With Africa’s tourism future on the agenda, preparations for the 68th Meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) took a significant step forward this weekend, as Nigeria formally signed the hosting agreement for the high-level gathering.
The agreement was signed between Nigeria’s Minister of Culture and Creative Arts, H.E. Hannatu Musa Musawa, and UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, during the 123rd session of the Executive Council held in Segovia, Spain. The signing sets the stage for the annual institutional Meeting, scheduled to take place from 11 to 13 June 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria.
The UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa is the major institutional platform where ministries in charge of tourism discuss the latest trends of the sector at the continental and global level and the implementation of their program of work. The Commission of Africa Meeting is held every year as part of UN Tourism statutory events.
Attendees will include UN Tourism Member States, Affiliate Members, invited delegations, tourism experts, and representatives from funding institutions and financial services. Key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, who play vital roles in transforming Africa’s tourism industry, will also participate. The aim: to foster unity, deepen cooperation, and explore new avenues for sustainable development and integration across the continent through tourism.
The 68th CAF Meeting will be held in tandem with a forward-looking Thematic Conference that places innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), education, and the creative industries at the heart of Africa’s tourism transformation agenda. Together, these gatherings will create a vital platform for addressing shared challenges, rethinking growth models, and crafting inclusive strategies that benefit communities, businesses, and travellers alike.
Nigeria’s role as host not only reinforces its leadership in regional tourism affairs but also signals a broader vision : one where culture, technology, and collaboration converge to shape a more resilient and opportunity-driven tourism ecosystem.
As planning accelerates, the spotlight turns to Nigeria as a convening force for progress, and as a champion of tourism’s potential to power sustainable change across Africa.
