Drones in hospitality and tourism: a literature review and research agenda

Abstract

Purpose Drones have become an important element within hospitality and tourism. The purpose of this study is to identify the corpus of knowledge and create a research agenda that establishes appropriate guidelines for future study of drone application in hospitality and tourism. Design/methodology/approach This work has been undertaken using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative research and includes a review of the literature related to the study of drone use in hospitality and tourism. Findings The mixed-methods review identified gaps in the research, potential areas of study to enhance the scientific literature and potential uses of drones in tourism and hospitality for researchers, consumers and industry professionals. Originality/value This study makes an original contribution by establishing an integrated framework, which led to a synthesis of the research corpus and provided a holistic conceptualisation of the relationship between tourism and drones. In addition, the research agenda proposed will help boost and consolidate this emerging field of research.