How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect Cabo Verde’s tourism-based economy in 2020?

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted Cabo Verde’s economy in 2020, reversing a period of strong growth that had been buoyed by a thriving tourism sector since 2016.12

The pandemic caused a sharp decline in tourism, which is a vital component of the country’s service-oriented economy. Additionally, efforts to contain the spread of the virus curtailed consumer buying habits, leading to a decrease in overall consumption and negatively impacting other areas of economic activity. According to the World Bank, these combined factors resulted in the country's economy contracting by an estimated 14.8 percent in 2020.312