The social construction of the destination image is key to understanding how the destination image is altered at the destination. The current study, therefore, aims to understand how the destination image is socially constructed through social encounters at the destination. The concepts used for this study are the destination image, social constructionism and the social encounters at the destination. This study further uses the emotional response from the social encounters and the meaning attached to the destination image by the travel group. Data for the study has been collected from Dutch tourists visiting Sweden within the last year. The data collection consisted of seven qualitative semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using a thematic analysis with four themes. The study found that social encounters evoke an emotional response in the Dutch tourists. This is often experienced as feeling more at peace and calm, reciprocating the locals' friendliness and enthusiasm, and viewing Sweden as a calm and safe environment. The study further found that within the travel group, the experiences are discussed and given meaning. All the experiences, combined with their attached meanings, contribute to the meaning given to the destination, which in turn leads to the destination image being socially constructed. Furthermore, this study adds to the existing body of literature on destination image by viewing it as a socially constructed concept that can be shaped through tourist-to-companion interactions.