DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN TOURISM PROMOTION: A FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Keywords:
drone technology, tourism promotion, visual tourism, destination presentation, sustainable development
Abstract
The rapid integration of innovative digital technologies is transforming tourism promotion, creating new opportunities for destination presentation. This paper examines the application of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) in presenting tourist attractions through high-quality aerial imagery. It proposes a conceptual theoretical model linking drone-generated content (aerial photography and videography) with destination promotion to support sustainable development. The research argues that, by improving how destinations are perceived, drone imagery increases their attractiveness and competitiveness in the tourism market. In addition to contributing to the state of the art, this conceptual paper also provides practical implications. It offers valuable insights for tourism organizations and destination managers seeking to integrate digital innovations into promotional campaigns.
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References
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menhottur2202039b
Chan, K. W., Nirmal, U., & Cheaw, W. G. (2018). Progress on drone technology and their applications: A comprehensive review. In AIP Conference Proceedings, 203, 20308. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5066949
Ilkhanizadeh, S., Golabi, M., Hesami, S., & Rjoub, H. (2020). The potential use of drones for tourism in crises: A facility location analysis perspective. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13(10), 246. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm13100246
Kandrot, S., & Holloway, P. (2020). Applications of drone technology for sustainable development of the coastal zone: A literature review [Project report]. Sustainable Resilient Coasts. https://coast.interreg-npa.eu/subsites/coast/DT2.1.1_Applications_of_drone_technology_for_sustainable_development_of_the_coastal_zone.pdf (26 February 2026)
Khotib, S. N., Danardono, Saputra, A., Umrotun, & Putra, M. N. R. (2024). GIS and drone technology are used in the design of tourism development in the Mount Kerinci area. In VI International Scientific Convention of Universidad Técnica de Manabí: Advances in Basic Sciences, Informatics and Applied Engineering, 2994, 20102. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0183187
Kitonsa, H., & Kruglikov, S. V. (2018). Significance of drone technology for the achievement of United Nations sustainable development goals. R-economy, 4(3), 115–120. https://doi.org/10.15826/
recon.2018.4.3.016
Luo, T. Y. (2025). Service model of smart tourism cities integrated with low-altitude technology. Engineering Management in Production and Services, 17(1), 92–110. https://doi.org/10.2478/emj-2025-0008
Mirk, D., & Hlavacs, H. (2014). Using drones for virtual tourism. In International Conference on Intelligent Technologies for Interactive Entertainment (pp. 144–147). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08189-2_21
Rao, A. S. S., & Krantz, S. G. (2020). Data Science for Virtual Tourism Using Cutting-Edge Visualizations: Information Geometry and Conformal Mapping. Patterns, 1(5), 100067 https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.patter.2020.100067
Ritter, C. S. (2024). Gazing from the air: Tourist encounters in the age of travel drones. Tourism Geographies, 26(4), 618–634. https://doi.org/
10.1080/14616688.2023.2264823
Rutkin, A. (2015). See the sights by air with drone tourism. New Scientist, 226(3024), 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(15)30512-1
Templin, T., & Popielarczyk, D. (2020). The Use of Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the Process of Building Models for Cultural Tourism, 3D Web and Augmented/Mixed Reality Applications. Sensors, 20(19), 5457. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20195457
UN General Assembly. (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1). Retrieved February 26, 2026, from https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b6e3e44.html
Uribe-Montesdeoca, S., Arias-Flores, H., Ramos-Galarza, C., & Jadán-Guerrero, J. (2021). Using drones for tourism: Exploring exciting places in Ecuador. In D. Russo, T. Ahram, W. Karwowski, G. Di Bucchianico, & R. Taiar (Eds.), Intelligent Human Systems Integration 2021 (pp. 786–791). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68017-6_117
Virtual Visit Tours. (n.d.). Retrieved February, 26, 2026, from http://www.virtualvisittours.com
Vujičić, M. D., Kennell, J., Stankov, U., Gretzel, U., Vasiljević, Đ. A., & Morrison, A. M. (2022). Keeping up with the drones! Techno-social dimensions of tourist drone videography. Technology in Society, 68, 101838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101838
Published
2026-10-16
How to Cite
Asani, A., Petrevska, B., & Terzić, A. (2026). DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN TOURISM PROMOTION: A FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. Tourism International Scientific Conference Vrnjačka Banja - TISC, 9(1), 215-225. https://doi.org/10.52370/TISC26215AA
Section
Articles
