‘Some places stay in your soul and skin’. Is it possible to be a fan of a tourist destination?

Tourists are exhibiting behaviours akin to sports fans, such as getting tattoos of place-specific symbols or engaging in social media communities. This study aims to explore the existence of destination fans, who seem to exist in practice but are absent in the existing literature. Drawing on related research on tourist behaviour and fan engagement, fourteen in-depth interviews were conducted using an abductive grounded approach. The results identify fans of the destination that can be categorised based on factors such as first travel motivation, duration, traveller type, memorable experiences, cultural immersion, and local community interaction, among others. This study identifies destination fans as a new segment of travellers - no longer just tourists - providing valuable implications for scholars, and with significant social impact for destinations, businesses and communities.