The organisers of the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market announced that the event will include the second African Tour Operators’ Summit to connect Africa’s sports and tourism sectors in preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Akwaaba exhibition and summit will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, from September 13 to 15, 2026. Tour operators from East and West Africa will converge to explore tourism opportunities around AFCON 2027, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Summit Aims and Activities
The summit intends to facilitate networking, partnership building, and collaborative development of travel packages aimed at football fans attending
AFCON 2027. It will offer business-to-business meetings, networking sessions, and strategic discussions on leveraging sports tourism to increase cross-border travel across Africa.
Sports and Tourism Collaboration
The event is designed to harness the complementary strengths of West and East Africa. West Africa, a football stronghold with many AFCON qualifiers, and East Africa, a renowned tourism destination led by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, will use the summit to foster cooperation and produce attractive tourism products linked to the tournament.
Africa Travel 100 Awards
During the summit on September 14, the Africa Travel 100 Awards will be presented to African tour operators excelling in promoting intra-African travel. Known as the
“Africans for Africa Awards,” they acknowledge businesses that contribute to expanding tourism within the continent.
Akwaaba Market and Side Events
Akwaaba African Travel Market is West Africa’s largest travel exhibition and is recognized as one of Africa’s top five travel expos. The 2026 edition will attract participants from over 20 countries, including The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Seychelles, Ethiopia, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Akwaaba received an Award of Excellence in Tourism from the Nigerian Government and the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 2022.
Alongside the summit, the event will feature side events such as the Africa Food
Fair, African Medical Tourism Forum, African Tourism Conference, Destination Wedding showcase, African Youth Tourism Bantaba, Travel Technology forum, and CHINET Aviacargo, highlighting various sectors of the travel and tourism industry across Africa.
