Sunday 1 November 2026 · Hilton London Canary Wharf
Africa Takes the Stage in London
From the dunes of Sossusvlei to the rooftops of Marrakech, the Africa Tourism Awards honour the people, places and brands redefining travel across the continent. Join us for the gala where Africa's tourism leaders, storytellers and investors meet.
Transparent & Trusted
A Credibility Model You Can Trust
Our weighted scoring system ensures balanced, independent, and transparent results.
40%
Judges Panel
Industry experts score nominees against structured criteria
40%
Balearica Awards College
Distinguished tourism professionals provide independent assessment
20%
Public Vote
Verified public votes ensure community recognition
70+ Categories
Award Categories
Recognising excellence across every sector of African tourism.
Luxury Hotel of the Year
Hospitality
Tourism Board of the Year
Destination
International Airline of the Year
Transport & Travel Services
Responsible Tourism Initiative of the Year
Destination
Cultural Destination of the Year
Destination
Tourism Personality of the Year
Industry Icons
The Process
How It Works
From nomination to the awards ceremony — a rigorous, transparent journey.
Nominations Open
Submit nominations across 30+ categories recognising tourism excellence across Africa.
Top 10 Shortlisting
The 10 most-supported nominees per category advance to the shortlist.
Verification & Assessment
Our team verifies eligibility, legitimacy, and operational standards of each shortlisted nominee.
Final Voting
Judges (40%), Balearica Awards College (40%), and Public (20%) cast weighted votes.
Awards Ceremony
Winners are announced at a prestigious ceremony celebrating African tourism excellence.
The Continent's Stage for Tourism Excellence
The Africa Tourism Awards, also known as The Balearica Awards, celebrate excellence across Africa's tourism, travel and hospitality industry. We honour the hotels, airlines, destinations, guides, creators and visionaries showing the world what Africa has always known: there is nowhere quite like it.
Our inaugural gala on 2 November 2025 at Hilton London Canary Wharf brought tourism boards, airlines, hotels, tour operators, media and industry icons from across Africa and the diaspora under one roof. This year, we return bigger, with 33 categories and more than 250 finalists from over 30 countries.
54 Countries. One Unforgettable Story.
Africa is home to the world's greatest wildlife migration, its oldest civilisations, its longest river and some of its most beautiful coastline. Yet the continent welcomes only about 5% of global tourist arrivals.
That gap is the opportunity. Every award we present is a signal to the world's travellers, airlines and investors: look here. Book here. Build here.
Celebrate
We honour excellence across the full tourism value chain, from the lodge to the airline to the storyteller.
Promote
We put African destinations in front of global travellers, starting with Africans and the diaspora.
Connect
We bring together the decision-makers who shape where Africa's tourism goes next.
In Good Company
Put your brand in front of Africa's tourism decision-makers.
Save The Date
The Balearica Awards gala begins in
London • November 2026
Industry Voices
What Leaders Say
"Africa Tourism Awards brings the visibility and credibility our continent's tourism industry deserves on the world stage."
Ola Wright
CEO, West Africa Tourism Organisation
"It was a beautifully organised event attended by the movers and shakers of the industry from all across Africa."
Allan Njoroge
Acting CEO, Kenya Tourism Board
"The awards recognise excellence in the development of tours and hospitality and very importantly, investment in African tourism."
Paul Hoskins
Director, International Tourism Investment Corporation
Ready to Celebrate African Tourism Excellence?
Whether you're nominating, voting, sponsoring, or attending — be part of the movement recognising Africa's finest.