Cape Town, 7 April 2026 – Tourism and investment leaders from across the continent are urged to attend the Africa Tourism Investment Conference (ATIC), taking place on 14 April 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) as part of World Travel Market Africa.
Produced in partnership with JLL Africa, an affiliate member of UN Tourism, the one-day conference brings together investors, policymakers, tourism authorities, and private sector leaders to ignite high-level discussions focused on unlocking tourism investment opportunities across Africa.
“Tourism remains a powerful economic driver across the continent, offering opportunities to accelerate development, create jobs, and strengthen regional partnerships,” says Gillian Saunders, ATIC Conference Director.
“The 2026 programme delivers a strengthened international perspective, providing a critical platform where investors and decision-makers can connect, share insights, and explore the intricacies of navigating the investment arena for tourism. This year, we’re on a mission to dive deeper into what investors are really looking for: strong, strategic partners, clear policy frameworks, and long-term growth potential.”
According to James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth in the City of Cape Town: “Cape Town’s role as host of ATIC 2026 reflects the work we are doing to position our city, and our continent, as a serious destination for tourism investment. We see every day how tourism translates into real economic impact: jobs, small business growth, and new opportunities across our communities.”
“What makes ATIC so valuable is that it brings together the full ecosystem, investors, policymakers and industry leaders, to move from conversation to action. I’m also looking forward to signing off soon on our city’s new tourism framework, which speaks directly to building the kind of working infrastructure that gives investors and visitors the confidence to choose Cape Town. This is how we unlock growth, strengthen partnerships, and ensure tourism delivers long-term, inclusive value,” said Vos.
What will be discussed?
Headline sessions at ATIC 2026 comprise a dedicated introduction led by UN Tourism, including a comprehensive Investing in Africa 2025 Report, and Daniel Silke, renowned political economist, unpacking the global context for the continent: economic growth, geopolitical shifts, intra-African trade, and demographic dynamics.
Additional topics centre on investment-ready African destinations, the advent of hotel groups entering the lodge industry, and the increasingly relevant question of over-tourism – examining whether there can be too much investment, alongside mitigation strategies and the potential for new, more sustainable investment opportunities.
Sports and sporting events will be broadly examined as a catalyst for tourism growth and investment on the back of LIV Golf’s historic African debut at The Club at Steyn City (Johannesburg), and Morocco’s ambition to position itself to host Formula One events on the continent.
Headline speakers include:
Hamza Farooqui (CEO of Millat Global Holdings) – Behind some of Southern Africa’s most significant hotel investments and acquisitions.
Daniel Silke (Director of Political Futures Consultancy) – Leading political economy analyst.
Tim Harris (CEO of Helm Growth, former CEO of Wesgro) – Key voice on creating an attractive investment climate for African tourism.
David Desta (Vice President, JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group in Africa) – Specialising in strategic advisory and transaction services across the Middle East and Africa.
Kelvin Watt (MD, Capitalize Media & Chairman of Nielsen Sports South Africa) – A leading sports industry entrepreneur.
Imad Barrakad (CEO of the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) – Advancing Morocco's tourism sector.
Julien Renaud (CEO of African Hotel Development) – Driving the expansion of the ONOMO hospitality brand and a growing multi-market hotel ownership portfolio across Africa.
Ashish Sharma (CEO of Serena Hotels Africa) – Overseeing a 22-property continental portfolio, with a strategic focus on sustainable growth, technology, and talent development.
John Gibson (CEO of Chobe Holdings Limited) – Leading one of Botswana’s foremost listed tourism groups, with a strong commitment to eco-tourism, conservation, and community impact.
Held on the global stage during WTM Africa 2026, the conference forms part of a broader programme connecting global travel buyers, investors, tourism professionals, government representatives, banks, private equity investors, and tourism project owners.
Attendees will benefit from in-person networking opportunities, with the Stellenbosch Experience offering an additional platform for informal conversation and relationship-building in a uniquely South African setting.
“As one of the continent’s leading gatherings focused specifically on tourism investment, ATIC provides a rare opportunity to engage directly with the people and capital driving tourism growth across Africa,” adds Saunders. “With the event fast approaching and capacity limited, we encourage interested delegates to register immediately to avoid missing out.”
Registration details:
Registration is open until 13 April. Spaces are limited.
Event: Africa Tourism Investment Conference (ATIC)
Date: 14 April 2026
Venue: Global Stage, CTICC, Cape Town
Register here: www.wtm.com/africa/en-gb/whats-on/tourism-investment-forum-africa.html
-ENDS-
Issued by: Big Ambitions
Contact: Sonnette Fourie
Tel: +27 81 072 2869
Email: sonnette@bigambitions.co.za
Notes to editors:
Now in its 33nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. The event attracted over 47,000 attendees and more than 35,000 visitors (including 6,000+ high-value buyers) and over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries. In 2025, ATM will expand to 13 halls, growing across all sectors, and will continue to be a crucial gathering for the global travel and tourism industry. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
ATM takes place from 4 - 7 May 2026, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai.
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events alongside Arabian Travel Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Start-Up Competition, Influencers' Event, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and ATM Travel Tech. The event also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.
https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html
About RX
RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.
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World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are Arabian Travel Market, WTM London, WTM Latin America and WTM Africa.
WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
Next event: 4 to 6 November 2025 at ExCel London
WTM Latin America is held annually in São Paulo and attracts more than 29,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers a qualified content combined with networking and business opportunities. In its most recent edition, in 2024, WTM Latin America maintained its focus on the effective generation of business and managed to secure the early scheduling of more than six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents, and exhibitors. WTM Latin America contents are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Next event: 14 to 16 April 2026, Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, Brasil
latinamerica.wtm.com
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2024, WTM Africa facilitated more than 10 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 8% compared to 2023 and welcomed more than 10 thousand visitors (unaudited), 25% more than 2023.
Next event: 13 to 15 April 2026 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/
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