TIFA 2026 Concludes In New Orleans With More Than USD 550 Million In Investment Opportunities Showcased
Americas Edition brings 120+ delegates from Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Australia together under the theme “Global Shifts, African Momentum”; planning for TIFA 2027 is already under way
The Tourism Investment Forum Africa (TIFA) 2026 – Americas Edition has concluded in New Orleans, closing the first edition of the Forum ever held outside the African continent. Convened under the theme “Global Shifts, African Momentum,” the Forum brought together more than 120 delegates and 46 international speakers and presenters — government representatives, investors, development practitioners, tourism leaders, creative-economy stakeholders, infrastructure specialists and business executives — from the United States, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, The Gambia, Barbados, Jamaica, Australia and other Caribbean destinations.
A centrepiece of the programme was a series of Investment and Business Opportunity Pitch sessions, in which presenters showcased costed projects valued at more than USD 550 million across eco-tourism and wildlife tourism, hospitality, the heritage economy, water and environmental technologies, infrastructure, and film and screen-industry development. Dedicated business-to-business and business-to-government engagements ran alongside the sessions and have already generated tangible commercial leads.
The Forum at a Glance
- 120+ delegates across the three-day Forum programme
- 46 international speakers and presenters
- USD 550 million+ in costed investment opportunities showcased
- Four regions represented: Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Australia
A Shared Atlantic Ethos
A theme set early by a keynote address from the Honourable Ian Gooding-Edghill, Minister of Tourism, Barbados, echoed throughout the Forum. Speaking in a city where that shared history runs deep, the Minister pointed to New Orleans’ own Congo Square as a place where people of African descent preserved their music, traditions and identity across generations, and proposed an Atlantic Tourism and Investment Corridor linking Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora through travel, trade, culture and investment. New Orleans city leadership likewise emphasised the importance of building durable bridges between Africa, the United States and the Caribbean through trade, investment, tourism, arts and cultural exchange.
What the Forum Concluded
Day One focused on tourism, trade, investment, infrastructure and heritage-led development; the following days turned to film, television, screen production, storytelling and innovative financing for the creative economy. Across both strands, a consistent message emerged: Africa should be seen not as an emerging frontier but as a major global growth node.
Growth, not just risk. Delegates acknowledged that risk exists in every market, but stressed that strong local partnerships, sound governance and proper due diligence can deliver attractive long-term returns — and that investment models should increasingly serve growing domestic and regional markets, not exports alone.
Infrastructure as the enabler. Digital, water, energy, smart-city and tourism-support infrastructure were identified as preconditions for investment, with calls for cross-government coordination, public-private partnerships and long-term planning.
Heritage as an asset class. Sessions explored heritage conservation funding, adaptive reuse, community-owned enterprises and precinct development, with strong consensus that heritage can attract investment while preserving identity and memory.
Film, festivals and the visitor economy. Delegates examined what drives film-location decisions — incentives, permitting, studio infrastructure and local production capacity — and agreed that destinations backing productions should look beyond simple tourism metrics to local economic impact, community benefit, skills transfer and SME participation. Financing for the “new storytelling economy,” spanning streaming, mobile content creation, gaming, music and intellectual-property monetisation, drew particularly strong interest.
A new financing vehicle for African screen industries. Among the most significant moments was the presentation of the Pan African Film Fund, a new mechanism to support film production, studio infrastructure and distribution across Africa. Detailed funding criteria and application requirements are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.
From Dialogue to Deals
Several early-stage opportunities emerged from the Forum: expressions of interest in collaboration and equity participation in an eco-tourism investment, with NDA discussions initiated; supplier-agreement discussions between African and U.S.-based companies; and potential equity-participation discussions in an advanced-technology project showcased at the Forum. Organisers stress that these opportunities remain under development and will be tracked through follow-up engagement.
Recommendations
The Forum closed with a set of recommendations, including improved Africa–Caribbean air, maritime and business connectivity; community-benefit, local-procurement and ESG commitments for film and creative projects seeking destination support; formal cultural and creative exchange programmes with the global diaspora; cooperation among heritage institutions, museums and universities; accelerated public-private partnerships in tourism, energy, water, heritage and film infrastructure; and targeted business and investment missions to African markets during 2027 to convert interest generated at TIFA into executable transactions.
Partners
TIFA 2026 was delivered with the support of partners International Arts Foundation, Durban, Afri Core, Millvest Advisory, Global Chamber Johannesburg and IPX Exchange Inc.; media partners SABC Channel Africa, Africa.com, Business Events Africa, WeniGlam Travel Magazine and Voyages Afriq; Hilton Riverside Hotel as accommodation partner; and Delta Air Lines as airline partner.
Looking Ahead to TIFA 2027
Stakeholders expressed strong support for continuing and expanding the platform, and preparations for TIFA 2027 are already under way. Organisers are exploring ways to expand international participation, increase investment-promotion activity, deepen Africa–Caribbean engagement, strengthen creative-economy programming, and enhance structured business matchmaking so that current leads can be converted into bankable transactions and partnerships.
Mr Haimadu Baragi
Company: Eco Safar & Glamping
“”Tifa is more than just an event- it is a platform where solutions are created and where you can learn directly from experts around the world””
Mr Miller Matola
CEO, Millvest Advisory & Convenor of TIFA
“TIFA 2026 demonstrated that when tourism, heritage, trade, infrastructure and the creative economy are strategically aligned, they become powerful instruments for economic growth, cultural diplomacy and sustainable development. Africa is not merely an emerging opportunity but an increasingly important global growth node.”
About the Tourism Investment Forum Africa (TIFA)
TIFA is a pan-African platform for investment promotion, project visibility, and sector-driven collaboration across tourism, hospitality, creative industries, real estate, infrastructure, and business events. Previous editions were held in the Northern Cape (2023), Cape Town (2024), and Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal (2025). The 2026 Americas Edition in New Orleans, delivered in partnership with the International Arts Foundation and the City of New Orleans, was TIFA’s first outside Africa.