Yas Island’s Winning Formula: Nostalgia, Celebrities, and Cinematic Storytelling to Win Over Indian Tourists:

Seeing Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, and Hrithik Roshan reunite on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island recently sparked a wave of excitement among Indian fans. Many assumed the video was a trailer for the much-anticipated sequel to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD). However, it was not a movie trailer but rather a masterstroke ad campaign by Yas Island, leveraging nostalgia and celebrity power to target Indian travelers.

This campaign exemplifies Yas Island’s broader marketing strategy, which has successfully transformed it into one of the most prominent travel destinations in the Middle East, particularly for Indians. The ad campaign focused on creating memorable experiences rather than simply promoting the destination.

Yas Island’s Aggressive Focus on India:

According to Badr Bourji, the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Yas Island Abu Dhabi, India is the largest source market for Yas Island’s tourism. “From an international market perspective, India is our biggest source market,” said Bourji.

The development of Yas Island into a tourism hub began in 2006, and today it is home to world-class attractions such as Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld, and the renowned Etihad Arena for concerts and events. Despite starting slow, the island has experienced exponential growth in tourist visits from India.

“In 2019, our visitation from India was around 300,000 to 350,000,” Bourji shared. “By 2023, we closed at 780,000 visitors, and in 2024, we are targeting at least a million visitors from India.”

This sharp rise in Indian visitors is not by chance. It’s a direct result of Yas Island’s unique approach to marketing — one that prioritizes experiences, emotions, and nostalgia over traditional tourism promotion.

Leveraging Bollywood and Nostalgia:

Yas Island’s biggest strategic coup was bringing together the cast of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. The iconic 2011 Bollywood movie, which resonated with Indian travelers about living life to the fullest, has a cult-like following. By recreating moments from the movie and featuring Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan, and Abhay Deol, Yas Island was able to instantly connect with millions of Indian fans.

Bourji admitted that tapping into nostalgia was a deliberate strategy. “The children of yesterday are the parents of today,” he said. “By creating an emotional bond with these parents who watched the movie years ago, we’re also influencing their travel decisions today.”

This is not the first time Yas Island has leveraged nostalgia. In 2021, their Stayin’ On Yas campaign, inspired by the Bee Gees’ iconic song, garnered over a million views on YouTube. Similarly, in 2023, they revived the long-lost Kuwaiti Miami Band, generating 48 million views on their campaign video.

Choosing the Right Celebrity for the Right Market:

Yas Island’s choice of celebrities is another aspect of its marketing genius. In March 2022, they made Ranveer Singh the face of their Yas Hai Khaas campaign. “He is an entertainer at heart, and that’s exactly what Yas Island represents — fun, energy, and adventure,” said Bourji.

Their approach is not just to slap a celebrity face onto the campaign but to immerse them in experiences that resonate with the target audience. This was evident when comedian Kevin Hart was declared the Chief Island Officer, followed by Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Ryan Reynolds, creating humorous and cinematic content that aligned perfectly with the Yas Island brand.

For the Indian audience, the ZNMD cast served as the perfect choice. The campaign leaned heavily on the memory of the film, allowing fans to relive the excitement and fun spirit that the movie represented. The marketing team did not attempt to push Yas Island as a product but instead built a captivating story around it.

Experience-Driven Marketing:

Bourji emphasized that Yas Island’s marketing approach has never been product-centric. “I’m not trying to push the product down the throats of Indian travelers,” he said. “We’re creating experiences that reflect the memories they want to build.”

This was evident in the ZNMD cast campaign, where the three actors pulled a prank on a Yas Island staff member, immediately evoking the fun vibe of the film. Similarly, Kevin Hart’s playful campaign had him humorously attempt to lead the Justice League superheroes, reinforcing the spirit of Yas Island.

The key ingredient? Creating organic buzz. “The mandate has always been that whatever we do needs to be at a scale that creates buzz and drives organic media coverage,” said Bourji.

Why Yas Island Is Winning Over Indian Travelers:

One of the primary reasons Yas Island is winning over Indian tourists is because of its ability to create relevance. Rather than simply showcasing attractions, Yas Island’s marketing focuses on how visitors would feel when they visit.

This approach is working. According to a 2024 report from Deccan Chronicle, Yas Island saw a 72% increase in footfalls from GCC countries and a 24% increase from India. Additionally, the marketing team’s ability to generate buzz without massive ad spends has been commendable. Bourji mentioned that some of their highly successful campaigns had media spends of no more than $2 million.

The destination is specifically targeting families, especially parents aged 30 to 55 years who now want to create memorable holidays for their children. The nostalgia-driven campaign with the ZNMD cast was a textbook example of how to use old memories to attract new visitors.

Competing with Global Destinations:

Bourji is confident that Yas Island can compete with global theme parks. “If you actually want the best theme park experience, you’ll have it on Yas Island. You don’t need to travel 8-10 hours to any other part of the world,” he said.

This confidence is backed by the fact that Yas Island continues to break records in attracting visitors from India and the Middle East. By merging cinematic storytelling, celebrity-driven narratives, and nostalgia, Yas Island has successfully turned itself into a dream destination for millions.

As Bourji concluded, “We are not selling a destination; we are creating memories.”

Author: Ronak Rehal