Know Details About Our Conference
Theme
Africa in Motion
Date
28th June – 1st July 2026
Venue
Radisson Blu Mosi-Oa-Tunya, Livingstone Resort – Livingstone, Zambia.
Hosted by
Introduction
Following the resounding success of the 2025 AESATA Travel Agents' Conference in Harare and the official handover, AESATA is proud to announce Livingstone, Zambia as the host destination for the 2026 edition. AESATA 2026 represents a deliberate evolution of the conference model. More than a traditional industry gathering, it is a destination-driven, experience-led, and networking-powered convening designed to strengthen business relationships, amplify advocacy, and accelerate intra-Africa travel growth.
Set against the iconic backdrop of Victoria Falls, Livingstone offers a powerful metaphor for Africa's travel industry today; dynamic, resilient, and gaining momentum. It is where culture, adventure, policy, and opportunity intersect. AESATA 2026 will harness this energy to deliver a conference that is immersive, commercially relevant, and strategically impactful.
Know More About Aesata
The Association of Eastern and Southern Africa Travel Agents (AESATA) is a regional membership body uniting national travel agent associations from 13 countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Comoros, Somalia, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, South Africa, and Botswana. AESATA exists to provide a unified platform for addressing cross-border industry challenges, advocating for an enabling business environment, and representing the collective interests of African travel agents at regional and international forums.
AESATA serves as:
- A unified advocacy voice for travel agents in Eastern and Southern Africa
- A platform for cross-border collaboration and market integration
- A driver of intra-Africa travel, aviation liberalization, and policy harmonization
- A connector between the private sector, governments, airlines, and global partners
Through structured dialogue, conferences, and strategic partnerships, AESATA positions Africa as a continent marketed by Africans; for Africa and the world.
Background: the aesata conference journey
The AESATA Travel Agents’ Conference has rapidly grown into a leading regional convening for travel agents, aviation stakeholders, tourism boards, and policymakers.
2023
Zanzibar, Tanzania | Rebuilding the Foundation
Held under the theme “Rebuilding Sustainable and Resilient Travel Agencies in Africa,” the inaugural conference convened over 100 participants at a critical post-pandemic moment. The conference culminated in the Zanzibar Declaration, with commitments to sustainability, digital adoption, collaboration, advocacy, and intra-Africa travel promotion.
Progress achieved since Zanzibar:
- Stronger cooperation among AESATA member associations
- Increased focus on digital transformation and capacity building
- Elevated advocacy engagement at regional and international levels
Conference Sub Topics
- Moving People Across Africa - Connectivity, Visas & Policy in Practice: Exploring practical pathways to seamless intra-Africa travel, including air connectivity, visa facilitation, border efficiency, and regulatory alignment; turning policy intent into real movement of people, trade, and tourism
- Travel Agents as Market Movers - Driving Access, Trust & Demand: Repositioning travel agents as essential market makers who connect destinations to consumers, stimulate demand, and unlock new travel flows across Africa through distribution, expertise, and trusted relationships.
- Destinations in Motion - Competing, Collaborating & Packaging Africa: Examining how destinations can enhance competitiveness through collaboration, smart packaging, regional circuits, and differentiated experiences; moving beyond competition toward shared growth.
- The Movement of Value - Technology, Payments & Cross-Border Trade: Understanding how digital platforms, payment systems, data, and financial infrastructure enable seamless transactions, business scalability, and sustainable growth within Africa’s travel ecosystem.
- From Dialogue to Delivery - Turning Commitments into Measurable Impac: Focusing on accountability, partnerships, and execution; how the industry can track progress, implement resolutions, and ensure that conference conversations translate into tangible outcomes for agents, destinations, and travelers.
Delegate Value Proposition
AESATA 2026 is designed to deliver measurable commercial, professional, and experiential value. Delegates benefit from curated networking, market intelligence, destination immersion, advocacy engagement, and continental visibility — ensuring strong returns on participation.
Welcome Cocktail / High Tea with facilitated introductions
Sunset Cruise experience designed for relationship-building
The Secretariat is responsible for managing all of AESATA’s operations, communication, as well as the organization’s projects.
Program Overview
Day 1: Arrival & Welcome Networking
Guests arrive, settle in, and break the ice over curated networking sessions that set the tone for meaningful connections.
Day 2: Conference Sessions & Industry Dialogue
Day 3: Destination Immersion, Cultural Experiences, Gala Dinner and Closing Ceremony
Day 4: Departure
Participants
- Travel agency owners and executives
- National association leaders
- Airlines & aviation stakeholders
- Tourism boards & Ministries
- GDS, fin-tech, insurance & travel tech providers
- Hospitality brands
- International partners
Expected attendance: 200+ senior delegates from Africa and beyond, including;
