Drones in the tourism sector: Regulatory evolution and development prospects
Journal title RIVISTA ITALIANA DI DIRITTO DEL TURISMO
Author/s Massimiliano Marotta
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/48
Language Italian Pages 34 P. 154-187 File size 362 KB
DOI 10.3280/DT2026-048006
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The multi-level legal framework governing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Italian tourism sector has evolved rapidly from an initial regulatory vacuum to the current governance architecture involving ENAC, EASA, and the Italian Navigation Code. The European tripartite classification into the Open, Specific, and Certified categories — as updated by the SORA 2.5 methodology (JARUS 2024), the C5 and C6 classes introduced by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1058, and the 2024/1107-1110 regulatory package for the Certified category — has significant operational implications for tourism-related activities: promotional aerial footage, cultural heritage monitoring, environmental management, and tourist flow control. At the national level, the legal assimilation of drones to the concept of “aircraft” under Art. 743 of the Navigation Code underpins the operator’s strict liability regime for damage to third parties on the surface (Art. 965 of the Navigation Code and the Rome Convention of 1952), privacy protection and personal data processing under the GDPR, and the sanctioning system. The prospects for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and drone shuttles for passenger transport in tourism contexts, in light of the European Commission’s Drone Strategy 2.0 (COM(2022) 652 final), call for a balanced integration of technological innovation, aeronautical safety, cultural and landscape heritage protection, and sustainable tourism development.
Massimiliano Marotta, I droni nel settore turistico: evoluzione normativa e prospettive di sviluppo in "RIVISTA ITALIANA DI DIRITTO DEL TURISMO" 48/2026, pp 154-187, DOI: 10.3280/DT2026-048006