Akwaaba 2026 Opens in Lagos, Positioning Africa as Its Own Emerging Tourism Marketplace
The vibrant colours, rhythmic sounds and rich flavours of the continent took centre stage in Lagos as the 22nd edition of the Akwaaba African Travel Market officially opened at the Eko Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island. The gathering drew tourism stakeholders, exhibitors, government officials and industry visitors from across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, reaffirming Akwaaba's steady rise as one of the continent's most important marketplaces for tourism, travel and investment.
Inside the bustling exhibition hall, destinations, airlines, hotels, tour operators, hospitality brands and cultural bodies displayed their offerings to an eager audience of trade buyers and consumers. The energetic performances of Calabar Carnival dancers added spectacle to the opening ceremony, while a lively mix of music, food and cultural displays underlined the extraordinary diversity of Africa's tourism product.
At the heart of the event stood the enduring vision of its founder, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, who reminded delegates that Akwaaba was created more than two decades ago to give African tourism businesses a credible platform on which to market themselves to the world. He recalled that the idea was inspired by the limited opportunities available to African operators seeking international visibility. Twenty-two years on, the platform has evolved into a major convening space that regularly attracts ministers, heads of state, national tourism organisations and international partners. Uko was quick to acknowledge that this growth had been powered largely by private-sector commitment, singling out the long-standing partnership with Eko Hotel, which hosted the show in its earliest days.
The name Akwaaba, meaning "welcome", was deliberately chosen to reflect the continent's shared identity and the event's ambition to connect destinations and tourism enterprises from every corner of Africa.
The Gambia used the Lagos stage to deepen its push for greater engagement with the Nigerian outbound market. The country's Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abdoulie Jobe, extended a warm invitation to Nigerians to discover the "Smiling Coast of Africa", highlighting its beaches, cultural heritage, wildlife, gastronomy, nightlife and business opportunities. He called for closer collaboration between Nigerian and Gambian airlines, tour operators, hospitality operators and creative-sector players, arguing that the deep historical and people-to-people ties between the two countries provide fertile ground for stronger commercial partnerships. Jobe also championed the broader cause of intra-African travel, stressing that the continent must increasingly become its own tourism marketplace.
For the host city, Akwaaba represented a strategic opportunity to project its tourism, cultural and creative economy to an international audience. Declaring the edition open, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, described Lagos as a "city of possibilities", noting that tourism and hospitality remain central to the state's identity and economic growth ambitions. She positioned the event as a platform to market Lagos for business, leisure, entertainment and investment, while at the same time connecting Nigerians with tourism opportunities across the continent.
Mrs. Sanwo-Olu drew particular attention to the cultural and culinary attractions of the show, most notably the Jollof Rice competition, describing food as a powerful vehicle for African storytelling, community-building and enterprise creation. She commended the participation of young Lagosians trained through the Lagos Voyager Initiative, whose involvement in the culinary contest, she said, would open pathways to careers in hospitality, travel management, entertainment, event production and destination marketing. She further urged industry leaders to create more meaningful opportunities for the continent's youth and challenged the organisers to keep evolving the platform with fresh ideas and experiences.
A clear message ran through the opening: Africa possesses the destinations, culture, cuisine, creativity and stories to compete for the global tourism market, but must do more to package, market and monetise them. As music filled the hall and the aroma of Jollof spread across the venue, Akwaaba 2026 reinforced the notion that Africa is not merely a destination awaiting discovery, but a continent increasingly capable of discovering, celebrating and selling itself to the world.
