By Onyekachi Victoria Philip
Africa’s young population is one of the continent’s greatest resources, and the future of its tourism industry will depend largely on how well young people are prepared to participate in it.
This is another important dimension of the upcoming East-West Africa Amalgamation through Tourism, Trade and Creative Arts, taking place from September 15 to 23, 2026, in Addis Ababa and Wolaita Soddo, Ethiopia.
The programme recognises that tourism is not only about hotels, airlines and tourist attractions. It also creates opportunities for young people in areas such as entertainment, fashion, hospitality, transportation, photography, digital content, guiding, events and other creative businesses.
One of the initiatives connected to the programme is the Youth African Tourism Expedition (YATE), designed for young people between 18 and 40 years old.
YATE is built around practical experiences, including activities such as hiking, jet skiing, horse riding and mountain climbing. More importantly, experiences like these can expose young Africans to tourism beyond the traditional idea of sightseeing.
There is also Kamp Africa, targeted at younger participants between 10 and 18 years. Its activities include basket weaving, talking drums and African dance, creating an early connection between young people and African culture.
Together, these initiatives point to a wider idea where young Africans should not only be consumers of tourism. They can also become the people who create, promote and develop Africa’s tourism experiences.
A young person who learns about African culture today could become a cultural entrepreneur tomorrow. Another could turn an interest in travel into a tourism company, while someone else could use digital media to introduce African destinations to audiences around the world.
This makes youth participation important to the East-West conversation.
When young Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ethiopians and Kenyans interact, they are not simply sharing experiences. They are building relationships that can influence how the next generation sees the continent.
The September gathering therefore offers more than a meeting between businesses and institutions. It creates an opportunity for young Africans to see tourism as an industry in which they can build careers, businesses and long-term connections.
