The initiative will take centre stage at the second African Tour Operators' Summit, one of the highlights of this year's Akwaaba African Travel Market, which is scheduled to take place in Lagos from September 13 to 15, 2026.
The three-day exhibition will bring together tour operators, travel businesses and tourism stakeholders from East and West Africa to explore strategies for developing travel packages and partnerships around the continent's biggest football competition.
According to the organisers, the summit is designed to encourage greater collaboration among African travel businesses ahead of the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. They said the championship presents a unique opportunity to combine sports and tourism by encouraging football supporters to extend their trips beyond the stadiums to experience East Africa's renowned wildlife, culture and leisure attractions.
The organisers explained that the summit would provide a platform for networking, business partnerships and the development of cross-border travel products that will make it easier for African football fans to travel within the continent during the tournament.
They noted that West Africa has long been regarded as the continent's football powerhouse, consistently producing the largest number of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, while East Africa has become one of Africa's fastest-growing tourism regions, with countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda attracting millions of visitors through their rich natural and cultural attractions.
By bringing tour operators from both regions together in Lagos, the organisers believe the event will strengthen commercial partnerships and create tourism products capable of increasing visitor movement across Africa before, during and after the continental football tournament.
The African Tour Operators' Summit returns for its second edition after its maiden event in 2018 and is expected to feature business-to-business meetings, networking sessions and discussions on expanding intra-African tourism through sports, aviation and travel partnerships.
As part of the programme, the Africa Travel 100 Awards for African Tour Operators will be presented on September 14 to recognise travel businesses that have made outstanding contributions to promoting African destinations to African travellers.
Described by the organisers as the "Africans for Africa Awards," the initiative aims to celebrate tour operators and travel companies that have played a significant role in advancing intra-African travel while showcasing the continent's diverse tourism offerings.
Over the years, the Akwaaba African Travel Market has grown into West Africa's largest travel and tourism exhibition and is widely recognised as one of Africa's leading travel expos.
The event received an Award of Excellence in Tourism in 2022 from the Nigerian Government and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in recognition of its contribution to tourism development and the promotion of African destinations.
The annual exhibition attracts exhibitors, buyers and tourism stakeholders from more than 20 countries across Africa and beyond, including The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Seychelles, Ethiopia, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
This year's edition will feature an extensive programme of side events, including the Africa Food Fair, African Medical Tourism Forum, African Tourism Conference, business networking sessions, exhibitions, the Africa Travel 100 Awards, business-to-business meetings, a Destination Wedding Showcase, the African Youth Tourism Bantaba, a Travel Technology Forum and CHINET Aviacargo.
Since its inception, the Akwaaba African Travel Market has evolved into a leading platform for promoting tourism, aviation, hospitality and travel investment across Africa, while creating opportunities for businesses to strengthen partnerships and expand both inbound and outbound travel within the continent.