GREAT THINGS ARE COMING
Shaping Tomorrow's Tourism - Together
A strategic platform bringing together investment, partnerships and collaborative development throughout cape verde
Blue Ocean Development and Investment Bureau (The Bureau) is a market and innovation-driven advisory, programme, and development management platform, structured to reflect the central government's holistic coordination of Cape Verde's community, environmental sustainability, and economic development priorities. Serving as a strategic development pivot, The Bureau collaborates with current and future hospitality and tourism stakeholders, including international investors and funding agencies, leading global hospitality firms, airlines, and tourism partners.
Mission
The Bureau will operate at a national level in collaboration with the Government of Cabo Verde, CV
TradeInvest, and leading international stakeholders. Its mission is to unlock Cape Verde’s untapped
potential as a premier tourism destination through focussed development planning, curated
investment, and integrated brand and air route strategies. Cape Verde can be the Canaries and
Caribbean of the future…
Strategic Vision
Cape Verde has the opportunity to redefine its tourism future — departing from its current model
and innovating through a purpose-built platform, to design investment products, attract global
capital, bring world-class hospitality and tourism operator brands and ensure climate-smart
development across all of the islands.
Cape Verde is entering a new development era marked by the need for sustainable and technology
driven infrastructure. The Bureau is designed to resolve the institutional gaps, limited planning
integration, and investor insecurity which can persist.
Why Now
Ten Strategic Pillars
Blue Ocean Development & Investment Bureau
FOCUS AREA
1 Coordinated planning & environmental protection
2 Investment packaging incl. PPPs & infrastructure
3 Air connectivity & route development
4 Branding & experience curation
5 Human capital & SME empowerment
6 ESG Community & climate resilience
7 Global brand/operator partnerships
8 OTA & operator integration
9 Planning, product innovation, & execution
10 Holistic governance & local delivery leadership
CORE ROLE
1 Values-led destination design
2 De-risked, co-financed, buildable projects
3 Market access & lift
4 Demand generation
5 Inclusive economic growth
6 Responsible long-term development
7 Hospitality excellence
8 Commercial performance
9 Market-ready, locally anchored development
10 Programmatic execution island by island
Estimated Impact - The First Five Years
400-600M
In private Investment mobilized
2,500-3,500
premium hotel/resort keys developed
10 island masterplans optimised & activated
8,000-1200
new jobs generated
ESG
compliant pipeline with full hospitality brand –
tourism operator – airline partner alignment
Strategic Priorities
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Provide a One-Stop Investment Facilitation Bureau with legal, technical, and financial support
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Launch the CV Investment Compass, global investor road shows, and flagship PPP pilots
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Structure partnerships with global brands, ESG funds, and diaspora capital
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Secure year-round airlift to/from key source markets
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Position 5+ branded resorts with preferred global partners
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Redevelop and reposition stalled tourism assets (Santiago, Sal, Boa Vista)
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Develop the Smart-Infrastructure and Blue Economy opportunity Brief as part of a 10 strategic project portfolio to be delivered by The Bureau
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Develop Cape Verde’s “Booking Gateway” with curated experiences
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Assist governance, zoning, and permitting behind a unified strategy
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Design and manage the CBI Program as a critical structural initiative, ensuring transparency and alignment with national interest.
Role of the Government
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Council of Ministers’ Decree to formally endorse The Bureau
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Tangible and visible PPP collaboration Government and The Bureau
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Institutional alignment with CV TradeInvest to avoid overlap
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Visibility on land assets and national zoning instruments
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Inclusion in Embassy and Foreign Mission outreach
The Founders
Of The Bureau
SANDRO LOPES
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Cape Verdean national with deep-rooted public
sector relationships, international architect
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Trusted interlocutor to build a politically
endorsed and locally credible vehicle.
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Key to establishing top level, private and public
sector advisory councils.
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Anchor for the local project pipeline, with the
credibility to operate in Cape Verde, bringing together partnerships with Cape Verdean technical and legal offices
ANDREW COUTTS
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CEO – ILM Group: Internationally connected
master developer.
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Project finance packaging, tourism real estate
structuring, operator alignment.
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Network coordinator for investors, operators,
airlines, and funds (e.g., Latitude investment by
citizenship, EIB, SC Beaumont etc).
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Drives global positioning and road shows.
Invitation To Stakeholders
The Bureau will bring together key stakeholders from Cape Verde and the international community as Founding Members.
The Bureau will be supported by: Senior Executives & Advisory Council – a network of financiers, investors, operators, airlines, local former ministers, ambassadors, central bank executives, technical and legal partners
Indicative time-line:
Q4 2025: Legal set-up, Government decree, 3 island diagnostics, 3 Projects consolidation (CBI, Diaspora, Development Planning)
2026: Core team and CBI Agency formation, 10 strategic project portfolios and partner consolidation,
2026–2028: Project roll-out, investor capital mobilization, ESG fund structuring
Get in Touch
Sandro Lopes
M: +44 7424 236 827
Andrew Coutts
M: +44 7738 877 048