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Strategic Convergence: The 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market will host the second African Tour Operators Summit in Lagos to unite key stakeholders across the continent.
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Capitalising on AFCON 2027: The initiative aims to merge Africa’s football passion with regional travel by developing joint tourism packages for the tournament hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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Industry Recognition: The event will feature the Africa Travel 100 Awards to honour outstanding operators driving intra-African travel under the theme “Africans for Africa.”
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Expansive Platform: As West Africa’s premier travel expo, the three-day event will bring together delegates from over 20 countries alongside specialised fairs, tech sessions, and networking forums.
July 23, (THEWILL) — The organisers of the Akwaaba African Travel Market have unveiled strategic plans to leverage the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to boost intra-African tourism significantly. As part of this initiative, the second African Tour Operators Summit will gather key industry stakeholders from across the continent during the 22nd edition of the travel expo in Lagos.
Scheduled to take place during the main travel market from September 13 to 15, the summit will focus on building robust partnerships between East and West African tour operators. These collaborations aim to develop specialised travel packages and curated tourism experiences around AFCON 2027, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
According to the organisers, this initiative seeks to bridge Africa’s massive football following with its vibrant tourism sector. By capitalising on West Africa’s deep passion for the sport and East Africa’s growing reputation as a premier continental destination, the summit aims to unlock new economic opportunities.
Participating tour operators will engage in business-to-business (B2B) meetings, establish strategic partnerships, and design cross-border travel itineraries. These initiatives are tailored to encourage African travellers to seamlessly blend their passion for football with leisure, culture, and adventure during the continental championship.
A major highlight of the event will be the Africa Travel 100 Awards, set for September 14, which will recognise tour operators who have excelled in promoting African destinations to African travellers.
The organisers described the awards as a key initiative aimed at celebrating businesses driving intra-African travel and destination marketing under the central theme, “Africans for Africa”.
Returning after its inaugural edition in 2018, the African Tour Operators Summit is expected to provide a crucial platform for collaboration among tourism businesses seeking to expand regional travel opportunities.
Beyond the summit, the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market will feature a diverse lineup of events, including the Africa Food Fair, the African Medical Tourism Forum, the African Tourism Conference, a Destination Wedding showcase, the African Youth Tourism Bantaba, Travel Technology sessions, CHINET Aviacargo meetings, exhibitions, and extensive networking sessions.
Widely recognised as West Africa’s largest travel and tourism exhibition, Akwaaba regularly attracts exhibitors and delegates from over 20 countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Seychelles, South Africa, Egypt, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates.
Reflecting its industry impact, the event received an Award of Excellence in Tourism from the Nigerian Government and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in 2022, recognising its significant contributions to the growth of the travel trade across Africa.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
