Fans worldwide can also access passes to the first MAMA FAN FESTA, held globally from 9 to 21 November at the Visa Presale registration

SINGAPORE, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Visa, a global leader in digital payments, announced today its return as the title sponsor for the 2026 MAMA AWARDS, the world’s No.1 K-POP Awards presented annually by South Korea’s leading entertainment company CJ ENM. This year, Visa will continue to deliver exclusive and seamless access to fans through a special Visa Presale registration from 13 to 18 October, the first Presale of the 2026 MAMA AWARDS, enabling fans to be a part of the 2026 MAMA AWARDS and the first MAMA FAN FESTA hosted in Osaka, Japan, in November.

This is the third consecutive year that Visa serves as title sponsor for the MAMA AWARDS, building on two successful editions in 2024 and 2025. The 2026 MAMA AWARDS enlarges Visa’s growing footprint in Asia Pacific’s vibrant music landscape, coming on the back of its partnership extension with CJ ENM to present the awards till 2029.

The 2026 MAMA AWARDS will be held on 20 and 21 November at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan, and is set to be another landmark moment for K-pop. As title sponsor, Visa will hold the first Presale registrations for Visa cardholders globally to purchase tickets to the awards ceremony from 13 October, 11:00AM, to 18 October, 10:59PM (Singapore time). Applicants will be able to check their entry status individually within Qoo10 from 21 October.

The 2026 MAMA AWARDS is built on the concept of “A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR.” Through a journey across a musical universe that transcends time and space, the event aims to connect artists and fans around the world while offering a unique experience that encourages each attendee to discover their own star.

Newly introduced for the 2026 MAMA AWARDS, the first MAMA FAN FESTA will run from 9 to 21 November, both offline across Osaka and online on Mnet Plus, featuring new ways for K-pop fans worldwide to connect with their favourite K-pop artistes and experience the MAMA AWARDS in their own way. Fans worldwide can easily access the MAMA FAN FESTA SUPER PASS during the Visa Presale registration.

Danielle Jin, Chief Marketing Officer at Visa Asia Pacific, said: “The MAMA AWARDS is one of the biggest celebrations of K-pop fandom, and our partnership with CJ ENM continues to bring fans closer to the artists, music and experiences they love. We are proud to extend this partnership for the 2026 MAMA AWARDS in Osaka, as we keep creating unforgettable experiences for K-pop fans while enabling seamless and secure payments with Visa.”

Visa champions the moments that bring fans closer to the passions they love, from sports and music to gaming, fashion, and entertainment. Guided by a fan-first approach to partnerships, Visa designs experiences that deepen connection and make participation seamless, secure and accessible for audiences around the world. Through high-impact partnerships, Visa helps shape cultural moments while enabling effortless cross-border commerce.

Watch out for Visa Presales for the 2026 MAMA AWARDS on:

https://www.qoo10.jp/gmkt.inc/Special/Special.aspx?sid=367181

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

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SOURCE Visa Worldwide Pte Ltd

SINGAPORE, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — eFinancialCareers, the world-leading financial services and tech career platform, is proud to announce a partnership with the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA). This collaboration contributes to the Career Health Initiative, which empowers Singaporeans to achieve their career aspirations and develop resilient and fulfilling careers.

As part of the collaboration, eFinancialCareers now integrates with the Careers & Skills Passport (CSP), a personal digital repository to help Singaporeans take charge of their career health and better track their career and skills development. It consolidates an individual’s careers and skills data from Government-verified sources in one centralised and secured location. 

Users of eFinancialCareers can now securely import their curated verified employment history and certified skills attained from professional certifications, directly from CSP. This feature enhances candidates’ profile visibility to actively hiring employers, which in turn increases their chances of being contacted by recruiters.

For employers, this partnership enables them to access candidates’ verified records during their recruitment process, reduces screening time and the risk of hiring based on misrepresented information.  

“We aim to foster a workforce that can effectively navigate the evolving landscape of financial services and technology. Our collaboration with SWDA empowers professionals to take charge of their careers, while providing employers with the tools to identify and shortlist qualified local Singaporean talents, fast-tracking their hiring process,” said Pete Healey, CEO of eFinancialCareers. “Notably, 80% of eFinancialCareers recruiters rated this feature as excellent for enhancing recruitment efficiency and 90% of candidates with verified profile, gained increased visibility through eFinancialCareers’ CV database. Together, we are committed to building a more skills-focused workforce in Singapore.”

