Love is a verb: bolstering destination evangelism through the interplay of destination brand love and destination psychological ownership

Purpose The recent shift from a tourist-centered dominant logic to a resident-centered dominant logic has placed residents at the core of successful destination branding. While residents are recognized as key agents in the success of destination branding, the literature highlights the misrepresentation and exclusion of residents in this process. This study aims to evaluate the contributions of destination brand love and destination psychological ownership in fostering evangelistic tendencies among residents. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data were collected from 332 residents in Dodoma City, Tanzania, and analyzed quantitatively using structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicate that the interplay between destination brand love and destination psychological ownership is essential for fueling destination evangelism. Practical implications The study recommends that destination management organizations (DMOs) implement various initiatives to enhance residents’ commitment and passion for the destination brand, thereby garnering their support for the brand. Originality/value This study represents a novel effort to examine the relationships between destination brand love, destination psychological ownership and destination evangelism among residents. It contributes to ongoing scholarly discussions about the factors that can encourage residents’ voluntary participation in promoting their tourism destinations in developing countries.