Singapore Tourism Awards 2026 Honours 24 Outstanding Individuals and Organisations Driving Tourism Excellence

Singapore, 8 July 2026 – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) celebrated the best of Singapore's tourism sector at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2026, recognising 24 outstanding individuals and organisations for their exceptional contributions to experience excellence and enterprise innovation. The ceremony was held at Shangri-La Singapore, with Guest of Honour Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, gracing the occasion.

Seven recipients were honoured with Top Awards, while 17 recipients¹ were selected from 67 finalists² across the categories of Tourism Star, Experience Excellence (Leisure/MICE), and Enterprise Excellence. The Awards celebrate the individuals and organisations raising the bar for Singapore's tourism sector, supporting Singapore’s vision as a must-visit destination that delivers meaningful and memorable experiences for visitors.

STB’s Chief Executive Ms Melissa Ow said, "Congratulations to all the recipients and finalists of the Singapore Tourism Awards 2026. The Singapore Tourism Awards is a celebration of the people and organisations who bring Singapore's tourism story to life. This year's recipients and finalists exemplify dedication, bold thinking and a genuine desire to create the best possible experience for our visitors to enjoy. Their efforts elevate not just the standing of their organisations, but the entire sector, and strengthen Singapore's reputation as a world-class destination. STB is proud to recognise their achievements and will continue to partner with them as we write tourism’s next chapter together.”

Top Awards

Representing the pinnacle of the Singapore Tourism Awards, the five Top Awards saw seven recipients celebrated for their dedication to building the tourism sector and contributing to Singapore's pursuit of quality tourism towards 2040.

The Hakodate Singapore Society (HSS) and the late Mr Masaru Yanagisawa were conferred the Awards’ highest accolade, the Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism, in recognition of over three decades of dedication to strengthening ties between Singapore and Hakodate, Japan. Mr Yanagisawa served as STB's Honorary Tourism Consul from 1993 until his passing in 2007, championing initiatives that deepened tourism cooperation, most memorably leading a chartered flight of 200 HSS members to Singapore during the SARS crisis in 2003 in a show of solidarity with the tourism industry. HSS has continued his legacy, organising 30 study trips for past Singapore Tourism Awards recipients and sustaining the people-to-people ties he worked so hard to build.

Mr Suen Tat Yam and Mr Byron Jevan Koh were presented with the Outstanding Tourism Entrepreneur award for transforming Woopa Group from a start-up into one of Singapore's leading experience-based tourism operators over the past decade, expanding into four business entities serving a wide range of visitors. Early adopters of technology-driven innovation, they introduced Singapore's first digitally gamified tour and championed the use of AI and immersive storytelling to elevate visitor experiences, shifting perceptions of tour operators from traditional service providers to experience innovators.

Mr Richard Ireland was presented with the Best Business Event Champion award for his transformative contributions to Singapore's MICE industry since taking the helm at the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) in October 2021. Under his leadership, he spearheaded the Singapore MICE Sustainability Roadmap and Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification, the first such framework to achieve Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s recognition. He was also instrumental in launching the Singapore MICE Development initiative to address workforce challenges and build talent pipelines. Through thought leadership and international partnerships, Mr Ireland has strengthened Singapore's standing as a leading global hub for business events.

ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands took home the Special Recognition award as it celebrates its 15^th anniversary, in recognition of its pivotal role in strengthening Singapore's cultural and experiential landscape as a leading institution at the intersection of art, science, technology and culture. Its permanent exhibition, teamLab Future World, has attracted close to five million visitors since 2016, while newer presentations such as The World of Studio Ghibli and SingaPop! reflect the Museum's continued evolution in multidisciplinary storytelling. The 2025 launch of ArtScience Laboratory marked a new chapter, introducing Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM)-driven programmes designed to spark curiosity among students, educators and families.

Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG) earned the Outstanding Employer award in recognition of its exemplary approach to workforce development across its world-renowned wildlife parks and nature-themed attractions, including the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Bird Paradise, Rainforest Wild Adventure and Exploria. With over 1,000 employees, MWG has cultivated an employee-centric workplace through progressive practices including competency-based pay, clear career pathways, and cross-departmental initiatives to enhance productivity.

Tourism Star

Five customer service professionals from across the tourism industries were recognised for delivering distinctive and compelling customer experiences. The Tourism Star recipients are Mr Loh Tah Min Raymond, Senior Tram Captain at Mandai Wildlife Group (Attractions); Mr Justin Wee, Assistant Head Sommelier at Butcher's Block, Raffles Singapore (Food and Beverage); Ms Chong Yoon Hiong Kelly, Guest Experience Lead at Equarius Hotel (Hotels); Ms Jenny Lee, Retail Executive at Mount Faber Leisure Group (Retail); and Ms Yeo Yen Ping, Tourist Guide at Monster Day Tours, Woopa Group (Tourist Guiding).

Experience Excellence

Nine businesses were honoured for reimagining the customer experience and delivering service excellence in innovative ways across the Leisure and MICE industries.

Leisure

Belimbing received the Outstanding Food and Beverage Experience award for its elevated take on modern Singaporean cuisine. Led by chef Marcus Leow, the restaurant weaves Southeast Asian storytelling into the dining experience, complemented by a commitment to sourcing local produce and employing fermentation techniques to minimise waste.

