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Cabo Verde became the World Cup’s breakout story, becoming the smallest country ever to reach the knockout stage before pushing the defending champion Argentina to extra time in a narrow loss. That underdog run turned into real tourism buzz: TUI searches doubled, Expedia saw U.S. searches jump more than 800%, and Japan-based interest rose 110%. The catch, as Global Tourism Reporter Bailey Schulz notes, is that Cabo Verde's tourism industry still leans heavily on Europe, with most visitors stuck in all-inclusive resorts on just two of its nine islands. Backed by a $75 million World Bank investment, the government hopes this moment finally helps spark new demand — especially from the U.S.
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Cabo Verde Made World Cup History — and Travelers Are Already Seeking It Out
by Bailey Schulz
The island nation draws 1.2 million tourists a year — mostly from Europeans on all-inclusive packages. That won't change overnight, but it may bring awareness to Americans who struggle to place the island nation on a map.
MSC CRUISES + SKIFT
The Bahamas drew a record 12.5 million visitors in 2025, and cruising accounted for 87% of them. MSC Group is now expanding its private island bet in the region, adding a new destination, Sandy Cay, alongside a fresh round of investment in Ocean Cay.
SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK
A wave of 20-year franchise agreements signed in the early 2000s is coming up for renewal right now, and hotel owners are doing the math for the first time.
In this clip from Good Morning Hospitality Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk sit down with Skift's Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Kopit, who spent months reporting on why owners from Iowa to Arkansas are dropping major brands like Wyndham and Choice Hotels, putting their own name on the door, and in some cases surpassing their previous revenue without the fees.
The brands still have loyalty programs. But the reservation systems, the territorial protections, and the distribution advantages that once made franchise agreements non-negotiable? Owners are finding out those were not always what they were sold.
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