The destination image in social media has been a topic of interest for the academy, particularly in the context of marketing tourism destinations. Its influence on the visitor experience, travel decisions, and the development of promotional strategies by stakeholders has been well documented. Therefore, it is important to identify the theoretical, methodological, and practical-empirical axes of the phenomenon, based on the content found in social media and the techniques used for its analysis. Accordingly, the results of this systematic review cover the period 2012-2023 and include a multidisciplinary theoretical framework, computational and traditional techniques employed, and relevant practical-empirical contributions. Qualitative analysis of textual and photographic content generated in social media has revealed connotations and emotions caused by the image, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on the identification of image and the optimization of official advertising campaigns. Analyses of trending content, short videos, and digital graphics have been proposed as potential avenues for future investigations.