Tourism promotional video: how to show a destination by drone and at street level

Nobody chooses a tourist destination from a leaflet. They choose it after seeing a few seconds of a bay from the air, a sunset walk or a table by the sea. For town councils, tourist offices, consortia, campsites, rural hotels or activity companies, a promotional video is the most direct way to put an image to a place.

What a destination video should tell

What works least is a list of everything there is. Choose one central idea and one emotion: calm, adventure, food or family. From there, the script follows a simple order: an image that sets the scene, the specific experiences and a closing invitation to come.

• Landscape and location: the coast, the village, the mountains.
• Real life: market, stroll, people enjoying themselves with their permission.
• Food and local produce, usually what gets shared most.
• Accommodation and activities that visitors can book.

The drone: when it adds value and when it doesn't

An aerial shot gives scale and explains in seconds where everything is. It works very well for bays, beaches, old towns or estates. But a purely aerial video feels cold: the key is to combine the drone with street-level shots and close details. The best light is usually in the first and last hour of the day.

Flying has to be done properly. In Spain, the operator must be registered with AESA, have training and insurance, and check the restrictions in each area; in urban settings, protected areas or near airports, prior procedures may be needed, so allow time for them. Our aerial filming is done with Aerofilmia.

One shoot, several seasons of content

A single production can yield:

• A main piece of one to two minutes for the website and tourism fairs.
• Short versions for paid campaigns.
• Reels and Shorts by theme: beaches, routes, food.
• Subtitles or voice-over in Spanish, Catalan and English for international audiences.

If tourism depends on several seasons, it's worth filming at more than one time of year. That way the destination isn't associated only with summer and it helps spread visits across the year.

How to commission it if you are a public body

For a town council or consortium, the practical approach is to define the goal, audience, languages, formats and who can use the images afterwards. With that information, a detailed quote per piece can be prepared, useful for whatever procurement procedure applies.

What to ask of whoever films your destination video

• Experience with exteriors and changing light.
• Drone flights carried out by an authorised operator.
• Music licensed for the intended use.
• Delivery in horizontal and vertical, with text-free copies for future adaptations.
• Releases from anyone who appears recognisably.
• A clear document on the rights to use the images.

Video for campsites, rural hotels and activity companies

You don't need to be a major destination to make the most of this format. A campsite can show its pitches and the way down to the beach; a rural hotel, the valley from the air and a breakfast of local produce; a kayak or hiking company, the experience from the customer's point of view. In every case the question is the same: what will visitors experience?

How to share it so it doesn't just sit on the website

A tourism video pays off when it circulates. Share it with hotels, restaurants and shops in the area so they can use it on their channels. Put it on the home page of the tourism website, on the screens in information offices and at trade fairs. And if you invest in advertising, target the source markets you are interested in, with the right language in each case.

See how it looks in our coast and accommodation examples, read vertical or horizontal video or tell us about your destination.

If you run a hotel or apartments, see the video for hotels service.

Frequently asked questions

More videos like this

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