Polokwane City, Limpopo, South Africa, will host the 2026 Africa Tourism Leadership Forum & Awards (ATLF) from 2 to 4 September 2026. The forum, convened by Africa Tourism Partners in collaboration with UN Tourism, BDO South Africa and other partners, is Africa’s leading platform for travel, tourism, hospitality, and aviation stakeholders to network, exchange insights, and shape strategies for intra-African travel and tourism development.
Since its launch in 2018 in Accra, Ghana, ATLF has evolved into a continental hub for industry dialogue and policy development. Early editions attracted over 500 delegates from more than 30 countries, including ministers, tourism CEOs, and senior executives. Subsequent editions in Durban, Kigali, and Gaborone, Botswana, expanded participation, with the 2024 forum hosting over 800 physical delegates and 2,000 virtual participants from 95 countries, consolidating ATLF’s position as the central convening mechanism for African tourism.
The forum addresses key areas including sustainable growth, tourism investment, intra-Africa connectivity, and the professional development of women and youth. Sessions focus on capacity building, mentorship, policy dialogue, and practical business linkages through B2B networking, destination showcases, and investment matchmaking. Delegates include policymakers, tourism directors, development agency representatives, investors, hotel and airline executives, tour operators, technology firms, and financial institutions.
The 2026 edition will continue this approach, projecting participation from more than 750 delegates representing approximately 60 countries. Discussions will integrate high-level policy deliberations with practical sector insights, while promoting the retention of tourism expenditure within destinations to support employment, financial inclusion, and local enterprise growth. The forum also emphasizes conservation, preservation of arts, culture, and heritage, and sustainable tourism investment practices.
The Africa Tourism Leadership Awards, presented annually during the forum, recognize excellence across sustainability, innovation, and community engagement, with past recipients including policy-makers, businesses, destinations, and individuals driving sector transformation.
Polokwane’s selection as host marks the first time the forum will convene in South Africa’s Limpopo Province, following a three-year tenure in Gaborone, Botswana. Organizers describe the city as offering a culturally rich and environmentally diverse setting suitable for Pan-African dialogue and business exchange.
