BALANCED TOURISM

By Dr. Jens Thraenhart (August 2025)

Last weekend, I found myself observing two families at the same beach resort in Koh Samui, in Thailand. One set of parents was glued to their phones, meticulously planning the day’s activities. Meanwhile, their children were fully absorbed in building a sprawling sand kingdom, lost in their own world of imagination. Guess which group looked happier?

That scene came back to me after reading about Abu Dhabi’s bold new “Kids Recommended” campaign. Instead of asking parents or tourism boards what families want, Experience Abu Dhabi turned directly to children for answers. Over 7,000 kids across nine countries were surveyed about their travel preferences (Skift, 2025). The results were both surprising and instructive for anyone working in tourism.

What the Research Revealed

• 74% of parents already choose destinations based on their kids’ enjoyment—but most destinations still design experiences around adult assumptions (Experience Abu Dhabi, 2025).
• UK kids crave surprise adventures (93%).
• French children prioritize water play (97%).
• Indian kids are drawn to museums (75%).
• Chinese families value calm bonding time (89%).

The lesson? There is no one-size-fits-all “family market.” Instead, there are passionate micro-communities with distinct preferences, even among children.

From Assumptions to Authentic Engagement

This campaign echoes what I’ve written about in The Passion-Tourism Economy: tourism shifts from being designed by external operators making assumptions, to being shaped by communities themselves—in this case, by children. When destinations listen to passionate travelers, no matter their age, they create transformation stories instead of transactional itineraries.

Tactical Playbook for Child-Informed Family Tourism

1. Ask your audience directly – Abu Dhabi’s breakthrough came from surveying kids, not just parents or industry insiders.
2. Design with children, not just for them – Their seven-day “Kid-Recommended Itinerary” was co-created in workshops with young travelers.
3. Tailor by community, not demographics – A French family and an Indian family may both travel with kids, but what excites those kids differs entirely.

Why It Matters

The kids building that sand kingdom at the beach knew something adults often forget: joy comes from genuine engagement, not from overplanned schedules. Destinations that embrace child-informed design don’t just attract families. They nurture young advocates who drive loyalty and word-of-mouth far beyond a single trip.

Abu Dhabi has shown that even eight-year-olds can shape tourism strategy. And perhaps that’s the future: listening to every voice, no matter how small, to build movements instead of markets.

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References

• Experience Abu Dhabi. (2025). Kids Recommended campaign research across 7,000 children in 9 countries. Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
• Skift. (2025, August 18). Experience Abu Dhabi’s new campaign puts kids in charge of the family holiday. Skift.

This approach directly linked to our efforts to assist travel and tourism organizations from destinations, DMCs, hotels, attractions, and retail to rethink their tourism growth strategy to focus on high-yield travelers to increase profits and reduce leakages while balancing economic and social impacts for long-term resilience. Please see more information at High-Yield Tourism, and follow our podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast, and join the conversation on our LinkedIn and Facebook groups.

About the Author

With over 30 years of global travel and tourism expertise, Dr. Jens Thraenhart is the Founding Partner of 25-year-old bespoke strategy consulting firm Chameleon Strategies, co-founder of High-Yield Tourism, the 2nd Vice Chair of the World Tourism Organization’s UN Tourism Affiliate Members, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Tourism Marketing, Inc. (Visit Barbados), the former Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, the founder of private-sector-led tourism marketing organization Destination Mekong, and former Board Member of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). Recently consulting for the Saudi Tourism Authority, and previously active in China, in 2009, he co-founded acclaimed marketing agency Dragon Trail and published the China Travel Trends books and website. Jens has also held leadership positions with Destination Canada and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (now Accor). As founder of the Destination Film Forum, he is also a big proponent of the power of storytelling, having been recognized as one of the top 10 Most Influential Leaders in Travel in 2022 by Travel Vertical, ranking first in the category of Creativity and Brand Storytelling, and served on the Jury of the Cannes Lion International Film Awards. Other recognitions for his work include being one of the travel industry’s top 100 rising stars by Travel Agent Magazine in 2003, one of HSMAI’s 25 Most Extraordinary Sales and Marketing Minds in Hospitality and Travel in 2004 and 2005, one of the Top 20 Extraordinary Minds in European Travel and Hospitality in 2014, and honored as one of the Global Travel Heroes in 2021. He completed his Doctor in Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and graduated from Cornell University with a Masters in Hospitality Management.