World Travel Market (WTM) Africa 2026 delivered the largest and most internationally diverse edition to date, 13-15 April, at CTICC in Cape Town. The show attracted 8,000 trade professionals from 63 countries.

Fifteen countries sent buyers for the show for first time, including Jamaica, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Pakistan, Denmark and Portugal. Crucially, 81% of hosted buyers and Buyers Club members were entirely new to WTM Africa.

On the exhibitor side, Angola, Cyprus, Djibouti, Jordan, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and the UAE all joined for the first time. Exhibitor numbers grew to 780, drawn from 40 countries and a total of 13,500 appointments were confirmed, a 35% increase on last year.

Carol Weaving, managing director of show organiser RX Africa, said: “Africa Travel Week has evolved into a powerful in person event where technology handles the heavy lifting, and humans focus on the relationship building that defines this industry. Our people are our superpower.”

The tangible economic value of the connections made at the event was highlighted by Alderman James Vos, who noted that Cape Town’s international flights have surged to over 230 per week, with tourism now supporting over 106,000 jobs in the city.

“As a City government, we made a deliberate decision to host WTM Africa,” Vos said during his opening address. “It is an investment that delivers real economic returns… It translates into future bookings, sustained demand, and long-term growth. Tourism is a team sport. When travellers choose South Africa, they are choosing an experience that no single destination can deliver alone.”

Beyond the exhibition floor, WTM Africa 2026 features a content programme of 101 speakers across 82 curated sessions, spanning travel tech, responsible tourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism, golf tourism, and sports and events tourism. The Africa Tourism Investment Conference (ATIC), took place on 14 April, bringing together investors, policymakers, and tourism leaders to interrogate the continent’s infrastructure ambitions and investment pipeline.

“Africa, the time is now, and the growth is palpable,” added Weaving.