Tourism ambassador and expert, Ikechi Uko, has said that the continent would witness a thriving tourism economy capable of transforming local communities and industries if each African country could generate between 10% and 20% of its population as domestic tourists and share just 5% as intra-African travellers.
He said it in view of the upcoming African Tourism Conference at the 21st Akwaaba African Travel Market, which will hold on September 15th, 2025, at the Eko Hotels & Suites Convention Centre in Lagos. It will serve as a platform for industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and travel enthusiasts to share insights and profile country-specific strategies charting the way forward for a more connected and vibrant African tourism market.
The organiser, Uko, added that “with a population of 1.4 billion across 54 nations, Africa receives fewer than 100 million tourists annually. Yet, the potential for growth is immense. Since the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Africa has awakened to the opportunities offered by domestic tourism.”
He continued that Kenya’s Tembea Kenya campaign emerged as an early success story, followed by South Africa’s Sho’t Left initiative and Nigeria’s Naija7Wonders. “Grassroots movements like Naija Explorers and Nigerian Tourism Lovers have proven that domestic travel is not only viable but sustainable. Many African nations have since invested in developing domestic tourism infrastructure and marketing strategies.”
Uganda’s Senior Presidential Advisor for Tourism, Lilly Ajarova, will be the keynote speaker at the African Tourism Conference. Ajarova was the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) prior to her appointment and managed the development, launch, and rollout of the Explore Uganda destination brand while she was employed at UTB.
She had also improved the quality assurance service delivery in all of the country’s tourist establishments, promoted MICE tourism, and developed partnerships with development partners and stakeholders.
The Chief Executive Officer of TheXperts, Rwanda and Congo, Fifi J. Rurangwa, will also be present at the conference. Rurangwa’s outstanding contribution to the expansion of the African tourist industry earned her a spot among the African Travel 100 Global Leaders Award winners.
The panel discussion also included Alisa Osei Asamoah. The immediate past president of the Tour Operators’ Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), she has been its treasurer and vice president for four consecutive years since 2012. She is also the CEO of Riali Consult and a member of Ghana’s prestigious Club 100, an exclusive group of the country’s most successful and esteemed CEOs.
The managing director of GOTA Voyage-Benin, Olanma Ojukwu, is also on the panel. Since February 2024, her organisation has served as the national GSA for Air Peace, the largest Nigerian airline in the Benin Republic. At CTM Benin (Benin tourism stakeholders association), she currently holds the position of President of the Commission responsible for the development of Benin tourism.
As one of the panellists, CEO of Travel Lab, Nigeria, Shalom Asuquo-Ankoh, will also offer revolutionary perspectives.
Ayman Thomas Mahinda of Zed Travel & Tours-Zanzibar and the Institute of Travel and Tourism of Gambia (ITTOG) Chairman, Dr. Adama Bah, who has been employed in the tourism sector in The Gambia and other West African nations for more than 40 years, are panellists.
The only international travel and tourism show in West Africa, Akwaaba African Travel Market brings together experts from travel agencies, hotels, airlines, tourism boards, and other tourism service providers. In the African travel sector, Akwaaba is a centre for cooperation, education, and market access, as acknowledged by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
