Much attention has been paid to the understanding of tourists’ destination image, while local residents’ perception of their place as a tourist destination (residents’ destination image) has received relatively little academic attention. The need to expand our knowledge and understanding of residents’ destination image in the future is unquestionable. This perspective article briefly presents the first era of research on this field, critiquing its predominantly descriptive nature. Areas that seek further attention along with directions for future research have been highlighted including the need for rigorous theoretical foundations; design of global measurement instruments; wider application of qualitative and quantitative tools; along with a better understanding of the diverse role of residents in the digital context
