“Put that phone down, really immerse yourself into that experience.”
That was the message from Liam Findlay, Chief Executive Officer of Miral Destinations, as he urged families visiting Yas Island to spend less time on their devices and more time experiencing the attractions around them.
Speaking at RISE Summit 2026, Findlay said that while technology was changing how people discovered and experienced destinations, it could not replace the value of spending time together.
“People are still going to go to destination holidays to escape from the digital world,” he said, pointing to the role of theme parks and attractions in providing experiences beyond screens. Findlay also advised visitors not to treat Yas Island as a day-trip destination.
“Make sure you go at least four or five days. There’s so much to see on there now, there’s so much to do,” he said. “And bring your family,” he added, describing Yas Island as a destination that caters to people travelling across generations.
How tourism is changing from discovery to experiences
Findlay said the tourism industry had undergone a shift in how consumers approached travel.
In the past, tourists visited cities and countries to discover their culture, attractions and surroundings. Today, travellers often arrive knowing what they want to experience, having researched destinations through social media, influencers, YouTube and reviews.
“Before they come to your destination, they know what they’re going to experience. They find out through influencers or YouTube or reviews,” he said.
“Our industry’s changed from being a discovery of tourism to experiences. Consumers want experiences today.”
According to Findlay, this shift places responsibility on destinations to deliver what they promise through advertising and promotional campaigns. “You really need to deliver all your promises,” he said.
He explained that although Yas Island has access to intellectual property associated with entertainment brands, customer satisfaction remains the measure that guides Miral Destinations’ decisions.
“The number one KPI we have is the customer, because you have to deliver on your promise,” Findlay said.
Word of mouth remains Yas Island’s number one marketing channel
Despite investments in celebrity campaigns, Findlay said word of mouth continued to be the source through which consumers discovered Yas Island.
He referred to campaigns involving Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds, Jason Momoa and Kevin Hart, alongside partnerships developed for India and the GCC.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve done some amazing big campaigns with the likes of Ryan Reynolds or Jason Momoa or Kevin Hart,” he said. However, Findlay explained that attracting attention through celebrities was only one part of the process.
“The number one way they found out about Yas Island, even today, is word of mouth,” he said. “So you need to deliver on your promise.”
Yas Island reports 44 million visits and targets double-digit growth
Findlay said Yas Island recorded 44 million visits in 2025, representing growth of 16 per cent. “Last year we grew by 16%. We had 44 million visits,” he said.
The destination has continued expanding its portfolio of attractions, with SeaWorld Abu Dhabi among the additions in recent years. Findlay said Miral was preparing more developments, including Harry Potter-themed experiences and projects that have already been announced.
“We’re always adding new products,” he said. While the domestic market remains a source of visitors, Findlay explained that achieving the company’s growth ambitions would require an increase in arrivals from other countries.
“We need to grow double digits every year for the next 10 years. That doesn’t come out of domestic, that comes out internationally,” he said.
He added that the company was directing much of its work towards markets outside the UAE.
India records 300% growth as Miral expands international tourism markets
India remains a focus of Yas Island’s tourism strategy, alongside the GCC, Russia, China, the UK and Europe. “India is big for us. We’ve grown around 300% over the last couple of years. GCC is big for us,” he said.
He described India and the GCC as extensions of Yas Island’s domestic market, given their contribution to visitor demand. Looking further overseas, Findlay identified the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as a source of growth.
“The biggest growth we’ve seen in the last probably 12 months and 24 months is the CIS market,” he said. He also identified Russia, China, the UK and the rest of Europe as markets for the destination.
Ranveer Singh and Bollywood campaigns help Yas Island reach Indian travellers
Asked about Miral’s investment in marketing campaigns for India, Findlay said celebrity partnerships enabled Yas Island to reach consumers in a market where film personalities attract audiences. “India is one of those markets where celebrities work really well,” he said.
He referred to Miral’s partnership with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh and a campaign that drew on a film and the possibility of a sequel to reach viewers. According to Findlay, the campaign generated approximately 1.6 billion views, including around 800 million views that were not paid for.
“Those views we didn’t pay for. They were the viral views,” he said.
He said Yas Island’s portfolio of attractions gave the company scope to develop campaigns that went beyond conventional destination advertising. “You can do unique campaigns and you can push the boundaries a bit,” he said.
Findlay also discussed the competition among countries seeking to expand tourism’s contribution to their economies. “Every country in the world wants tourism,” he said, noting that governments increasingly viewed tourism as a contributor to gross domestic product.
He argued that destinations needed to invest in their brands to reach consumers in a market where countries were competing for visitors. “You need to have a really good brand to push through the noise,” he said.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi, Harry Potter and Sphere shape Yas Island’s 2035 vision
Looking towards 2035, Findlay said Miral’s ambition was to establish Yas Island among the world’s destinations for family tourism. “We want to become one of the best family destinations in the world,” he said.
He pointed to the attractions already operating on the island, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld, as well as the Grand Prix circuit, golf course and hotels.
Findlay also highlighted the expansion of Yas Waterworld and developments planned for the island. “We have Harry Potter,” he said, referring to the attraction in development at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. He also cited Sphere Abu Dhabi and the Disney theme park resort planned for Yas Island.
“Of course, Disneyland’s coming to Yas Island,” he said.
