Recreational drones and the mobility of the tourist Gaze
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1984-4867.v37pe026003Keywords:
Drones, Tourism mobilities, Tourist gaze, Performances, LandscapesAbstract
Civilian drones are relatively recent technological devices within the field of Tourism. Mini drones (weighing up to 250g), equipped with high-quality cameras for photography and video, are specifically designed for social media use. Despite these emerging phenomena, few studies in Brazil have combined the investigation of drones with the tourist gaze theory and the lens of mobilities. This paper aims to reflect on the mobility embedded in the tourist gaze theory in light of the emergence of recreational drones. This is a theoretical essay that selectively engages with the literature, focusing primarily on scholarly articles from the anglophone world in tourism and related fields. The narrative path explores the development of the mobilities paradigm and its contributions to tourism studies. It then traces the emergence and consolidation of the tourist gaze theory. Additionally, it situates the rise of recreational drones within the broader context of the spectacularization of landscapes and the “performativization” of tourist practices. The paper proceeds to offer a provisional synthesis, anticipating the impact of drone imagery on the visuality, meaning-making, and territorialization of tourism. Finally, it acknowledges the study’s limitations, given the scope and current stage of the research, and suggests new directions for future studies involving drone technology.
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