Yas and Saadiyat Islands are enhancing Abu Dhabi’s leading position on the world’s best tourist destinations list, a top industry expert said.
Liam Findlay, CEO of Miral Destinations, the operational partner for Yas Island and Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, said the company’s goal seven years ago was for Yas Island to be among the top ten tourist destinations globally.
“After adding several global cities and entertainment facilities, such as Warner Bros., World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, and Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, we have become one of the world’s best tourist destinations, providing a comprehensive range of entertainment tourism experiences,” Findlay told WAM in an interview.
He also said very few global destinations offer integrated packages of entertainment experiences like those provided by Yas and Saadiyat Islands in the emirate.
Yas Island’s central location between Abu Dhabi and Dubai also makes it an ideal destination to capitalise on the prestigious status of the two cities on the world tourism map, Findlay said.
He also revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic presented a significant opportunity to develop their operations on Yas Island.
“While many institutions reduced their workforce during the long periods of closure worldwide, we looked to the future with optimism on Yas Island and made great efforts to prepare and develop promotional and marketing campaigns, enabling a strong comeback after the pandemic,” Findlay said.
The CEO of Miral Destinations also revealed that India is one of the strong markets exporting tourists to Yas Island, noting that the recently launched campaigns have achieved wide success and contributed to an increase in the number of tourists coming from the Indian market.
GCC countries are the second-largest source markets for tourists.
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