The Africa Tourism Investment Conference (ATIC) will return to Cape Town on April 14 next year as part of World Travel Market (WTM) Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Produced in partnership with JLL Africa, the event will again be led by Conference Director Gillian Saunders and will feature a full-day programme focused on sustainable tourism investment and cross-sector collaboration across the continent.
“Investment is the lifeblood of transformational tourism,” said Saunders. “ATIC goes beyond traditional conferencing. We’re connecting key role players including governments, banks, DFIs, developers and private capital across the tourism value chain – all aligned around one goal: unlocking the power of Africa’s tourism sector.”
ATIC 2026 will feature a lineup of high-level speakers including:
- Tim Harris, Economic Development Advisor and former CEO of Wesgro
- Kelvin Watt, Chairman of Nielsen Sports SA
- Paul Jordaan, Executive Director and Co-Founder of ENVI Lodges
- Daniel Silke, Director of Political Futures Consulting
- Paul Gardiner, Director of Mantis Group and Founder of Terra Nova Create
- John Gibson, CEO of Chobe Holdings
Speakers will address topics ranging from sports tourism monetisation to eco-lodge development, public-private partnerships and regional investment models.
What to expect
The premium, paid-entry conference will include deep-dive panel discussions, access to the WTM Africa exhibition floor and data-driven market insights.
“The African tourism investment conversation is no longer peripheral; it’s central to the continent’s economic development,” said Megan de Jager, Portfolio Director: Travel, Tourism and RX Africa. “ATIC provides the platform where deals are sparked, feasibility is debated and impact-driven investment takes root.”
