Summit to examine Africa’s tourism future
Africa is often described as tourism’s next frontier. The continent possesses vast natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and a young, connected population. Yet, for all its promise, Africa attracts only
Africa is often described as tourism’s next frontier. The continent possesses vast natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and a young, connected population.
Yet, for all its promise, Africa attracts only a modest share of global tourist arrivals. The gap between potential and performance is one of the great puzzles of the global travel industry.
The question of how to convert possibility into scale will sit at the centre of Africa Legacy Summit, an intercontinental tourism symposium on May 15 and 16, in Lagos.
Organised by Eko Hotels and Suites as part of the celebrations marking its 50th anniversary, the summit will convene ministers, policymakers, investors, corporate Nigeria, young professionals, students and hospitality leaders from Africa and the Caribbean.
For two days, the Lagos waterfront will serve as a forum to examine how Africa’s hospitality and tourism industry can position itself more confidently in the global marketplace. Some confirmed keynote speakers include Wallace Williams, Pan-Africanist, Prof Patrick Lumumba, among others.
The theme: “African Hospitality: Rich with Possibility, Ready for Afro Collaboration” captures ambition and pragmatism. Tourism, after all, thrives on partnerships: between governments and investors, airlines and destinations, culture and commerce.
For African countries seeking economic diversification and job creation, the sector offers one of the most accessible avenues for growth. Yet growth requires coordination.
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Across the continent, infrastructure gaps, fragmented visa regimes and uneven branding have long constrained tourism flows.
The summit’s agenda, therefore, aims to focus less on promotional rhetoric and more on practical collaboration: how to attract international investment, strengthen hospitality standards and build stronger connections between African destinations and global travel networks.
One country frequently cited as a benchmark is Kenya, whose tourism sector has evolved into one of Africa’s most globally recognised. Through sustained investment in conservation, hospitality training and international marketing, Kenya has developed a resilient tourism model that blends wildlife, culture and high-quality visitor experiences. Its example offers lessons for other African destinations seeking to scale their own industries.
The choice of Lagos as host city is also telling. Nigeria’s commercial capital is not traditionally viewed as a tourism hub in the mould of Cape Town or Marrakech.
Yet its creative industries: music, fashion, film and cuisine, have begun drawing international attention. Increasingly, cities like Lagos illustrate how cultural dynamism can complement traditional leisure tourism.
For Eko Hotels and Suites, which has welcomed international guests for half a century, the summit represents both celebration and statement: a demonstration that African hospitality is not merely warm, but globally competitive.
Director of Sales & Marketing, Eko Hotels and Suites, Dr. Iyadunni Gbadebo, noted that the event reflects a broader shift in positioning Africa not just as a destination of promise, but as one of structured opportunity.
The summit aims to help redefine Africa’s place in global tourism by strengthening collaboration and investment across the industry.
“If the conversations in Lagos succeed, they may help shift the narrative from Africa as a destination of untapped promise to one of organised opportunity.
In tourism, as in diplomacy, the welcome matters. Africa appears ready to extend one,” she stated.