According to Findlay, bringing these attractions into one location would form part of the destination’s appeal. He said more announcements were expected as Yas Island continued expanding its entertainment and tourism portfolio.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha require a shift in how destinations communicate
Addressing how tourism operators could engage Generation Z and Generation Alpha, Findlay said both generations had developed a relationship with smartphones that was influencing consumer behaviour.
Drawing on his experience as a parent, he said he had one child from Generation Z and another from Generation Alpha. “Both of them are very similar, and they’re connected to their phone,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but they are connected.”
Despite this dependence on devices, Findlay said the need for experiences beyond screens had not disappeared. “But the one thing is, you still need real-life experiences. And that’s what Yas gives you,” he said.
He pointed to opportunities such as meeting Batman, using water slides and riding roller coasters as experiences that could not be replaced by consuming content on a phone.
Findlay added that Miral had adapted its marketing to communicate with consumers on platforms such as TikTok.
“If you look at our TikTok, which that kind of generation use a lot, it’s a different style of communication,” he said, adding this approach required content that reflected how consumers interacted with platforms and what they expected from the brands they followed.
“For us, at Yas Island, we spend a lot of money on content,” he said. “Content is king and distribution is queen.”
The focus, he explained, was on delivering messages through channels used by the audiences Miral wanted to reach.
AI will change tourism, but visitors will continue seeking experiences beyond screens
Findlay acknowledged that artificial intelligence would continue influencing how tourism destinations operated. “I think you see AI and how much AI has changed the world and how much it’s going to change going forward,” he said.
He cited the replacement of printed park maps with applications as an example of how technology was already changing the guest experience.
“Today, you don’t have park maps anymore because it’s all done on the phone, on the app,” he said. However, he maintained that the growth of technology would not eliminate demand for destination holidays or experiences in person.
“People are still going to go to destination holidays to escape from the digital world,” he said, arguing that destinations such as Yas Island would continue attracting visitors who wanted experiences beyond what their devices offered.
‘Our competition is ourselves,’ says Miral CEO
Asked whom Miral viewed as Yas Island’s competition, Findlay said his perspective had changed during his nearly 10 years working with the destination.
He explained that his priorities had evolved as theme parks and attractions opened and as events such as the NBA and UFC became part of Yas Island’s calendar. “I’ve been lucky enough to be on Yas Island for nearly 10 years now,” he said.
During that period, the destination’s development had repeatedly changed what the company was working towards. Findlay said Yas Island now offered a combination of theme parks, entertainment venues, events and hotels within one destination.
“We really create our own path. So I would say our competition is ourselves,” he said.
Indian families travelling across generations support Yas Island tourism
Although Yas Island remains focused on family tourism, Findlay said the destination also catered to solo travellers, sports enthusiasts, concertgoers and visitors looking for hotels and spas. “There’s always something for everyone,” he said.
He pointed to India as an example of a market where travelling across generations was common. Families visiting from India, he explained, often included grandparents, parents, children, uncles and other relatives travelling together.
He said that pattern had contributed to Yas Island’s appeal in the market because its attractions offered activities for different age groups. Findlay reiterated that the company’s ambition was to remain focused on families while offering activities for other visitors.
Annual passes bring visitors back to Yas Island 12 times on average
Addressing affordability, Findlay said Miral offered ticket categories and annual passes to meet the needs of residents and tourists. He also referred to work with UAE programmes such as Fazaa and Homat Al Watan to make visits accessible to residents.
“We make it affordable through different kinds of categories,” he said.
According to Findlay, annual-pass holders visit Yas Island attractions approximately 12 times on average, compared with an industry average of five or six visits. “The average visit by annual passes is something like 12 visits. When you look at the industry average, it’s about five or six,” he said.
He added that July and August were among the destination’s busiest months despite the heat, reflecting demand from people living in the UAE.
For tourists arriving from overseas, the company focuses on packages combining accommodation, flights and attractions. Findlay said Miral works with tour operators in the UK, China and India to structure these offerings.
‘My favourite is Yas Waterworld’: Findlay on visiting Yas Island with his children
The objective, he explained, was to allow travellers to understand how much they would spend before arriving. Findlay also shared his experience of spending time on Yas Island with his own family.
Asked which attraction he preferred, he chose Yas Waterworld. “My favourite is Yas Waterworld,” he said, adding that he enjoyed visiting the water park with his children, who had grown up experiencing the island’s attractions.
“The thing with it, they’ve grown up on Yas Island. They’ve gone through, experienced all parks,” he said. He also recalled how his daughter had misunderstood his role when she was younger.
“My daughter for the first eight years thought I was a dolphin trainer. That was my job,” he said. Findlay added that he rarely took holidays away from the destination.
Miral CEO urges visitors to stay four or five days and put their phones down
Returning to his advice for visitors, Findlay said Yas Island had developed beyond a destination that could be experienced in a single day. “Make sure you go at least four or five days,” he said.
He encouraged families to spend time together and make use of the attractions rather than focus on their phones throughout their visit. “And enjoy yourself. Put the phone down,” he said.
For Findlay, the message was that although technology influences the way people plan, book and share holidays, the experience of being at a destination remains what visitors should focus on.
“Really immerse yourself into that experience,” he concluded.
