Lagos is set to become the focal point of Africa’s tourism transformation agenda as the African Travel Commission (ATC) hosts a landmark Pan-African Tourism Summit and Exhibition from February 11–12, 2026, at Eko Hotel & 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 being organised by the African Travel Commission 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.

Despite Africa’s vast cultural heritage, natural attractions, and youthful population, tourism remains one of the continent’s most underutilised economic sectors. Development experts note that the industry holds significant potential for job creation, foreign exchange earnings, infrastructure development, and inclusive growth if properly structured and coordinated.

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.

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, and 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. For 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.

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.

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.

For Lagos and Nigeria, the event reinforces the country’s growing role in shaping continental conversations on tourism, trade and development. For Africa, it marks another step towards harnessing tourism as a tool for economic resilience, integration and shared prosperity.

As Africa searches for sustainable pathways to growth, all eyes will turn to Lagos, where tourism, policy and investment will converge to shape the continent’s next chapter.

About the African Travel Commission (ATC)

The African Travel Commission is a pan-African organisation committed to promoting sustainable tourism development, strengthening regional cooperation and positioning Africa as a competitive and unified global tourism destination. Through advocacy, strategic communication and partnerships, ATC works to elevate Africa’s tourism narrative and investment appeal.

ATC was formed in 1965 by the chief executives of Africa’s national tourism organisations. It initiated the annual celebration of September 27 as World Tourism Day and played a key role in the transformation of the International Union of Official Travel Organisations (IUOTO) into the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) in 1970, later the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), now UN Tourism, a specialised agency of the United Nations.