The Commercial Use of Drones in U.S. National Parks

Abstract

Motivated by current reports showing potential socioeconomic benefits, this research investigated the use of civil drones in national parks and discussed the implications of this use, taking the United States as an example. Relying on literature about concessions in national parks, we have discussed several historical, conceptual, and legal aspects of concessions. In addition, the paper discusses the concerns of several stakeholders including the parks’ management and visitors about privacy and safety. Research findings show that establishing various concession ideas in national parks is profitable and will contribute to increasing the revenues of tourism sector as well as to job creation. The research also shows that the ideas are relatively safe, and should not raise any concerns about using drones in national parks, especially when our recommendations are followed. Research limitations and future research recommendations are discussed at the end of paper.