Fresh ideas and practical strategies for hospitality businesses dominated the programme at this week’s Hospitality Exchange (HX), an annual conference hosted by the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) for more than 300 hotel owners, operators, technology partners and government agency stakeholders.
Resonating with HX 2026’s theme, Hospitality the Next Bound, Kenneth Li, president of SHA, emphasised that the world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and so are guest expectations.
In his welcome address, Li said: “Guests today are more connected and informed than ever, and that tells us plainly that doing more of the same is no longer good enough. We need to adapt to the changing tourism landscape and stay nimble to remain competitive. Hence, the SHA Hospitality Exchange is positioned to help hotels do just that by sparking ideas and conversations that outlast the day and to change the status quo.”
Guest of honour, Gan Siow Huang, minister of state, Ministry of Trade and Industry & Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted in her opening address that Singapore welcomed 9.8 million international visitors in the first half of 2026 and generated S$8.6 billion (US$6.8 million) in tourism receipts in the first quarter, but cautioned that moderating global growth, geopolitical tensions, and increasingly discerning travellers are intensifying competition among destinations.
As the sector works towards the Tourism 2040 vision, she called for hotels to keep creating exceptional visitor experiences, highlighting examples such as Swissôtel The Stamford’s new Disney-themed dining concept at Skai restaurant and Changi Airport Group’s Off-Airport Check-In service for Singapore Airlines travellers staying at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore and Marina Bay Sands.
Gan also highlighted initiatives that would help Singapore hotels to go further in delighting their guests.
From November 1, 2026, hotels will gain access to a new hotel-specific Digital Concierge category under Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE for Productivity scheme (previously Productivity Solutions Grant), alongside Singapore Tourism Board’s upcoming service quality masterclasses with quality assurance institutions. To this end, the Singapore Tourism Board and SHA will also roll out a series of service excellence training programmes for the industry.
Besides insightful presentations and panels, HX 2026 also presented the Workforce Transformation Award to Hilton International Asia Pacific. The award, jointly conferred by the Workforce Development Agency and SHA, recognises hotels that have shown outstanding commitment to job transformation and human capital development through job redesign, reskilling, and career health initiatives.
