
The recently concluded Africa Tourism Leadership Forum & Awards (ATLF) 2024, held from September 4-6 at the Gaborone International Convention Centre in Gaborone, Botswana, was nothing short of transformative for Africa’s tourism sector. This year’s forum was held under the theme “Charting a New Path Forward for Intra-Africa Travel, Tourism, and Investment.” The forum gathered key stakeholders from the tourism sector across Africa and beyond.
Africa Tourism Leadership Forum & Awards (ATLF) 2024 was officially opened by the Vice President of Botswana, His Honour Slumber Tsogwane, who highlighted ATLF as a significant platform that elevates tourism as a critical economic pillar for diversifying African economies.

“The Africa Tourism Leadership Forum is a Pan-African dialogue platform that unites key stakeholders from Africa’s travel, tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors to network, share insights, and devise strategies for growing intra-Africa travel and tourism while enhancing the brand equity of our ‘Destination Africa,’” said Acting President Tsogwane.
He further emphasized, “Botswana is strategically positioning itself as a premier destination for hosting MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) as part of its deliberate economic diversification drive. Tourism in Botswana is a major contributor to the national economy, with significant potential for further growth.”

The CEO of Africa Tourism Partners, Kwakye Donkor, highlighted the urgent need for more open borders by eliminating restrictions on travel within Africa. He also advocated for more productive partnerships between government and private sectors to ensure win-win policy formulations that would increase tourism on the continent.
“Without building our own capabilities in our own backyard for tourism, growth and development, we are not going to go anywhere in the future,” Kwakye Donkor stated.
Organised by African Tourism Partners in collaboration with the Botswana Tourism Organisation and other stakeholders, the forum gathered nearly 500 participants from 43 African countries. As a melting pot of ideas and opportunities, ATLF 2024 featured industry-specific masterclasses, dynamic panel discussions, an awards ceremony, and high-impact speed networking sessions designed to spark new collaborations and foster lasting relationships among Africa’s leading service providers.
An emotional moment during the official opening ceremony and the announcement of the passing of the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Hon. Dumezweni Meshack Mthimkhulu, and the reflection on the pivotal role he played in the African tourism sector.

Notably, Botswana has hosted this influential forum for three (3) consecutive years, underscoring its commitment to advancing the continent’s tourism agenda. This was highlighted by the Honourable Wilhemina Tebogo Makwinja, Acting Minister of Environment and Tourism, Republic of Botswana.
“Hosting a convention of this magnitude for three successive years is a positive indicator of the successful implementation of our major policy goals. Through this forum, we aim to celebrate Botswana’s diverse tourism offerings as well as the sector’s significant contribution to our country’s economy.” Hon. Wilhemina Tebogo Makwinja stated.

Emily Mburu – Ndoria, Director, Trade in Services at the AfCFTA Secretariat, indicated that tourism alone contributes significantly to Africa’s GDP and is a source of employment especially for women and youth.
“The culture and creative has emerged as a powerful source of economic growth. This industry has the potential to create even greater numbers in terms of creation of jobs, stimulating the nation and the continent Africa as a global leader in cultural production.” said Emily Mburu – Ndoria
As a Pan-African gathering, ATLF 2024 emphasized the importance of intra-Africa travel, focusing on reducing travel restrictions across the continent to enhance business growth and facilitate seamless movement of people. The forum explored some of the critical elements that directly affect intra-Africa travel, such as the role of visa policies in shaping Africa’s tourism future. Experts and key stakeholders delved into how visa openness will influence the ease of travel across the continent and support the goal of making Africa a preferred destination. The discussions place emphasis on the need for streamlined visa processes, regional cooperation, and policies that foster inclusive and sustainable tourism growth.
Africa’s contribution to global travel is a measly 2% despite having a population of 1.4 billion (20% of the world’s population), and the continent needs to implement result-orientated and practical measures to contribute on a large scale. Leaders agreed that Africa should be committed to boosting intra-Africa travel and that more efforts should be put into getting rid of restrictions and reducing the cost of intra-Africa travel.
As the dust settled on this year’s forum, it is clear that the continent is ready to take the next step toward becoming a global tourism powerhouse, with all African nations playing a pivotal role in this journey.