The Coastal Life Boat Tour: Taste of the Straits offered by Let’s Go Tour Singapore received the Outstanding Tour Experience award for delivering a unique and meaningful visitor experience that shines a light on lesser-seen aspects of Singapore's heritage and coastal life. Distinguished by strong storytelling, deep subject knowledge and rare access to working maritime spaces and traditional kelong life, the tour offers visitors a tangible connection to Singapore's disappearing coastal traditions.

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport received the Outstanding Hotel Experience award for delivering experiences that respond to evolving traveller expectations while keeping the human touch central to the guest experience. The hotel blends immersive themed experiences with thoughtful technology integration, including digital check-in/check-out, robotics and dynamic manpower scheduling that has achieved savings of at least five full-time equivalent roles.

Jurassic World: The Experience received the Outstanding Attraction Experience award for integrating a blockbuster entertainment IP into a living, breathing botanical environment. Through its creative use of animatronics, puppetry, lighting, sound and projection, the attraction delivers a fully immersive setting while weaving in educational narratives on palaeobotany, extinction and ecosystems.

The World of Studio Ghibli received the Outstanding Leisure Event and Experience award for delivering an authentic and immersive experience that balances entertainment with education, reflecting Studio Ghibli's core themes of wonder, nature and storytelling. The exhibition has become one of the top three most visited at ArtScience Museum since the Museum’s opening in 2011.

WEAVE at Resorts World Sentosa received the Outstanding Retail Experience award for its distinctive lifestyle enclave bringing together retail, dining and nature. Home to an impressive collection of global and regional firsts, WEAVE is set within a landscape of striking biophilic design, with cascading greenery, innovative cooling systems and asymmetrical shopfronts creating a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.

MICE

CloserStill Media received the Outstanding Event Organiser award for delivering Tech Week Singapore, a tradeshow experience that stayed current with shifts in the tech industry, utilising innovative digital tools including Asia's first 3D interactive floorplan. The organisation also demonstrated strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, partnering with organisations such as Women in Data Centers and the Nomad Futurist Foundation to broaden access to senior-level conversations within the data centre industry.

Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre received the Outstanding Event Venue Experience award for demonstrating that a world-class venue is more than just a backdrop. Through its hosting of TOKEN2049, MBS brought together meeting spaces, accommodation, entertainment and dining into a truly integrated experience, with wellness zones and collaborations with beloved local hawkers showcasing the best of Singapore's food culture. MBS is also Singapore's first fully carbon-offset venue, achieving triple-platinum certifications in global sustainability standards and the Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification at the Gold tier.

SEMICON Southeast Asia 2025 received the Outstanding Business Event award for delivering a thoughtfully curated exhibition and seamless attendee experience. Thematic zones and flexible multipurpose layouts accommodated conference, networking and engagement activities without compromising on quality, while a rich programme of ancillary events and workshops addressing climate change in the semiconductor supply chain set the experience apart.

Enterprise Excellence

Three organisations were recognised for their bold marketing campaigns, innovative thinking and commitment to sustainability.

Marina Bay Sands received the Outstanding Business Innovation award for being among the first in the world to deploy swarm robotics technology within a large-scale integrated resort. The technology has taken over routine delivery tasks across the property, significantly reducing reliance on manual labour while freeing staff to focus on delivering better guest experiences.

Rainforest Wild Adventure (Mandai Wildlife Group) received the Outstanding Marketing Idea award for its ‘Choose Your Wild’ campaign, which captured imaginations and drove strong visitor interest in Singapore's newest wildlife attraction. Brought to life through eye-catching out-of-home installations and strategic partnerships, the campaign made a splash both locally and internationally, surpassing key visitor targets within its first three months.

Sentosa Development Corporation received the Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability award for its wide-ranging efforts to make Sentosa a greener and more inclusive destination. These span growing the island's use of renewable energy and protecting its natural habitats, to making its beaches more accessible and giving back to the community through Sentosa Cares Week.

Please refer to:

• Annex A for the full list of award recipients and finalists of the Singapore Tourism Awards 2026.

• Annex B for citations for the Top Awards recipients of the Singapore Tourism Awards 2026.

Photo highlights from the awards ceremony will be available here from 8 July 2026, 2200. Please credit the images to: Singapore Tourism Board.

¹Finalists were selected through a rigorous assessment process involving evaluations by a panel of distinguished judges, mystery audits and behavioural interviews.

²Finalists were selected by STB from nominations submitted by businesses and stakeholders, based on their achievements in 2024 and 2025.

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About the Singapore Tourism Awards

Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Singapore Tourism Awards brings together Singapore's tourism sector to celebrate individuals and organisations that best deliver exceptional experiences and achieve enterprise excellence. Held biennially, the Awards is an integral part of STB's efforts to raise the Singapore tourism sector's competitiveness and service quality by motivating organisations and individuals to create compelling experiences or adopt best practices. For more information, visit https://www.stb.gov.sg/events/singapore-tourism-awards/

About the Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore’s key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, we shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. We bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions.