In a significant expansion of its global footprint, Akwaaba African Travel Market, West Africa’s only travel and tourism expo, marked a new chapter by debuting at the 29th East Mediterranean International Tourism & Travel Exhibition (EMITT) held in Istanbul, Turkey from February 5–7, 2026. EMITT, recognised as one of the world’s most influential travel exhibitions, attracts tens of thousands of tourism professionals and showcases destinations, hospitality offerings and service providers from across the globe.
Akwaaba being at EMITT represented a strategic outreach by the Lagos-based travel market, which has been instrumental in promoting Africa’s diversity of destinations, aviation links and tourism products since 2005. Akwaaba’s participation at EMITT marked a deliberate effort to introduce Africa’s travel opportunities to Eurasian and Middle Eastern markets while fostering new partnerships with international tour operators, travel agencies, airlines and destination promoters.
“Akwaaba came to EMITT to extend its reach and build partnerships. We signed a partnership for our Medical Tourism Expo and networked the travel trade here. We have attended Travel Expos in London, UK, Germany, Spain, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Now we have added Turkey to our list,” said organizer of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Amb. Ikechi Uko.
Organized by Nigerian tourism development expert Amb. Ikechi Uko, Akwaaba has grown from its Lagos roots into a continental platform with broad international engagement, enabled by collaborations with global travel bodies and thousands of stakeholders over its two-decade history.
EMITT’s global stage, with tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of exhibitors from more than 30 countries, provided an ideal forum for Akwaaba to position Nigeria and Africa as vibrant and emerging tourism frontiers. Hosted at the TÜYAP Fair & Congress Center, EMITT combines country pavilions, destination showcases and business networking opportunities designed to generate cross-border tourism flows and collaborative ventures.
At the Istanbul event, Akwaaba’s presence underscored Africa’s readiness for deeper integration into the global tourism market, showcasing cultural experiences, travel business opportunities and business-to-business cooperation possibilities. Organisers emphasised the importance of connecting African tourism with markets in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, noting that collaborations forged at global fairs like EMITT can facilitate new air connections, packaged tours and investment in travel infrastructure. During the 29th EMITT Tourism Fair, Akwaaba was represented by Amb. Ikechi Uko and Deborah Olukayode Chimezie.
The debut aligns with Akwaaba’s ongoing strategy to extend beyond its traditional West African base. Earlier expansions included participation in the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE), where the market engaged with East African stakeholders and reinforced its continental vision.
