This editorial introduces the concept of hospitable destinations and sets the context for the Special Issue articles. It begins by exploring the complex nature of destinations more generally and highlighting their links with place. The discussion then moves to critically examining intersections of hospitality and destinations, considering various drivers for mobilizing hospitableness in strategic placemaking and the impacts of emergent hospitality-related practices on disparate destination stakeholders. The next section introduces the articles in the Special Issue, which examine in diverse empirical contexts how hospitality is experienced, co-created, operationalized and strategically deployed to produce, and occasionally challenge , notions of hospitable destinations. The editorial concludes by reflecting on the implications of the Special Issue articles for future research and practice that adopts hospitality perspectives to plan, manage and examine destinations.