Organisers of Akwaaba African Travel Market have unveiled plans for an exciting 22nd edition of West Africa's premier travel expo. The event runs from September 13-15, 2026 at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.
A major highlight this year is a specially designed sports and tourism programme running alongside the 2nd African Tour Operators Summit. The pairing reflects West Africa's football dominance in continental competitions and the region's track record of producing top AFCON qualifiers.
The expo organisers noted that East Africa has emerged as the continent's leading tourism hub, with Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda driving growth. They said the choice becomes even more strategic given that Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya will jointly host AFCON 2027.
According to the organisers, hosting the continental football championship will generate significant tourism activity across all three East African nations. They believe the expo provides a unique chance to merge sports tourism with broader continental travel initiatives.
The African Tour Operators Summit will bring together East African tourism professionals to network with their West African counterparts over the three-day period. Tour operators from both regions will have the opportunity to create joint travel packages and marketing strategies tailored to the AFCON 2027 tournament.
This marks the summit's return after an eight-year gap since its inaugural 2018 edition. Organisers promised an expanded second edition focused on fostering stronger commercial ties and collaborative ventures among African travel businesses.
The expo will also host the Africa Travel 100 Awards for African Tour Operators on September 14, 2026. These awards recognise tour operators who have championed intra-African travel and promoted African destinations to African travellers.
"The awards will honour African tour operators that promote and market African destinations to Africans. It is the Africans for Africa awards," the organisers said.
Beyond the summit and awards, the three-day event encompasses an array of activities. These include an Africa food fair, African medical tourism showcase, tourism conference, networking sessions, exhibitions, B2B meetings, destination weddings, African youth tourism Bantaba, travel technology displays and aviation cargo discussions.
Akwaaba African Travel Market stands as West Africa's largest travel exposition and ranks among Africa's top five tourism trade shows. In 2022, the Nigerian government and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation jointly recognised it with an Award of Excellence in Tourism.
The expo has grown significantly since inception, attracting participants from more than 20 countries across Africa and beyond. Regular attendees hail from The Gambia, Kenya, Uganda, Dubai, Ghana, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt and Turkey.
The event serves as West Africa's most influential travel marketing platform, covering African destinations, inbound and outbound travel, aviation and hospitality sectors.
