When kids call the shots, itinerary becomes insight

Planning a family vacation? You might want to consult your kids—not just on what snacks to pack, but on the entire itinerary.

That’s exactly what the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) did with its new summer campaign, 'Kids Recommended', flipping the tourism marketing script by turning children into co-creators.

The initiative, launched in the last week of April, came on the heels of Bollywood actor, Ranveer Singh’s campaign, which took place in February.  It stemmed from a global survey of 7,000 parents and children (aged 5-12) across nine countries, including India.

The findings were revelatory: 97% of Indian kids want to spend time at a water park or doing water sports, 93% are excited by the chance to make new friends, 91% prefer visiting parks and gardens, and 79% crave physical adventure. Perhaps most strikingly, over 75% said they wanted to visit museums—a surprising twist in a demographic often associated more with screens than with cultural sites.

"We also saw that Indian kids value connection: 93% said holidays should help them make new friends. And unlike many other markets, Indian parents were more likely to hand over the planning reins to their kids where 58% said they shape their holidays around their children’s preferences," said Emma Campbell, sector marketing director of DCT Abu Dhabi.

The insight that Indian kids want both fun and learning prompted a fundamental rethink of destination storytelling. Instead of speaking to families, DCT Abu Dhabi decided to co-create with them.

Emma Campbell, sector marketing director of DCT Abu Dhabi.

The result: a seven-day Abu Dhabi itinerary curated by kids, brimming with wildlife experiences, creative play zones, outdoor activities, and cultural exploration—crafted with Indian family values and interests in mind.

When data replaces guesswork

The ‘Kids Recommended’ campaign didn’t just ask kids what they wanted; it baked those responses into the very bones of the creative. Campbell explains, "Indian children expressed a clear desire to learn through travel. They wanted to visit museums, explore nature, and experience how other people live. Abu Dhabi offers all of that and more."

Behavioural patterns from India differed sharply from other markets.

Indian families involved their children more actively in planning, valued cultural discovery, and leaned into emotion-driven travel. This affected everything from scripting to media strategy.

"From a media perspective, we focused on platforms that allow stories to unfold with impactful video content, and family-centric platforms where discovery feels natural," Campbell added.

Avoiding clichés, keeping it real

At the creative helm was Memac Ogilvy. For Jean-Pierre De Villiers, group creative director, the challenge wasn’t just telling a kid-focused story—it was letting kids lead the story without slipping into gimmickry.

"Rather than telling the kids what to do, we asked them to show us what they truly resonate with and enjoy on their dream holiday. We created a space for their ideas to come to life and what we got in return was something genuinely fresh, playful, and honest, something only kids could have imagined," said De Villiers.

The film, campaign visuals and scripting leaned heavily on unscripted, unfiltered input. The visual tone was whimsical but grounded. Humour and emotional cues were tailored for Indian families by leaning into familiar cultural references and emotional beats—without veering off the brand’s global values.

Local insight, global relevance

India stood out not just for the emotional depth kids wanted from holidays, but for how planning decisions were delegated. "For Indian families especially, the idea of kids leading the way felt natural and mirrors how they already travel," De Villiers noted.

This cultural insight meant avoiding generic portrayals. Instead, scripting reflected authentic family dynamics, while visuals celebrated the values of shared discovery. Indian kids didn’t just want to be amused—they wanted to be enriched.

"This is not just a statistic, it reflects Indian families’ deep respect for learning and cultural enrichment. Through our localised content strategy, we demonstrated how Abu Dhabi's authentic cultural depth naturally aligned with Indian family values," De Villiers added.

The campaign was built not just for children, but with them. That distinction shaped every creative decision. De Villiers noted: "We used their raw insights to shape something that felt authentic and idea-driven, creating a campaign that was original yet instantly relatable."

Jean-Pierre De Villiers, group creative director, Memac Ogilvy.

This alignment between behavioural data and creative direction meant that nothing was left to assumption. "We began with the global research that involved over 7,000 children and their parents, which gave us a clear view into what excites them, how they make choices and what they remember most from a trip. That research formed the creative bedrock for Kids Recommended," he said.

AI: The new ally in emotional storytelling

AI also played a critical supporting role. With 40% of travellers reportedly using AI tools for itinerary planning, DCT Abu Dhabi knew its content needed to be discoverable, structured, and emotionally resonant across AI-led platforms.

"AI-generated itineraries often pull information from destination websites. Therefore, it is essential that our content must be authentic and inspirational as we now know it may live across multiple channels," Campbell said.

Beyond content discoverability, AI informed audience segmentation and message adaptation, helping tailor narratives for Indian family cohorts without diluting the brand’s voice.

"For me, data and creative instinct aren’t opposites—they’re collaborators. Especially in a diverse, values-driven market like India, that human layer is what transforms data into emotional connection," said Campbell.

'Kids Recommended' is not just a summer one-off. For DCT Abu Dhabi, it marks a strategic pivot toward long-term emotional resonance in key growth markets like India.

"With a Kids Recommended itinerary, developed by kids for kids, we are handing parents a blueprint to the ultimate dream family holiday," said Campbell. "Whether it’s a child excitedly recounting their visit to Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, or a parent reflecting on a quiet moment in Al Ain Oasis, these are the kinds of stories that build affinity with the destination."

The focus on co-creation—delivered without slipping into tokenism—also signals a broader shift in destination marketing. For Memac, this approach is a bellwether of how creative partnerships with public sector clients are evolving.  

With Memac steering the creative, PR, and social media ship, this campaign was anything but a solo voyage. Digital duties were in the hands of Create, while Sparkfoundry took charge of the media mix. Influencers? That’s where Ykone stepped in. And bringing the whole show to life on screen were production partners Déjà Vu and LittleBig / Flattery Films—because even child-led storytelling deserves a cinematic touch.

"New tools like AI and hyper-personalisation are exciting, but they’re only as good as the thinking behind them," De Villiers said. "What will really move the needle is co-creation and seeing how creatives bring data, technology and creativity together to solve challenges in real time."

As India’s outbound tourism grows more experience-led, campaigns like Kids Recommended show what’s possible when brands stop guessing what families want—and simply ask them. Then, they listen.