Benin to Host the First African Edition of the Black Travel Summit in 2027

This landmark edition will bring the global Black travel community to the African continent for the first time.

The Black Travel Summit (BTS), the leading 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 organization. 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. The event will create a platform for meaningful cross-continental exchange, commercial collaboration and the development of lasting relationships that strengthen the global Black travel ecosystem.

Founded in the United States by Anita Moreau in 2019, the Black Travel Summit has rapidly grown into a platform for connection, visibility and economic opportunity across the Black travel industry. 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. More than a routine change of destination, it reflects an ambitious vision for a global industry in which Black travel professionals and entrepreneurs can connect across borders, access new markets and build shared prosperity.

From Rio to Cotonou: The Power of Global Connections

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.

The journey from an initial meeting in Rio to the announcement of Benin as the 2027 host destination illustrates the tangible potential of the cross-continental relationships BTS creates and nurtures as a key player in the global travel and tourism industry. According to industry research by the Black Travel Alliance and MMGY Travel Intelligence, Black American leisure travelers took 184.12 million trips in 2023, generating an estimated US$145 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.

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