The 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market opened on September 13, 2026, at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, Nigeria. Scheduled to run through September 15, 2026, the three-day event focuses on leveraging the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to stimulate intra-African travel and boost sports tourism.
After an eight-year break since its inaugural edition in 2018, the African Tour Operators’ Summit returned as part of Akwaaba 2026. The summit brought together tour operators from Nigeria, West Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda to develop multi-destination travel packages targeting football fans attending AFCON 2027. The tournament will be co-hosted
by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The summit aims to connect West Africa, renowned as the continent’s football hub, with East Africa’s tourism assets, including wildlife reserves, beaches, national parks, and adventure destinations. Organizers expect the collaboration to generate business opportunities for airlines, hotels, destination management companies, and other tourism service providers through joint marketing of itineraries combining football and leisure travel.
The Africa Travel 100 Awards for African Tour Operators took place on September 14, 2026, during the event. The awards recognize companies promoting African destinations to African travelers. Eligible nominees must have at least five years of experience selling
outbound tours within Africa, have operated a minimum of five tours to any African country in the past 18 months, and be based on the continent. Nominations require endorsement by a previous winner or a tour operator from another African country.
Akwaaba African Travel Market remains the largest and only travel expo in West Africa. The 2026 edition features several key activities, including the African Food Fair, Medical Tourism Expo, Africa Youth Tourism Bantaba, Wonders of Nigeria Expo, and the Aviation & Cargo Conference. The platform has hosted the Africa Travel 100 Awards annually since 2016, honoring various categories such
as top companies, women leaders, young professionals under 40, and global tourism personalities.
The event attracts participants and exhibitors from multiple African countries and international locations including The Gambia, Kenya, Benin, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Turkey, Namibia, Togo, India, São Tomé and Príncipe, Malta, the Netherlands, Bahrain, the Bahamas, Spain, and Morocco.
Past attendees include prominent figures such as Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Nigerian Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Sir Alex Ekwueme, former Gambian President Dawda Jawara, and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Emeka Anyaoku. Akwaaba’s reputation as the “Africans for Africa Awards” platform
emphasizes intra-African travel promotion and regional tourism integration.
The event’s diverse agenda also features the African Medical Tourism Forum, African Tourism Conference, destination wedding showcases, travel technology sessions, CHINET Aviacargo, and business-to-business meetings and exhibitions, further supporting the growth and integration of Africa’s travel sector.
