Spotlight Travel Expo has operated for 26 years as a business-to-business platform connecting Africa’s travel trade with airlines, hotels, tour operators, destinations, and other suppliers across the continent.
Nairobi Event Attracts Over 350 Travel Professionals
The latest Spotlight Travel Expo edition took place in Nairobi from September 1 to 3, 2026, with more than 350 travel professionals engaging alongside over 50 exhibitors. The event included scheduled B2B meetings, product showcases, networking sessions, and prize draws designed to facilitate commercial discussions under one roof.
Regional Representation from Across Kenya
Members of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) attended the Nairobi event traveling from the Coast region, Kisumu, and Eldoret. This cross-regional participation
brought diverse market segments together to engage suppliers and industry partners in a concentrated trading environment.
Trade Expo Format Supports Africa’s MICE Economy
The Spotlight Travel Expo utilizes a marketplace model that prioritizes scheduled meetings and commercial conversations between buyers and sellers. This format complements Africa’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) economy by generating business relationships and transactions beyond mere attendance figures.
Global and African Business Events Market Context
In 2025, business events worldwide recorded approximately 1.65 billion participants, generating US$1.3 trillion in direct spending, with an economic contribution of US$3.1 trillion in business sales and US$1.8 trillion in GDP. Africa’s business-events sector accounted for US$23.4 billion in direct spending, involved 80.6 million
participants, and supported nearly 328,000 direct jobs.
Kenya’s Status in African Business Events
Kenya hosted 21 international association meetings in 2023, ranking third in Africa. Nairobi has solidified its position as a key African business-events destination, aiding the country’s ambition to increase market share in the continent’s MICE market.
Spotlight Expo’s Expansion Across Africa
The Spotlight Travel Expo series has produced more than 150 editions in over 15 African cities over 26 years, facilitating thousands of travel professional connections. The platform promotes Pan-African travel development through its sustained focus on business growth within the continent’s travel trade sector.
Mombasa to Host Inaugural Spotlight Expo in November 2026
The Spotlight platform will extend its reach with the first edition in Mombasa
scheduled for November 26, 2026. This launch will bring the event format to Kenya’s Coast region, creating an additional marketplace for travel industry stakeholders in the country.
