Akwaaba 2026 to Honour 100 African Tour Operators, Spotlight AFCON 2027 as Catalyst for Intra-African Tourism

0

No fewer than 100 African tour operators will be honoured at the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market as organisers position the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a major driver for intra-African tourism, regional collaboration and investment across the continent.

The three-day travel and tourism exhibition, scheduled to take place from September 13 to 15, 2026, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, will place sports tourism at the centre of its activities, with a renewed focus on leveraging the continental football championship to strengthen travel links between West and East Africa.

A major highlight of this year’s event will be the return of the African Tour Operators’ Summit, which is making a comeback after an eight-year break following its maiden edition in 2018.

According to the organisers, the summit is designed to foster collaboration between tour operators from Nigeria and other West African countries and their counterparts from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, with the aim of developing travel packages for football enthusiasts expected to attend AFCON 2027.

The football tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, presenting what organisers described as a unique opportunity to combine sports tourism with leisure travel across East Africa.

They noted that while West Africa has traditionally been recognised as the continent’s football powerhouse, East Africa has earned global acclaim for its rich tourism offerings, including wildlife, beaches, national parks and adventure tourism. Bringing these strengths together, they said, could significantly increase cross-border tourism, boost investment and deepen economic cooperation among African countries.

The summit is expected to encourage African tour operators to establish strategic partnerships, jointly market multi-destination travel itineraries and provide football supporters with opportunities to combine match attendance with holiday experiences across the host countries.

Organisers also believe the initiative will create fresh business opportunities for airlines, hotels, destination management companies and other tourism service providers seeking to tap into the growing intra-African travel market.

In addition to the summit, Akwaaba African Travel Market 2026 will host the Africa Travel 100 Awards for African Tour Operators on September 14, recognising 100 operators that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to promoting African destinations to African travellers.

To qualify for nomination, applicants must have at least five years’ experience in organising outbound tours within Africa, actively market travel packages to other African countries and have organised a minimum of five tours to any African destination within the past 18 months.

Eligible operators must also be based in Africa. While previous winners of the Africa Travel 100 Awards may nominate deserving operators, self-nominations are also permitted, provided they are endorsed by a tour operator from another African country.

The organisers described the awards as the “Africans for Africa Awards”, aimed at recognising businesses that have played significant roles in advancing regional tourism integration and encouraging Africans to explore destinations within the continent.

Widely regarded as West Africa’s largest travel exhibition, the Akwaaba African Travel Market has become one of the region’s leading platforms for tourism promotion, networking, investment and industry engagement.

This year’s edition will feature an extensive programme of events, including the African Food Fair, African Medical Tourism Forum, African Tourism Conference, Africa Youth Tourism Bantaba, Wonders of Nigeria Expo, destination wedding showcase, travel technology sessions, CHINET Aviacargo, Aviation and Cargo Conference, business-to-business meetings, exhibitions and networking opportunities.

Since its inception, the event has hosted several editions of the Africa Travel 100 Awards, recognising leading travel companies, women in tourism, tour operators, global personalities, emerging young professionals and industry leaders across Africa.

The organisers noted that the exhibition has grown into one of Africa’s most influential tourism marketing platforms, attracting exhibitors, delegates and award recipients from countries including The Gambia, Kenya, Benin, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, Namibia, Morocco, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, India, Spain, Malta, the Netherlands, Bahrain, the Bahamas, São Tomé and Príncipe and several others.

Over the years, the event has also welcomed prominent personalities such as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his time as a senator, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Gambian President Dawda Jawara, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Emeka Anyaoku and Nigeria’s former Vice-President, the late Dr Alex Ekwueme.

The organisers added that Akwaaba African Travel Market continues to attract ministers of tourism, state governors, ambassadors, high commissioners and other industry leaders from across Africa and beyond, reinforcing its status as a premier platform for promoting tourism, investment and regional integration on the continent.