I Believe I Can Fly: Future Research Directions on the New Low‐Altitude Airspace Tourism Phenomenon

This paper conceptualizes the emerging phenomenon of low‐altitude airspace tourism and examines its potential as a new frontier within the tourism industry. It synthesizes a diverse range of low‐altitude aerial tourism experiences such as skydiving, hot air ballooning, aerial sightseeing, paragliding, aerobatic flying, and air safaris to establish a foundational conceptual framework. The paper argues that low‐altitude airspace tourism represents a significant evolution in tourism by redefining how tourists experience space, mobility, environmental interaction, cultural interpretation, and personal freedom. Theoretically, this study is among the first to systematically position low‐altitude airspace as a distinct tourism domain rather than merely an extension of adventure tourism. It further advances a future research agenda focused on multi‐stakeholder engagements, tourist motivations, risk perceptions, technological interfaces, and methodological innovation. From a practical perspective, the paper highlights the strategic implications of low‐altitude airspace tourism for destination planning, tourism policy, experiential design, and sustainable tourism development.