The 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market is scheduled from 13 to 15 September 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, to host the second African Tour Operators’ Summit. The summit aims to unite tour operators from East and West Africa with a focus on creating travel opportunities tied to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Integration of Sports and Tourism Around AFCON 2027
The summit’s primary objective is to leverage the AFCON 2027 tournament jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to stimulate intra-African tourism. West Africa, recognized as the continent’s football powerhouse producing the highest number of AFCON qualifiers, will collaborate with East Africa, noted for premier tourism destinations
including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda, to maximize sports tourism potential.
Summit Activities and Africa Travel 100 Awards
The summit will feature business-to-business (B2B) meetings, networking sessions, and discussions designed to facilitate cross-border tourism development linked to sports. On 14 September 2026, the Africa Travel 100 Awards will be presented to African tour operators excelling in promoting intra-African travel and developing tourism packages targeting AFCON supporters. The summit also provides a platform for the development of travel packages targeting AFCON supporters.
Akwaaba’s Role and Side Events
Akwaaba African Travel Market is the largest travel exhibition in West Africa and ranked among Africa’s top five travel expos. It has held 22 editions as
of 2026 and supports tourism, aviation, hospitality, and travel business opportunities across Africa. In 2022, Akwaaba was awarded an Award of Excellence in Tourism by both the Nigerian Government and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Akwaaba 2026 will include side events such as Africa Food Fair, African Medical Tourism Forum, African Tourism Conference, Destination Wedding showcase, African Youth Tourism Bantaba, Travel Technology forum, and CHINET Aviacargo, attracting stakeholders from over 20 countries including African nations and others like Turkey and UAE.
Strategic Industry Impact
The summit aims to strengthen collaboration between East and West African tour operators ahead of AFCON 2027.
Organisers stated it will encourage football fans to combine match attendance with visits to East African tourist destinations, fostering growth in intra-African tourism through sports-related travel packages. This marks the second edition of the African Tour Operators’ Summit since its inaugural event in 2018, building on efforts to boost continent-wide tourism and sports integration.
