The view from above: the relevance of shared aerial drone videos for destination marketing

Abstract

The use of drones to produce videos has generated a large amount of visually appealing footage of various destinations. They attract much attention, but there are issues that affect their production, and their relevance to destination marketing. This research examines YouTube meta-data and spatial overlay analysis of shared aerial drone videos from the United Kingdom (UK). The results suggest that shared aerial drone videos have some unique user-generated content (UGC) characteristics and their spatial distribution tend to favor more populated areas. Theoretical and practical implications for destination marketing are further discussed.

Managing the drone revolution: A systematic literature review into the current use of airborne drones and future strategic directions for their effective control

“…In marketing, aerial drone photography is being well received by targets who respond positively to their inclusion in campaigns/advertisements given its cognitive stimulation ( Royo-Vela and Black, 2018 ). Use of drone imagery in this manner is, therefore expanding ( Stankov et al, 2019 ).…”

“…However using photos solely for aesthetic value has become an important use of drones in its own right, mainly for personal use (such as the documentation of a person's special event), but also increasingly for commercial use such as sporting events or in marketing campaigns (e.g. Royo-Vela and Black, 2018 ; Stankov et al, 2019 ). Being able to fly has been a dream of (some) humans since time immemorial, and use of drones to capture imagery from birds-eye-views is attracting substantial interest from some quarters.…”

Tourism 4.0 technologies and tourist experiences: a human-centered design perspective

“…For example, a voice interface at a busy airport or the need to download and use various tourism providers’ mobile phone applications (Ayeh 2018 ) could frustrate users and move attention away from the touristic experience. Similarly, while the use of drones in tourism settings is becoming more frequent (Dinhopl and Gretzel 2016 ; Stankov et al 2019b ), the visual and auditory pollution they produce may distract tourists from the ambiance (Hay 2016 ). For some tourists, just the need to use more digital technology during vacations could be potentially distracting (Fan et al 2019 ).…”

The Potential Use of Drones for Tourism in Crises: A Facility Location Analysis Perspective

“…Drone usage in the tourism sector is a growing field (Mirk and Hlavacs 2015;King 2014). Compared to studies of drones in other sectors such as reforesting (Almeida et al 2019); ecology (Beadel et al 2018); mapping (Braitenberg et al 2016); humanitarian relief (Golabi et al 2017) and commercial delivery (Stolaroff et al 2018), the potential role of drones in the tourism sector has received minimal attention (Hay 2016;Stankov et al 2019;Mirk and Hlavacs 2015). Contrasting the current lack of research, tourism practitioners have specifically seen a surge in the use of innovative practices involving drone use, such as their use to provide live-stream experiences for tourists.…”

“…Compared to common videography and photography methods, the procedure of drone video/photo capturing is more challenging (Stankov et al 2019); therefore, providing platforms and facilities, drones could involve more individuals in virtual tourism. The present case study provides different scenarios to optimize the potential drone facilities and appraise the cost of the project, resulting in the acceptance of drones as a feasible innovative technology for virtual tourism.…”