Twenty-four outstanding individuals and organisations were honoured for their exceptional contributions to experience excellence and enterprise innovation in Singapore at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2026 yesterday evening.
Singapore Tourism Board’s chief executive Melissa Ow said 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”.
She credited them for elevating Singapore’s tourism industry and strengthening the country’s reputation as a world-class destination.
The Singapore Tourism Awards’ paramount recognition, the Top Awards, honoured seven recipients who were instrumental in Singapore’s pursuit of quality tourism towards 2040.
The Hakodate Singapore Society and the late 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.
Suen Tat Yam and 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. 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.
ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands took home the Special Recognition award, 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.
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. 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.
The Singapore Tourism Awards also recognised three organisations under the Enterprise Excellence category, applauding them for their bold marketing campaigns, innovative thinking and commitment to sustainability. The winners were Marina Bay Sands (Outstanding Business Innovation), MWG’s Rainforest Wild Adventure (Outstanding Marketing Idea), and Sentosa Development Corporation (Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability).
Five customer service professionals were recognised for delivering distinctive and compelling customer experiences as well as nine businesses for reimagining the customer experience and delivering service excellence in innovative ways across the Leisure and MICE industries.
