West Africa’s biggest travel stage -Akwaaba African Travel Market, now in its 22nd series is about to get a major sports boost uniting African sports and tourism at its 2nd African Tour Operators Summit in Lagos.
The expo scheduled to hold from September 13th to 15th, 2026 considers that West Africa remains the football powerhouse of the continent, consistently producing the most qualifiers for the African Football Fiesta, AFCON.
East Africa is Africa’s tourism paradise, with Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda leading the charge.
That synergy takes centre stage because AFCON 2027 will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda – the first time three East African nations will co-host.
Akwaaba organisers said it is expected to be a massive tourism event across the three countries, as the summit creates a continental opportunity to connect sports and tourism like never before.
The African Tour Operators Summit
Organised by Akwaaba, the only international travel and tourism expo in West Africa, the three-day summit will bring East African Tour Operators together with their West African partners in Lagos.
The goal: network and jointly build tour packages for AFCON PAMOJA 2027.
This is the 2nd edition of the summit. The first was held in 2018.
Spotlight Event: AFRICA TRAVEL 100 Awards
On September 14th, the AFRICA TRAVEL 100 Awards for African Tour Operators will be held as part of the summit.
The awards will honour African Tour Operators that promote and market African destinations to Africans.
It is the “Africans for Africa Awards”.
Akwaaba is the biggest travel expo in West Africa and ranked among the top five in Africa.
In 2022, it received an Award of Excellence in Tourism from the Nigerian Government and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The event draws attendance from over 20 countries within and outside Africa.
The three-day event will feature:
Africa Food Fair, African Medical Tourism, African Tourism Conference, Networking, Exhibitions, Africa Travel 100 Awards, B2B, Destination Wedding, African Youth Tourism Bantaba, Travel Technology, and CHINET Aviacargo.
Over the years, AKWAABA has grown to become the most important travel marketing platform in West Africa. Past attendance includes: The Gambia, Kenya, Uganda, Dubai, Ghana, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, and Turkey.
AKWAABA Expo covers destinations, inbound and outbound travel to Africa, aviation, and hospitality and more.
Come September 13 to 15, 2026 football fans become tourists, and tour operators build the future of African travel, the organisers promised.