Ebel, TUI Group Executive Board member in charge of Hotels & Resorts. “With the construction of a new club in the archipelago, we are therefore not only creating an additional year-round destination for our guests, but also investing in the future of our hotel business. Our Hotel & Resorts segment already accounts for around 40 per cent of our Group’s earnings.” Andreas Pospiech, Managing Director TUI Magic Life, adds: “Apart from the unique location of TUI Magic Life Boa Vista, our guests will appreciate, in particular, the hospitality of Cape Verdean inhabitants and the Portuguese-African culture. All of this forms a perfect basis for our first club resort in West Africa.”
The West African island state is a tourism success story. Tourism is the country’s number one growth driver. The government has recognised the importance of the sector and is planning to further expand the offering over the next few years. TUI Group is one of the country’s key partners. TUI customers already account for more than one third of all visitors to Cape Verde. Apart from the numerous new employment opportunities in the hotel and excursions businesses, the tourism group supports the sustainable development of the destination through projects run by TUI Care Foundation.
The future TUI Magic Life Boa Vista club, being built on a surface of 108,000 sqm, will feature a main restaurant, three à-la-carte restaurants, four bars, five pools and a modern wellness area covering around 1,600 square metres. The club will also offer an aqua park for children, four tennis courts, a football pitch, four volleyball courts and an archery range for its varied activity programme.
The hallmarks of the TUI Magic Life club brand are its numerous all-inclusive services and a comprehensive sports and entertainment programme. From Summer 2019, the portfolio will include 16 clubs in Spain, Italy, Greece, North Africa and Turkey.