Sky-high concerns: examining the influence of drones on destination experience

Drones are recognized as one of the technological advances that drive tourism development. Whereas prior research has provided initial insights into drone usage in the tourism industry, little attention has been paid to the influence of drone usage on non-users at a tourism destination. It is worth noting that although a small group of drone enthusiasts would fly drones to record their travel activities, most tourists at a destination are non-users of drones. As the tourism destination is a shared environment, understanding the non-users’ reactions would shed light on the role of drones in shaping the destination experience. The current study takes the perspective of the tourist who observes drone usage at a tourism destination to examine how the use of drones affects the non-user’s destination experience, drawing on the dark side of technology. Based on data collected from 255 respondents, we found that privacy concern and safety risk each have a positive influence on drone irritation, which in turn, negatively affects the tourist’s intention to recommend the destination. This study advances research on drones in tourism by generating new insights into the impact of drone usage on tourists’ experience at tourism destinations.