Creatives Connect Afrika returns to Accra to drive entertainment-led tourism

Creatives Connect Afrika will return to Accra from 30th November to 3rd December 2026 for its second edition, focusing on how entertainment can drive tourism growth and economic opportunities across Africa.

The AfCFTA Tourism, Creatives and Cultural Industries Forum and Festival will bring together policymakers, tourism leaders, creatives, investors, entertainment executives and entrepreneurs from across Africa and the diaspora.

The 2026 edition is planned to take place at Alisa Hotel North Ridge in Accra under the theme “Entertainment-Led Tourism: Transforming Pan-African Creative Wealth into Global Economic Influence”.

The event is convened by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in collaboration with Africa Tourism Partners (ATP) and the Black Star Experience (BSE).

From creative industries to entertainment-led tourism

The second edition broadens the conversation beyond individual creative sectors to examine the growing relationship between entertainment and tourism.

Across the world, music festivals, film productions, sporting events, fashion weeks, cultural festivals, wellness experiences and digital content increasingly influence travel decisions and shape destination perceptions. Africa is well positioned to capitalise on this trend, with its music, film, fashion, sports, cultural and digital creative industries attracting growing international audiences and commercial interest.

The Forum and Festival will examine how this momentum can translate into increased tourist arrivals, stronger destination brands, new investment opportunities, employment and greater participation in continental trade in services.

By bringing tourism and entertainment stakeholders together, the gathering aims to identify opportunities for developing marketable experiences that connect Africa’s creative output with destination promotion, hospitality, transport and other tourism services.

The event builds on the inaugural 2025 edition, held under the theme “Lights, Camera, Trade: Unlocking Africa’s Film, Fashion and Music Creative Industries under the AfCFTA”.

That gathering brought together policymakers, tourism authorities, filmmakers, musicians, fashion designers, investors, development partners and creatives, generating recommendations on market access, mobility, investment, intellectual property protection, financing and regulatory cooperation.

Four days of policy, business and culture

The 2026 programme will combine high-level policy dialogue with business, investment and cultural experiences.

The opening day will feature an AfCFTA Trade in Services Masterclass, closed-door technical sessions and a Tourism Boards and Regulators Roundtable. The second and third days will focus on high-level policy dialogues and panel discussions.

Alongside the policy programme, a Film, Animation and Creative Content Festival will showcase animation and stop-motion productions, creative storytelling and digital content, while providing opportunities for discussions on film tourism, location marketing, content distribution and networking among filmmakers and producers.

A Music, Sports and Entertainment Tourism Showcase will explore the role of live entertainment, sporting events and music in destination development.

Wellness activities will highlight opportunities in wellness and lifestyle tourism, including yoga, mindfulness, fitness and related experiences.

The programme will also feature exhibitions, cultural and entertainment showcases, business matchmaking and an investment forum designed to connect destinations, businesses, creatives, investors and development partners.

By strengthening the links between tourism, hospitality, transport, sports, film, music, fashion, events, digital services and cultural industries, the Forum and Festival will seek to promote integrated African value chains and expand opportunities for intra-African trade.

Despite the rapid growth of Africa’s entertainment ecosystem, significant barriers remain. These include limited access to finance, fragmented markets, restrictions on the movement of creative professionals, inadequate infrastructure, skills gaps and the limited commercialisation of cultural and creative assets.

The Forum and Festival will focus not only on celebrating Africa’s creative excellence but also on identifying practical solutions relating to investment, mobility, market access, regulation, intellectual property and cross-border collaboration.

The AfCFTA provides a continental framework for advancing trade in services and strengthening cooperation between African markets. Through policy dialogue, business engagement and cultural showcases, Creatives Connect Afrika aims to help stakeholders identify ways to translate the continent’s creative potential into sustainable economic opportunities.

Expected outcomes include new partnerships between tourism and entertainment stakeholders, enhanced investment prospects, increased visibility for African destinations and practical recommendations to strengthen tourism and entertainment services under the AfCFTA.

Ahead of the main event, continental roadshows and promotional launches will be held in selected African cities to build participation, strengthen partnerships and raise awareness of the opportunities presented by entertainment-led tourism.

Creatives Connect Afrika is the AfCFTA Tourism, Creatives and Cultural Industries Forum and Festival, a continental platform convened under the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Services to advance entertainment-led tourism, trade in services, investment, cultural exchange and collaboration across Africa.

The inaugural edition was held in 2025 under the theme “Lights, Camera, Trade”. The second edition expands the platform’s focus to explore how entertainment can become a strategic driver of tourism growth, destination development and economic transformation across the continent.