With just 16 days to go before the 8th Africa Tourism Leadership Forum (ATLF) & Awards 2026, tourism, trade and investment leaders from across Africa and beyond are preparing to converge at Meropa Casino and Entertainment World in Polokwane, South Africa, from 2 to 4 September. The forum is positioned as a platform for advancing travel, investment and trade partnerships across the continent.
Organised by Africa Tourism Partners (ATP), hosted by the Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) and powered by the Provincial Limpopo Government, the forum will focus on three key priorities: unlocking intra-African mobility, using the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to strengthen tourism and trade, and expanding sustainable hospitality investment. Consequently, ATLF 2026 is expected to bring policymakers, business leaders and investors together around opportunities shaping the continent’s tourism economy.
The forum will feature a broad group of speakers drawn from tourism, aviation, trade, investment, sustainability and business. Among them are AfCFTA Secretariat Director of Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Trade Emily Mburu-Ndoria; South African Airways Chief Commercial Officer Tebogo Tsimane; Amadeus Director of Market Intelligence & Insights Olivier Ponti; and Keleabetswe Tlouane, Deputy Director-General for Environment and Tourism at LEDET. Other speakers include Amb. Albertus Aochamub, Zaim Muhammad, Dr Shatha Al Kaud, Gerrit Davids and Inga Mtolo.
The gathering brings together policymakers, business leaders and capital decision-makers who are shaping discussions around intra-African tourism, trade and economic development. Their participation is expected to strengthen dialogue around practical opportunities for expanding tourism and investment partnerships across African markets.
Delegates travelling to Limpopo will not be the only ones participating. Organisers have introduced the ATLF 2026 Virtual Pass, allowing international delegates, technology entrepreneurs, travel operators and media to access plenary sessions, keynote presentations and cross-border networking opportunities digitally.
Through the virtual platform, participants will be able to follow live keynote sessions, engage in digital networking with stakeholders across more than 56 countries and access on-demand content covering ministerial panels, trade debates and key presentations. In this way, the organisers aim to make participation possible for stakeholders who cannot attend the forum in person.
Meanwhile, businesses seeking visibility at the forum have limited time to secure exhibition space, with only a few stands remaining at locations near the main delegate break hubs. These spaces allow exhibitors to directly engage with sector ministers, hotel developers, travel-tech founders, and regional decision-makers in these spaces. to give exhibitors direct exposure to sector ministers, hotel developers, travel-tech founders and regional decision-makers.
The next step for interested stakeholders is to register for either in-person attendance or virtual participation, while companies seeking exhibition or sponsorship opportunities can contact Ms Palesa Madlhejwane. For the wider industry, the final countdown provides an opportunity to identify potential partnerships, prepare for discussions around tourism and trade, and engage with decision-makers before the forum opens on 2 September.
Registration, media accreditation and accommodation details are available through the event’s official registration channels.
For partnerships, sponsorships, media and registration enquiries, stakeholders can contact Ms Palesa Madlhejwane at palesakgadi@africatourismpartners.com or +27 78 430 7489. Exhibition and sponsorship opportunities are also available through the organisers while remaining spaces last.
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