The role of governmental actors in the management and development of destinations has been the topic of many previous studies. In short, local governmental actors are widely recognised as principal and influential stakeholders in processes of tourism development. This paper seeks to add to these studies, and to increase understanding of the governance of tourism destinations, by elucidating what expectations destination management professionals (DMPs) in five different destinations in Sweden have of local governments. Empirically, the paper gives an account of what DMPs understand as the main challenges in destination management, and how they conceptualise the role of local governments in relation to these challenges. The study suggests that DMPs hope that local governments will have the capacity to institutionalise the destination, to promote cluster initiatives, to integrate destination development in processes of strategic planning, and to ensure the provision and development of relevant knowledge. By way of conclusion, it is argued that that local governments meet with somewhat paradoxical expectations from DMPs, and that these expectations constitute an important precondition for the governance of tourism destinations.