ABSTRACT Imaginaries and representations of ‘exoticism’ are two key forces driving the development of ethnic tourism. However, a significant challenge is that tourism imaginaries and representations portrayed by external stakeholders around the globe often objectify local people as traditional signs, visualising exoticism. To understand how local people exert their subjectivity in constructing self-representations, this article examines Miao people in Guizhou Province, China. The results show that external stakeholders’ imaginaries of exoticism indeed shape local tourism representations in a traditional way. However, the traditions represented by local Miao people transcend the stereotypical understandings of external stakeholders and exemplify the value of Miao traditions in effectively managing and empowering the community. A conceptual understanding of the subjectivity of local people in ethnic tourism is offered in this study, portraying it as ‘unappropriated being’ that is structurally vulnerable but culturally resilient. The article also suggests transferable recommendations for amplifying local voices in tourism. While these suggestions may reduce the economic profitability of tourism, they are crucial for the ethical development of ethnic tourism.