Uganda held the inaugural Africa Destination Celebrations Conference and Expo (ADCCE) 2026 in Kampala on October 12 and 13 at Speke Resort Convention Centre in Munyonyo. The two-day gathering brought event planners and tourism stakeholders from across Africa, Europe and Asia, including delegates from Nigeria, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Romania and India. The conference aimed to connect African destinations and service providers to international markets under the theme "Africa Unveils Events in the Wild."
Jackline Nanteza, founder and chief executive officer of ADCCE, said the initiative was designed to broaden Africa's image in the global tourism and events industry. She questioned why international celebrations continue to favour destinations such as Bali and Paris when African countries offer diverse landscapes, cultures and hospitality. Nanteza said Africa's events, tourism, hospitality and creative industries often operate independently, limiting their international visibility and ability to compete for business.
For Uganda, attracting more international events could diversify tourism earnings beyond wildlife safaris and leisure travel. Destination weddings and conferences could generate business across aviation, accommodation, transport, catering, photography, entertainment, event planning and tour operations. Christine Ogbeh, an event planner and founder of Quoram Africa, stressed that Africa's natural beauty alone would not guarantee success unless service providers delivered quality experiences. She argued that destination events should offer visitors unique experiences rather than simply reproducing familiar hotel settings in a different location.
Nanteza said the initiative's success would depend on the commercial relationships it creates beyond the conference itself. She stated that success would be measured not only by attendance but by the businesses created, markets opened and relationships sustained. ADCCE's broader ambition is to establish a rotating continental platform that strengthens African destinations' visibility in the global events industry.