Demand for Cape Verde as a tourist destination rose 11.5 percent in 2007, against the previous year, according to figures from the archipelago’s National Statistics Institute (INE), published Friday in Praia.

Last year, 312,000 guests were welcomed to the country’s hotels, as compared 280,000 in 2006, generating 1.4 million overnights stays, or 4.7 percent more than in 2006.

Italians contineud to be the main nationality visiting Cape Verde, followed by the British, who pushed the Portuguese into thrid place.

According to INE, guests from Italy accounted for 21.3 percent of the total, followed by those from the United Kingdom, 19.9 percent, and Portugal, with 16.2 percent, and Germany (10.8 percent).

The high incraese in tourists from Britain led Cape Verdean airline TACV to launch scheduled flights to the country in 2007, as in previous years overnight stays by British guests did not account for even 1 percent of teh total.

Most tourists, whether they are Italian, Portuguese, British of German, head for Sal Island, accounting for over 70 percent of the total.

Source: Macauhub