As geopolitics, concession changes and passenger dynamics reshape the region’s travel retail, TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference (10-14 May in Singapore) offers delegates the market intelligence needed to succeed.
Global travel retail’s engine room for over a decade, Asia is no stranger to change, but the speed at which this key region is evolving has accelerated. Major downtown and airport concessions changing hands in China as retailers jostle for position, larger passenger allowances in India that will boost an already fast-growing market, and innovation fuelled by AI and emerging technologies reinventing business processes along with the traveller experience. Making sense of these developments will determine who wins in this volatile environment. This is where TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference 2026 can help, with unique insights and informed analysis from expert speakers at the Conference and programme of timely workshops.
Crucial context
Opening the Conference, new TFWA President Sarah Branquinho will share her vision for the industry and its future in the region, after which APTRA President Sunil Tuli will update delegates on his association’s projects and advocacy initiatives. As first keynote speaker, former diplomat and Singaporean Ambassador to the UN Kishore Mahbubani will discuss how political currents and evolving alliances are altering the business landscape in Asia Pacific. The focus then shifts to innovation and the future-readiness of businesses, with INSEAD Strategy Professor Hyunjin Kim exploring the relationship between technology, value-creation and consumer expectations. And as the convergence between F&B and duty free gathers pace in airports worldwide, renowned chef Akira Back will reveal what culinary excellence can do to enhance the travel retail offer.
Targeted insights
Spread over two days at the new World of Innovation’s Agora amphitheatre, a programme of practical workshops tackles the major questions confronting the industry in Asia Pacific. On Tuesday, the AP Travel Retail Pulse (10:00-11:00 SGT) reviews the industry’s state of health in the region and assesses whether innovation can deliver sustained growth. Wednesday trains a spotlight on two must-win geographies, TFWA Market Watch: China (10:00-11:00) and TFWA Market Watch: India (15:00-16:00), with detailed updates on the latest developments in each.
