Published on September 15, 2025
The 21st Akwaaba African Travel Market officially opened connected September 14, 2025, successful Lagos, Nigeria, arsenic a landmark for Africa’s recreation industry. The arena until September 18, hosts complete 3,000 stakeholders specified arsenic nan tourism boards, recreation agents, airlines, circuit operators, arsenic good arsenic contented creators from nan African continent and worldwide. The expo provides a venue for networking, business opportunities, and nan promotion of intra-African travel, taste exchange, and tourism collaborations. Hosted by Akwaaba Travel Market Ltd. successful relation pinch manufacture giants for illustration Wakanow, Air Peace, Interswitch, Lagos State, and Gambia, nan arena will beryllium a main driver of nan early of African tourism arsenic it promotes nan rich | diverseness of destinations, cultures, and experiences connected nan continent.
The Role of Akwaaba successful Promoting Intra-African Tourism
Akwaaba has agelong been recognized arsenic West Africa’s largest world recreation exhibition, and this year’s version promises to beryllium moreover much significant. Ikechi Uko, nan convener of nan event, emphasized nan expo’s domiciled successful promoting intra-African tourism, improving aviation connectivity, and facilitating trade and taste exchange crossed African nations. The arena besides intends to foster strategic partnerships betwixt airlines, tour operators, and tourism boards to make Africa a much connected and accessible destination.
The 2025 version is expected to big nan highest number of airlines astatine immoderate African recreation expo, reinforcing Akwaaba’s value arsenic a hub for aviation connectivity successful nan continent. This milestone underscores nan increasing request for aviation partnerships and nan request to amended regional recreation infrastructure to meet nan evolving needs of African travelers.
Celebrating African Cuisine: The Jollof Rice War
One of nan standout features of Akwaaba 2025 was nan Jollof Rice War, a unsocial culinary title that showcased nan divers ways successful which Jollof rice is prepared crossed nan continent. 10 chefs from different African countries competed to create nan astir flavorful and innovative versions of this iconic dish. The title featured variations of Jollof rice including asun, native, ofada, seafood, and coconut-infused styles.
The Jollof Rice War not only highlighted Nigeria’s culinary contributions but besides celebrated nan diverse nutrient cultures that make Africa unique. Dr. Abisoye Fagade, nan Director-General of nan National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), took nan opportunity to congratulate Chef Hilda Baci connected her record-setting accomplishment of preparing nan largest cookware of Jollof rice, further cementing nan dish’s spot arsenic Nigeria’s gift to nan world.
Empowering Travel Content Creators to Promote African Destinations
The expo besides featured a conception focused connected nan role of recreation contented creators successful promoting African destinations. Jibola Abati, Founder of Taste of African Vibes, highlighted nan important effect that content creators person had successful raising nan floor plan of African tourism. He emphasized nan value of collaboration betwixt governments and content creators to springiness African countries nan visibility they merit connected nan world stage.
Abati, who is besides nan convener of nan African Travel Content Creator Conference, called for much support from tourism boards and governments to collaborate pinch creatives who are utilizing their platforms to beforehand African destinations, pinch a peculiar attraction connected Nigeria. He believes that content creators are important to showcasing nan richness of African cultures, heritage, and tourism offerings to nan world.
Akwaaba’s Impact connected African Aviation and Tourism
The Akwaaba African Travel Market 2025 besides put a spotlight connected aviation partnerships, a captious constituent of Africa’s tourism growth. With accrued attraction connected location aerial travel, nan arena offered a level for discussions connected really airlines tin heighten connectivity crossed nan continent. The expo’s extremity is to fortify nan aviation sector to make travel wrong Africa much efficient, affordable, and accessible to tourists and business travelers alike.
By gathering cardinal players from aviation, tourism, and hospitality, Akwaaba serves arsenic a catalyst for aviation partnerships and location airline cooperation. The arena is designed to reside challenges successful aviation infrastructure, ticketing, and inter-airline coordination to beforehand smoother recreation experiences for African tourists.
Strengthening Cross-Border Travel and Regional Partnerships
Akwaaba 2025 not only focused connected aviation but besides explored really regional partnerships tin thrust economic growth and tourism development successful Africa. With nan continent’s immense and divers tourism offerings, nan expo emphasized nan value of creating cross-border recreation initiatives to summation nan number of African tourists walking wrong nan continent.
By enhancing visa facilitation, improving transportation networks, and fostering collaborations betwixt tourism stakeholders, nan arena sought to create a much cohesive tourism marketplace crossed Africa. Akwaaba 2025 emphasized that collaboration betwixt countries is important to unlocking nan afloat imaginable of Africa’s tourism industry.
Celebrating African Talent and Achievements successful Tourism
Throughout nan expo, Akwaaba besides celebrated outstanding achievements successful nan tourism and hospitality industries. Dr. Abisoye Fagade announced that NIHOTOUR plans to big an arena successful December to effort nan Guinness World Record for nan longest eating table, showcasing nan continent’s hospitality and culinary talents connected a world scale. Such initiatives are meant to item Africa’s increasing influence successful nan global tourism industry and foster pridefulness successful nan continent’s rich | taste heritage.
Akwaaba’s Role successful Shaping Africa’s Tourism Future
The 21st Akwaaba African Travel Market has been a turning constituent for nan African tourism sector, uniting a divers group of players from nan tourism, aviation, and hospitality industries. In networking, taste sharing, and nutrient celebrations, nan arena has cemented Akwaaba’s position arsenic champion for intra-African recreation and nan showcasing of Africa arsenic a premier world tourism destination. As nan tourism assemblage continues to bounce backmost and expand, Akwaaba’s dedication to collaboration, sustainability, and aviation connectivity will shape a captious portion of determining nan early of Africa’s tourism. This year’s arena has successfully showcased Africa’s diversity, talent, and imaginable and fixed a level for early description and cross-border collaboration.