When it comes to modern, family-friendly destinations, consumers are no longer just looking for a place to visit but they seek immersive experiences that cater to a variety of interests. One such destination in Abu Dhabi set out to better understand its visitors and their evolving expectations. Our team at Sapience conducted an in-depth research study to uncover key insights, helping shape strategies that enhance visitor engagement and satisfaction.
The Challenge: Decoding Visitor Behavior and Experience Gaps
Despite being a comprehensive leisure and entertainment hub, the destination faced several challenges:
- Understanding Visitor Preferences: What truly drives families, young professionals, and expats to choose this location over others?
- Addressing Barriers: What prevents more frequent visits, and what factors contribute to one-time visits rather than long-term loyalty?
- Enhancing Market Positioning: How does the destination compare to other leisure hubs, and what can be done to make it a go-to choice in Abu Dhabi?
Our Approach
Our methodology was built around two key phases: benchmarking against competitors and engaging directly with visitors and non-visitors of various demographics through focus groups. This allowed us to extract valuable qualitative insights on visitor behaviors, motivations, and deterrents.
What We Discovered: Key Insights
Our research revealed crucial themes that could drive more effective engagement strategies:
- The Power of Experience-Driven Visits
- Visitors are drawn to spacious, walkable environments where they can explore, dine, and enjoy scenic views.
- Unique attractions, such as interactive exhibits and outdoor activities, leave lasting impressions.
- Ease of accessibility and parking play a major role in decision-making, especially for families.
- The Cost vs. Value Perception
- While many see the destination as premium and well-maintained, some visitors feel that entry fees and pricing for certain attractions are on the higher side.
- Families with children are especially cost-sensitive—bundled experiences and membership incentives were identified as potential solutions.
- The Role of Marketing & Discovery Channels
- The destination benefits from word-of-mouth and influencer endorsements but lacks consistent digital presence and promotional visibility.
- Many non-visitors were aware of its main attractions but were unclear about the range of experiences available.
- The research identified social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat as key engagement tools for driving awareness.
- Expanding the Appeal Beyond Core Audiences
- Emiratis and Arab expats currently make up a large portion of visitors, but Western and Asian expatriates showed limited engagement.
- Introducing more culturally diverse events and experiences could enhance appeal among Abu Dhabi’s wider demographic.
The Road Ahead: Data-Driven Recommendations
Based on these insights, we developed strategic recommendations to help elevate the destination’s market positioning:
- Enhancing Family-Focused Engagement
- Introducing seasonal memberships, loyalty programs, and bundled activity pricing to encourage repeat visits.
- Creating child-friendly packages that include multiple experiences at an accessible price point.
- Strengthening Digital Presence
- Expanding influencer collaborations and user-generated content campaigns.
- Improving SEO visibility and leveraging targeted social media ads to reach non-visitors.
- Curating Unique Experiences for a Wider Audience
- Developing cultural festivals, live entertainment, and exclusive experiences to attract a broader mix of visitors.
- Showcasing lesser-known attractions within the venue to surprise and delight guests, encouraging longer stays.
Conclusion
By blending qualitative research with competitive benchmarking, our study unlocked actionable insights that are shaping the future of this premium family destination in Abu Dhabi. With the right strategic adjustments such as focusing on affordability, experience curation, and stronger digital engagement, it has the potential to attract a more diverse audience and secure long-term visitor loyalty.
At Sapience, we believe in turning data into direction. If your brand is looking to deepen consumer understanding and enhance engagement strategies, let’s start a conversation.