Ms Dilys Boey, Chief Executive of SWDA said “Our partnership with eFinancialCareers demonstrates the value of working with industry partners to strengthen the skills and career ecosystem. Through making verified employment and skills information readily available and top of mind for individuals and employers, we aim to advance skills-first hiring practices that benefit both workers and employers.”

About eFinancialCareers

eFinancialCareers, is the world’s leading financial services and technology careers platform.

For our finance professionals, we provide the latest job opportunities, career information and invaluable industry insights they need to maximise their potential. For our recruiters or HR professionals we provide a vital competitive edge by enabling them to source highly qualified professionals they need to achieve their strategic ambitions – quickly and efficiently.

We operate in 19 markets to include Singapore, Hong Kong, North America, Europe and the Middle East. So we’re ideally placed to connect finance professionals to companies. Visit www.efinancialcareers.sg

About Skills and Workforce Development Agency

The Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) drives lifelong learning and workforce development to enable Singaporeans to take charge of their careers, learn for life, access good jobs, and grow in fulfilling careers, and enable employers to design good jobs and develop a skilled, future-ready workforce. Together with our partners, we will build a trusted, high-quality, industry-relevant, and innovative ecosystem to meet the evolving workforce needs of both businesses and workers. For more information, please visit www.swda.gov.sg.

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SOURCE eFinancialCareers

VALLETTA, Malta, Oct. 12, 2026 /CNW/ — On the sidelines of the 2026 WTTC Global Summit held in Malta, Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, met with Edison Chen, Vice President of Trip.com Group, for talks on China–Malta tourism cooperation. Witnessed by Jo Etienne Abela, Malta’s Minister for Tourism, the Malta Tourism Authority and Trip.com Group formally signed the 2026–2029 Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding.

The signing of the Strategic Cooperation MOU marks a further deepening of the strategic partnership between the Malta Tourism Authority and Trip.com Group. Over the next three years, the two parties will carry out in-depth cooperation in destination promotion, tourism product diversification and sustainable tourism.

“Malta is committed to diversifying its source markets, and China is the most important emerging market in our strategic plans,” said Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority. “Our partnership with Trip.com Group will help us reach high-value travellers in China and around the world more precisely, and showcase Malta’s unique appeal as a premium Mediterranean tourism destination.”

Edison Chen, Vice President of Trip.com Group, said, “Malta is a vibrant destination, offering a wealth of cultural and premium experiences, and excellent connectivity. Our data shows a 60% growth in inbound travel bookings to Malta, underscoring its growing appeal among global travellers. By combining Trip.com Group’s global reach and platform technology with Malta’s unique offerings, we are excited to further boost tourism in Malta, inspiring more travellers from Asia and around the world to discover its beauty.”

Malta Accelerates Its Push into the Asian Market

Malta is actively expanding into the Asian market, with plans to raise the share of arrivals from outside the EU to 40% within the next decade. Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, said that Malta is advancing tourism cooperation discussions with China and several other Asian countries. Although Schengen visa requirements remain a short-term challenge, the market potential is immense.

Trip.com Group’s platform coverage advantages across the world’s major source markets, together with its leading big-data and AI-supported capabilities, will help Malta enhance its brand influence as a premium tourism destination. With a large presence in Asia, Europe and across global markets, Trip.com Group is highly strategically aligned with the Malta Tourism Authority’s market diversification strategy.

The 2026 WTTC Global Summit was held from 7 to 9 October at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, bringing together tourism industry CEOs and senior government leaders from more than 100 countries. The signing is one of the significant cooperation outcomes achieved during the Summit. Over the next three years, the two parties will leverage the technological capabilities and data insights of Trip.com Group’s global platforms, combined with the Malta Tourism Authority’s in-depth understanding and integration of local tourism resources, to continuously optimise promotional strategies and position Malta as a highly attractive Mediterranean tourism destination for global travellers.

About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group is on the mission “to pursue the perfect trip for a better world”. Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.
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SOURCE Trip.com Group