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Paper short abstract:

This paper explores in empirical detail how the videomaking practices of travel influencers contribute to the diversification of tourist encounters. The findings indicate that travel drones established new interdependencies among local tourism professionals, tourists, and platform audiences.

Paper long abstract:

Consumer drones can be increasingly spotted in tourist sites and arguably the aerial technology has transformed how the tourism destination Singapore is experienced and represented. This paper explores in empirical detail how the videomaking practices of travel influencers contribute to the diversification of tourist encounters. Based on evidence from ethnographic fieldwork in the Southeast Asian metropolis and on digital platforms, I seek to map tourist encounters which are facilitated by drone tourism. In recent years, drone videos featuring Singapore’s urban landscapes have rapidly gained popularity on YouTube. The participatory culture of the platform has also nurtured enduring knowledge transfers from drone experts to novices. Drawing on analyses of situated drone practices in Singapore’s Marina Bay and audiovisual representations of the urban area on digital platforms, this case study demonstrates how the researched travel influencers and their YouTube audiences assign meaning to tourist attractions. The frequent use of travel drones in Marina Bay gave rise to an additional space of representation for Singapore’s urban space. Drone footage shows urban aerial space from new, dynamic angles, complementing its representation in static satellite imagery displayed on GPS navigation apps. The findings indicate that travel drones established new interdependencies among local tourism professionals, tourists, and platform audiences. The representational power of local stakeholders, such as tour guides and tourist offices, over tourist places has been diminished by the rise of digital platforms in global tourism.