The African Travel Commission (ATC) announced that it will host its 2027 Annual Tourism Summit in Lagos, Nigeria, from March 16 to 17, 2027. The event will take place at the Eko Hotel & Suites, providing a platform for continental tourism stakeholders to meet over two days.
Diverse Participation Expected at Continental Event
The summit will convene chief executives from tourism authorities, development institutions, private sector companies, investors, airlines, hospitality firms, travel and tour operators, destination management organisations, media, and other key tourism stakeholders across Africa and internationally.
Following the 2026 Inaugural Summit in Lagos
This 2027 event builds on the inaugural Pan-African Tourism Summit and Exhibition held in Lagos in 2026. The
first summit emphasized strategies to accelerate Africa’s tourism growth, integration, and industry competitiveness, and the upcoming summit aims to expand on those outcomes.
Focus on Collaboration, Connectivity, Affordability, and Cross-Border Movement
The 2027 summit program centers around four critical pillars: Collaboration, Connectivity, Affordability, and Cross-Border Movement. Collaboration will address joint tourism initiatives involving governments, tourism agencies, private sector players, airlines, and development institutions.
Connectivity discussions will work toward enhancing air and ground transport links between African destinations, recognizing that reliable and affordable transportation is essential for expanding intra-African travel.
The summit will address the high costs associated with intra-continental travel, including airfare, accommodation, and related services, seeking practical
solutions to improve affordability.
The pillar on Cross-Border Movement will focus on reducing travel barriers, such as stringent visa policies and complicated border procedures, to facilitate smoother tourist and business travel within Africa.
Challenges in African Tourism and Nigeria’s Role
African tourism faces challenges including expensive travel costs, limited air connectivity, restrictive visa regimes, insufficient infrastructure, fragmented marketing efforts, and a lack of investment. The summit will examine these issues with an aim to increase tourism’s contribution to economic growth, employment, foreign exchange, and regional integration.
Nigeria’s hosting reflects the country’s position as a key tourism and economic center in Africa, with its cultural heritage, creative industries,
hospitality sector, business tourism potential, and a sizable domestic market. Lagos serves as a gateway for tourism and investment in West Africa and beyond.
Summit Activities and ATC Objectives
The summit will feature high-level policy debates, expert sessions, business networking, investment opportunities, and industry engagements. Participants will be able to showcase their tourism products and services.
The African Travel Commission intends to collaborate with continental and international partners in developing the summit’s programme to generate actionable solutions and promote sustainable growth in African tourism.
The summit aims to shift from policy discussions to concrete partnerships and initiatives designed to deliver measurable improvements in the continent’s
tourism sectors.
ATC will continue its activities in marketing, research, and advocacy to promote Africa’s destinations, produce tourism data, and engage governments on policies to ease travel, improve connectivity, and enhance cross-border tourism movement.
