Akwaaba 2026: Sport meets tourism, as AFCON offers opportunities to African tour operators

As buildup to this year’s Akwaaba African Travel Market, West Africa’s largest travel expo, the organisers have assured of exciting activities, including new offerings to spice the annual travel event.

This year’s outing, which is the 22nd edition of the travel expo, will be held at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, its traditional home, from September 13-15, 2026.

Top among this year’s highlights include a specially curated sports and tourism mix, which will hold on as part of the 2nd African Tour Operators Summit at the expo.

The rationale for the sport/tourism bouquet, according to the organisers, is the fact that the West African region is football powerhouse in Africa, always offering the highest number of qualifiers for the African Football Fiesta (AFCON) and other competitive sporting event across Africa,

But the mix is also considering that the East African region is Africa’s tourism paradise with Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda leading the charge, while the 2027 AFCON would be hosted jointly by three East African countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

The organisers of Akwaaba expo posited that the hosting is expected to be a huge tourism party across the three countries, while offering an opportunity to connect sports and tourism on a continental level.

To this end the organisers of Akwaaba African Travel Market, the only international travel and tourism expo in West Africa, are putting together an African Tour Operators Summit in Lagos that will bring together East African tour operators to meet with their West African partners over three days. The summit will enable the tour operators from both regions to network and jointly build packages for the AFCON 2027.

With an eight years hiatus, since the debut of African Tour Operators’ Summit in 2018, the organisers promised that the show is returning with a very exciting second edition, amid boosting exchanges and trade among West and East African tour operators, who can also use the opportunity to develop joint packages and joint marketing initiatives.

Apart from the summit, the organisers hope to recognize and honour deserving African tour operators, whose efforts have furthered intra-African travels and exchanges during the AFRICA TRAVEL 100 Awards for African Tour Operators on September 14, 2026.

“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.

Apart from the Tour Operators Summit, the three-day tourism event will include other events such as: Africa food fair, African medical tourism, African tourism conference, networking, exhibitions, Africa Travel 100 Awards, B2B, destination wedding, African youth tourism Bantaba, travel technology, CHINET Aviacargo, among others.

The Akwaaba African Travel Market is the biggest travel expo in West Africa and one of the top 5 in Africa. In 2022, Akwaaba was recognized with an Award of Excellence in Tourism by the Nigerian Government and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

Over the years the expo has grown to become the most important travel marketing platform in West Africa drawing attendance from over 20 countries within and outside Africa such as but not limited to; The Gambia, Kenya, Uganda, Dubai, Ghana, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt and Turkey.

The expo also covers destinations, inbound and outbound travel to Africa, aviation and hospitality, among others.