Being a ‘fan’ of a destination: conceptualising ‘destination fandom’ in tourism

Many people develop profound and enduring connections with the destinations they visit, expressing a level of devotion and symbolic meanings that resembles fandom. While tourism research has extensively examined tourist–destination relationships, being a fan of a destination as a distinct and theoretically grounded phenomenon remains underexplored. This research conceptualises destination fandom for the first time through a qualitative, two-stage study design combining in-depth interviews and a netnographic analysis of destination-focused online communities. Findings reveal that the formation of destination fandom unfolds through six themes: triggering experiences, emotional and mystical attachment, community integration and advocacy, and enduring devotion. By revealing how destinations become objects of individual and collective devotion, this research opens a new research avenue at the intersection of tourism, consumer culture and fandom studies, while offering practical and social implications for destination stakeholders at multiple levels.