TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference 2026 has drawn to a close in Singapore, marking a week of focused business engagement, industry insight and high-value networking for the global duty-free and travel retail community.
This year’s edition introduced a redesigned exhibition layout organised into distinct ‘Worlds’, aimed at improving navigation and enabling a more structured and efficient visitor journey. The concept grouped brands and partners into clearly defined sectors: World of Perfumes & Cosmetics, World of Fashion & Accessories, spanning electronics, travel accessories, gifts, toys, jewellery and watches, World of Wines & Spirits and World of Confectionery & Fine Food, alongside tobacco, as well as dedicated zones such as World of Innovation, Launchpad and Taste of the World.
Early feedback from exhibitors and visitors indicates that the format has enhanced product visibility, strengthened category-led merchandising and supported more targeted and productive meetings across the show floor, ‘The new category-led organisation brought a fresh dynamic to the fair, creating more focused conversations and stronger immersion within complementary brand universes. It also confirmed the growing role of gastronomy and premium food as powerful drivers of experience and differentiation in travel retail.’ Zeyneb Larabi, Global Travel Retail Advisor at Valrhona
Strong participation across all sectors and channels
The 2026 edition welcomed a total of 2,814 visitors from across Asia Pacific and beyond. This included visitors from a record 58 major airports, alongside representatives from major airlines and cruise lines, which collectively accounted for 10% of attendees, as well as both established and emerging duty-free and travel retail operators, representing 30% of visitors. Agents and distributors accounted for the largest share of attendees at 38%. The show welcomed a final count of 200 exhibitors spanning all major categories. Presenting new product launches, activations and retail concepts, the event featured a strong mix of established global leaders alongside 60 first-time exhibitors and emerging players, including 10 showcased in the Launchpad venue, reflecting both the scale and ongoing evolution of the Asia Pacific duty-free and travel retail market.
‘This is our first time exhibiting. We see this as a valuable opportunity to introduce our brand to professionals from the global duty free and travel retail industry, build new connections, establish partnerships, and expand our presence in the global travel retail market.’ Yoshikatsu Takeda, Director of the Global Business Department, Miki House
The exhibition floor sustained steady footfall throughout the event, while the ONE2ONE programme facilitated 955 pre-scheduled meetings, complemented by a significant number of informal meetings and spontaneous networking opportunities taking place across the show floor. ‘The quality of the meetings this year has been extremely positive, bringing together key industry leaders and creating valuable opportunities to strengthen relationships and explore new collaborations,’said Halil Anasoy, Head of Non-Aviation Commerce at Istanbul Airport.
Meanwhile, the Agora amphitheatre attracted 662 attendees for innovation-focused talks and pitch sessions, ‘One of the most encouraging aspects of this year’s TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference was the level of audience engagement throughout the event, particularly during the Agora sessions at World of Innovation. The conversations were dynamic, insightful and interactive, reflecting an industry eager to exchange ideas and embrace innovation.’ Franck Waechter, Managing Director, TFWA.
‘TFWA remains one of the most valuable meeting points for the global travel retail industry. It is inspiring to see the World of Innovation continue to grow and bring fresh ideas, technologies and perspectives that can give the industry the momentum it needs to evolve,’ says Lennard Niemann, Managing Partner, GHARAGE Ventures.
Networking remained a cornerstone of the event’s value, with the TFWA Asia Pacific Lounge welcoming a combined total of over 1,000 participants across Monday and Tuesday evenings. The event programme also included a full house of over 1000 guests at the Welcome Cocktail hosted at the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay and close to 450 guests for the elegant TFWA Speakeasy Closing Event at Alkaff Mansion.
Dedicated areas such as Launchpad continued to provide visibility for new-to-market brands and concepts, while the World of Innovation offered a focused platform for technology-led and data-driven retail solutions. Taste of the World served as a central hub for informal meetings and hospitality, integrating food & beverage into the broader commercial conversation.
Key insights from across the industry
The week opened with the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference which set a forward-looking agenda around the forces reshaping duty free and travel retail in the region. TFWA President Sarah Branquinho kicked off the conference with an inspiring keynote speech, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities ahead. She noted, ‘Beyond the headlines lie resilience, momentum and genuine opportunity, not least here in this diverse and dynamic region.’
Speakers highlighted Asia Pacific’s continued strategic importance, while underlining the need for adaptability in a climate shaped by geopolitical volatility, shifting traveller flows and changing consumer expectations. Sunil Tuli, President of APTRA, emphasised the importance of regional collaboration and advocacy to support sustainable growth, calling for stronger alignment between brands, retailers and airports across Asia Pacific’s diverse markets. Kishore Mahbubani provided a geopolitical perspective, underlining Asia’s growing influence on global travel and trade flows and urging the industry to adopt a long-term, resilient mindset amid ongoing uncertainty.
From a business and innovation standpoint, Professor Hyunjin Kim (INSEAD) stressed the need for travel retail to accelerate innovation-led strategies, leveraging data, technology and organisational agility to build more relevant, personalised and future-ready retail models. Completing the picture, chef Akira Back explored how food, hospitality and storytelling can elevate the passenger experience, reinforcing the role of emotion, authenticity and experience-led engagement in driving value and conversion.
A new chapter for the exhibition
Sarah Branquinho, marking her first show as TFWA President, has reflected:
‘This year’s TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference took place against a backdrop of significant geopolitical and economic uncertainty, with ongoing disruption to aviation, supply chains and traveler confidence across key markets. In that context, the strength of participation here in Singapore sends a clear signal about both the resilience of our industry and the strategic importance of the Asia Pacific region for the global industry. The evolution of the exhibition format through the ‘Worlds’ structure, focused on creating a more efficient, platform, one that enables clearer navigation, more targeted engagement and stronger commercial outcomes at a time when businesses need to be precise in how they connect and operate. What we have seen this week is encouraging. Despite external pressures, the fundamentals of our industry remain strong, and Asia Pacific continues to offer significant scale, growth and opportunity.’
TFWA extends its sincere thanks to all exhibitors, visitors and partners who contributed to the success of the 2026 event, including its host venue Marina Bay Sands, as well as supporting organisations and sponsors across the region, including: Changi Airport Group, the City of Singapore, the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau, China Duty Free Group, Avolta, Lindt, Mondelez, Qatar Duty Free, Heineken, Moutai, Liviko Crafter’s, Siberian Express Vodka by Solex Group, Herita Wines, Masi Agricola.
Plans are already underway for the next edition of the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference, which will return to Singapore from 9 to 13 of May 2027.
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