By Janefrances Chibuzor
100 African tour operators will be honoured at the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market for promoting intra-African tourism.
AFCON 2027 will take centre stage as West and East African tour operators explore joint tourism packages around the tournament.
African Tour Operators’ Summit returns after an eight-year break to strengthen regional partnerships and travel opportunities.
The 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market is turning the spotlight on sports tourism, with 100 African tour operators set to be honoured as organisers seek to use the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to drive intra-African travel and tourism partnerships.
The three-day travel and tourism exhibition is scheduled for September 13 to 15, 2026, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
A major feature of the 2026 edition will be the return of the African Tour Operators’ Summit, eight years after its inaugural edition in 2018.
The summit will bring together tour operators from Nigeria and other West African countries with counterparts from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda to explore opportunities around AFCON 2027, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The initiative is expected to encourage operators from both regions to develop travel packages that combine football matches with leisure experiences, including wildlife, beaches, cultural attractions, national parks and adventure tourism.
For West African operators, the tournament offers an opportunity to connect the continent’s strong football culture with East Africa’s established tourism attractions.
Organisers said the summit will provide opportunities for tour operators to build strategic partnerships and jointly market multi-destination itineraries to football fans travelling to the tournament.
The collaboration could also create new business opportunities for airlines, hotels, destination management companies and other tourism service providers.
Beyond the summit, Akwaaba 2026 will host the Africa Travel 100 Awards for African Tour Operators on September 14.
The awards will recognise 100 operators considered to have made significant contributions to promoting African destinations to African travellers.
To qualify, nominees must have at least five years’ experience selling outbound tours into Africa, sell tours to other African countries and have conducted at least five tours to an African destination within the last 18 months.
Nominees must also be based in Africa. Operators may be nominated by previous Africa Travel 100 Awards winners, while self-nominations are allowed provided they receive endorsement from a tour operator in another African country.
The organisers describe the awards as the “Africans for Africa Awards”, reflecting their focus on businesses helping to strengthen intra-African travel and regional tourism integration.
The awards have previously recognised different categories of tourism businesses and personalities, including Top 100 Travel Companies in West Africa in 2016, Africa Travel 100 Women in 2017, Africa Travel 100 Tour Operators in 2018, Africa Travel 100 Global Personalities in 2019, Africa Travel 100 Women in 2022, Africa Travel 100 Under 40 in 2023, Africa Travel 100 Global Leaders in 2024 and Africa Travel 100 Women in 2025.
The 2026 edition will also feature the Africa Food Fair, African Medical Tourism Forum, African Tourism Conference, destination wedding showcase, African Youth Tourism Bantaba, travel technology sessions, CHINET Aviacargo, business-to-business meetings, exhibitions and networking activities.
Over the years, Akwaaba has attracted tourism stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, including Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Seychelles, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Uganda, Morocco, Namibia, Togo, India, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
The platform has also hosted prominent personalities, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of The Gambia Dawda Jawara, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Emeka Anyaoku and former Vice President of Nigeria, Sir Alex Ekwueme.
With AFCON 2027 expected to draw football supporters across Africa, Akwaaba 2026 is positioning the tournament as more than a sporting event, but as an opportunity to expand tourism flows, strengthen private-sector partnerships and create new travel businesses across the continent.
