Rapidly changing technology in the travel and tourism industries will be among the many topics expanded upon at the second annual Pan African AI And Innovation Summit (PAAIS), taking place this fall in Accra, Ghana.
The five-star Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City Accra will host the two-day event from September 22 through September 23. The theme of this year’s event is “Scaling Africa’s Ethical AI And Innovation Ecosystem: Building Youth Capacity, Policy, Partnership And Skills.” AI is increasingly impacting travel and tourism, from how people plan trips to how businesses personalize customer experiences. And this year’s PAAIS reportedly plans to address those topics head-on.
Kwakye Donkor is an advisory member of PAAIS 2026 and CEO of African Tourism Partners, a South Africa–based consulting firm. According to Travel And Tour World, Donkor said, “Tourism is Africa’s competitive advantage, but AI is the equalizer.”
PAAIS 2026 will unpack a range of ways AI can positively transform travel experiences and hospitality across Africa. Some of those ways include empowering small businesses and local communities and making traveler data collection more ethical. Additionally, guests’ experiences can be enhanced through AI language translators, cross-border travel tools, and booking-focused virtual assistants.
“We are moving from generic sightseeing to high-value, AI-driven experiences that protect our assets and empower local communities,” Donkor reportedly added.
What Else Is There To Know About The Pan African AI & Innovation Summit?
The organizers of PAAIS 2026 anticipate welcoming over 1,000 attendees this year. Those guests will include AI startup founders, policymakers, data scientists, business titans, and venture capitalists. The two-day event will have over 45 speakers. The summit’s morning session will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. After an hour-long lunch break, the event will resume each day at 2 p.m. and continue through 5 p.m.
Attendees can expect a holistic dive into AI’s present and future across Africa and its regions. In addition to how AI will scale, and how that growth can utilize “Afrocentric” models, the event will explore how the ethics around the ever-evolving technology will advance. Additionally, PAAIS 2026’s goal is to empower the continent’s industry professionals with the information they need. Moreover, the event will provide a space to network, and it’ll showcase “youth-led AI innovation through live demos, solutions expo, and mentorship labs.”
Last September, the theme of the inaugural PAAIS gathering was “Harnessing AI To Enhance Productivity And Skills to Drive Growth Across Africa.”
