The Nairobi Spotlight Travel Expo concluded on Thursday at the PrideInn Azure Conference Centre in Westlands, drawing over 400 travel professionals, more than 50 exhibitors, and dozens of destination and airline representatives for two days of intensive business networking, knowledge sharing, and partnership building. The two-day forum featured back-to-back business-to-business meetings, product showcases, and prize draws, with participation from travel agents across Kenya, including delegations from Kisumu and Eldoret.
The event, held on February 4 and 5, 2026, marked the return of one of East Africa’s longest-running travel trade platforms and signalled renewed confidence in the region’s tourism and aviation sectors. Founded in 2005, the Spotlight series has grown into a recognised fixture on the African tourism calendar, having staged over 150 editions in more than 15 African cities and connecting thousands of travel professionals annually over the past two decades.
New Venue, Strong Turnout
This year’s Nairobi edition debuted at PrideInn Azure, a move widely viewed by participants as a reflection of the city’s expanding hospitality and conferencing capacity. Organisers reported strong attendance, with more than 50 exhibitors and over 400 trade visitors participating across the two-day programme.
Exhibitors began setting up from early morning on the opening day before trade registration commenced at 8:30 a.m., followed by continuous business-to-business sessions, destination showcases, and product briefings running through the afternoon. Prize draws and networking lunches added an informal touch to the otherwise intensive commercial engagements.
Notably, members of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) travelled from across the country to attend the Expo, with delegations arriving from cities including Kisumu and Eldoret. Their presence underscored the national significance of the event and highlighted the growing interest among regional travel agencies in accessing international suppliers and new market opportunities.
Participants from outside Nairobi cited the Expo as a rare opportunity to engage directly with global travel brands, airlines, and hospitality groups without leaving the country.
Building Business Linkages
The Expo brought together a wide cross-section of the travel value chain, including travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, hotel groups, destination marketing organisations, and travel technology firms. Structured networking sessions enabled delegates to hold one-on-one meetings aimed at forming new partnerships and strengthening existing commercial ties.
Industry participants noted that the Spotlight platform remains particularly valuable for small and medium-sized agencies seeking direct access to international suppliers and emerging travel solutions.
KATA Reaffirms Partnership
The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) maintained a visible presence throughout the Expo, reaffirming its long-standing collaboration with the Spotlight platform and formally renewing its partnership agreement with the event organisers. KATA officials used the forum to engage members, partners, and prospective stakeholders while highlighting ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening the travel agency sector and expanding professional development opportunities for agents across the country.
The association commended Spotlight founder Derek Houston and his team for sustaining the series for more than two decades, noting its consistent role in creating practical business linkages for Kenyan travel professionals. KATA Chief Executive Officer Nicanor Sabula described Spotlight as an essential bridge between international travel brands and the Kenyan travel trade, providing agencies with broader access to global suppliers, fresh industry insights, and new commercial opportunities. He added that the renewed partnership is expected to further enhance agent participation, deepen collaboration with international exhibitors, and enrich the knowledge-sharing components of future Expo editions.
Timely Boost for Recovery
The Expo’s return comes as Kenya’s travel industry continues to experience steady recovery momentum, supported by rising outbound and regional travel demand. Travel agents attending the event reported growing interest in leisure, corporate, and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) bookings — trends industry observers expect to accelerate through the year.
With a second Nairobi Spotlight edition already scheduled for September, stakeholders expressed optimism that the series will further cement the capital’s status as a regional hub for tourism commerce and professional exchange, reinforcing Kenya’s position in the evolving African tourism landscape.
