Council Announces Tourism Summits, Seeks Visa-free Travel Across Africa

• Continent welcomes nearly 100m international visitors in one year

The Africa-International Tourism and Economic Council (AITEC) has unveiled two major international tourism events aimed at boosting Africa’s tourism industry, attracting investment and advancing regional integration through trade and the free movement of people.

The announcement was made during an international press conference held in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, under the theme: “Tourism as a Catalyst for Global Sustainable Economic Development.”

The organisation announced that the 3rd Official Global Launch of AITEC World will hold on November 2, 2026, at the Hilton London, United Kingdom, on the sidelines of the World Travel Market (WTM) London 2026.

It also disclosed that the 2nd Africa Tourism Dialogue (ATD 2026) will take place from November 12 to 14, 2026, at the headquarters of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as the official tourism component of Africa Celebrates 2026.

Speaking at the event, President of AITEC World, Dine Bouraima, described the initiative as the beginning of a continental movement to reposition tourism as a driver of Africa’s economic transformation.

“Today, we are not gathered simply to announce two events. We are here to launch a movement—a movement for a better-connected Africa, where Africans travel more freely, investors move with greater ease, businesses trade without unnecessary barriers, and tourism becomes a true catalyst for sustainable economic development,” Bouraima said.

According to Bouraima, both the London Global Launch and the Africa Tourism Dialogue share a common objective of positioning tourism as a catalyst for investment, trade, job creation, international cooperation and sustainable economic development across the continent.

He noted that Africa, with a population of nearly 1.5 billion people and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), possesses enormous opportunities for tourism-led growth.

Citing global tourism statistics, he said the world recorded more than 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals in 2025, while Africa welcomed nearly 100 million international visitors. He added that the continent’s travel and tourism sector is projected to contribute about $241 billion to Africa’s economy in 2026 and support more than 31 million jobs.

Despite the prospects, Bouraima lamented the high cost of air travel and restrictive visa regimes across Africa, describing them as major obstacles to economic integration.

“We continue to make travel difficult. We continue to have some of the highest airfares in the world. We continue to require visas from our own African brothers and sisters. How can we speak of economic integration when travelling between two African countries is sometimes more difficult than travelling to another continent?” he said.

Earlier, Vice President for Communications and International Relations of AITEC World, Kazeem Balogun, presented the organisation’s global vision and outlined the strategic importance of the forthcoming Africa Tourism Dialogue.

According to AITEC World, the two events are expected to bring together governments, investors, development partners, tourism stakeholders and international organisations to promote investment, innovation, cultural diplomacy and stronger public-private partnerships across Africa.