Cabo Verde tourism searches surge after World Cup run

Cabo Verde is seeing a surge in tourism interest after its World Cup run, despite the national team being eliminated in extra time. The island nation, nicknamed the Blue Sharks, became the smallest by population to reach the knockout stage, finishing level in multiple matches, including holding Spain scoreless and coming back twice versus Uruguay. In the round of 32, Cabo Verde pushed defending champion Argentina into extra time before losing 3-2. The attention translated into demand signals: US Google searches for “Cabo Verde vacation” rose by more than 5,000% versus the prior year, and Expedia reported American search growth above 800%. European travel operator TUI said searches doubled since June 2025, while Japan searches increased by 110%. Cabo Verde has about 525,000 residents, a tourism-driven economy of roughly a quarter of GDP, and welcomed nearly 1.25 million hotel guests in 2025.