African Travel Commission set to host Pan-African Tourism Summit and Exhibition

Africa Travel Commission (ATC) has announced its first event for the year, a Pan-African Tourism Summit and Exhibition, scheduled to between February 11 and 12, 2026, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.

The high-level continental gathering is aimed at repositioning tourism as a strategic driver of economic growth, regional integration and sustainable development across Africa.

The summit is in collaboration with the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority [NTDA] and the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS], with strategic partnership support from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). It is expected to attract policymakers, investors, development partners and industry leaders from across the continent and beyond.

The ATC Tourism Summit and Exhibition is designed to move beyond rhetoric, focusing on practical and actionable strategies to unlock tourism’s full value chain. Discussions will span transportation and hospitality, creative industries, digital innovation and community-based tourism.

Held under the theme Accelerating Africa’s Tourism Growth through Innovation, Partnerships and Sustainable Investments, the summit will focus on tourism policy harmonisation and regulatory reform; financing tourism infrastructure and destinations; public–private partnerships and investment readiness; digital transformation and destination marketing; sustainable, climate-smart and community-driven tourism; and youth entrepreneurship and SME participation in tourism value chains.

Speaking ahead of the event, the Executive Director of ATC, Lucky Onoriode George (PhD), said Africa must begin to treat tourism as a serious economic industry rather than merely a leisure activity.

“Tourism is trade, tourism is infrastructure, tourism is employment. When properly structured, it becomes a powerful tool for economic diversification and regional integration,” he said.

George added that the collaboration between ATC, NTDA, ECOWAS and AfDB reflects a growing recognition that tourism development requires strong institutional coordination and aligned policy frameworks.

As host partner, the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority is expected to showcase Nigeria’s renewed tourism vision, highlighting opportunities across culture, heritage, entertainment, eco-tourism and domestic travel.

Nigeria hosting the summit underscores Lagos’ role as a gateway city and a regional hub for business, culture and connectivity.

The involvement of ECOWAS places particular emphasis on cross-border travel facilitation, regional cooperation and intra-African mobility, especially within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Meanwhile, the African Development Bank Group’s strategic partnership brings investment credibility and development finance expertise, reinforcing the need for bankable tourism projects, infrastructure financing and sustainable investment models across the continent.

The exhibition segment will provide a platform for African destinations, tourism boards, airlines, hospitality brands, travel technology companies and cultural institutions to showcase products, services and investment opportunities.

ATC said the summit comes at a critical moment for Africa, as shifting global travel patterns, growing interest in experiential tourism and rising intra-African travel present a unique opportunity for the continent to reposition itself as a unified and competitive global destination.

“The future of African tourism lies in collaboration, not competition,” the commission said, noting that the summit will provide a platform for African countries to speak with one voice, attract serious investment and safeguard the interests of travellers and host communities.

Beyond dialogue, the ATC Tourism Summit and Exhibition is expected to deliver concrete outcomes, including policy recommendations, investment commitments, partnership frameworks and implementation roadmaps to guide tourism development efforts across regions.