Rwanda is ready to host the 66th International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress in October 2027, bringing the prestigious flagship event back to the African continent for the first time in over 23 years.
According to Janet Karemera, CEO of the Rwanda Convention Bureau, international event organisers have operated under outdated assumptions regarding the continent’s infrastructure and logistics, and the 2027 congress is a prime opportunity to rewrite the business events narrative.
“We still face a lot of misconceptions about the continent. Our goal in hosting the 2027 ICCA Congress is to showcase (our capabilities), proving that Rwanda is a destination you can confidently take a bet on to host a world-class event,” she stated during a press conference at IMEX Frankfurt 2026.
To illustrate this evolution, Karemera pointed to Rwanda’s own transformation on the IMEX floor. Twelve years ago, the nation debuted with a single booth occupied solely by the convention bureau. Today, that footprint has expanded into a larger delegation of 14 local professional conference organisers (PCOs), backed by infrastructure such as the 6,000-capacity Kigali Convention Centre, 10,000-seat BK Arena, and a brand-new international airport slated to open in 2028.
To ensure a frictionless congress, Rwanda offers visas on arrival for all travellers, while citizens of the African Union, the Commonwealth, and Francophonie countries enter completely visa-free with all fees waived. This open-door strategy is supported by major carriers including Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, KLM, and Brussels Airlines.
Aside from ensuring ICCA Congress 2027 is “accessible for everyone”, Karemera emphasised that the bureau’s focus is to ensure the programme will be “inclusive for all”, while making sure that African voices and destinations will also be well represented.
The economic impact of the Congress is also expected to give a boost to the country’s bleisure sector. While typical business conferences last two to three days, international delegates that head to Rwanda usually extend their stays to an average of four or five days to experience the country’s leisure offerings. This includes canopy walks, Africa’s longest ziplines, and luxury safaris.
“A lot of people don’t know that Rwanda has literally the Big Five. They think only Tanzania or Kenya, but you can also see it in Rwanda while you’re there,” she said.
