Benin set to host first African edition of Black Travel Summit in 2027
Black Travel Summit x Explore Benin
According to industry research by the Black Travel Alliance and MMGY Travel Intelligence, Black American leisure travellers took 184.12 million trips in 2023, generating an estimated USD145 billion in spending.
The Black Travel Summit (BTS), the gathering dedicated to advancing the interests and opportunities of Black and Afro-descendant professionals across the travel and tourism industry, has announced that Benin will host its 2027 edition in Cotonou. The surprise announcement was made at the Summit’s Black Travel Awards Gala on October 17 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and marks a historic milestone for the organisation. The reveal brings the Summit to the African continent for the first time and opens an exciting new chapter in its mission to connect the global Black travel community.
In partnership with Benin Tourism, the 2027 edition of the Black Travel Summit will bring together travel entrepreneurs, tourism leaders, hospitality professionals, travel advisors, content creators and other industry stakeholders from across Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe and beyond.
Following its first international edition in Rio de Janeiro in 2025 and its return to the United States in Milwaukee in 2026, the Summit’s arrival in Benin represents a significant step forward in its international expansion.
The partnership between Benin Tourism and the Black Travel Summit began taking shape at the 2025 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where representatives from Benin Tourism connected with the BTS team. What began as an international industry encounter developed into a shared vision of bringing the Summit to Africa. Following successful editions in major travel destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Summit’s arrival in Cotonou, Benin, marks a defining new chapter in its global expansion, connecting Africa and its diaspora through travel, culture, entrepreneurship and international business.
According to industry research by the Black Travel Alliance and MMGY Travel Intelligence, Black American leisure travellers took 184.12 million trips in 2023, generating an estimated USD145 billion in spending. This collaboration demonstrates how bringing industry stakeholders together can move beyond networking to inspire international partnerships, open doors to new markets and turn shared ambitions into concrete action.
The selection of Benin builds on this momentum, reinforcing the Summit’s commitment to creating opportunities that transcend borders and to connecting destinations, businesses and professionals who can benefit from working together. It also signals the next phase of BTS’s international growth: expanding its reach worldwide while building stronger bridges between the African continent and the global diaspora.
