Which is better for leading the prayer (Imamah): the traveler or the resident?

The prayer of a resident led by a traveler is permissible, and Al-Shawkani transmitted scholarly consensus on this matter. It is preferable for a resident to lead the prayer if both residents and travelers are present, unless the ruler or his deputy is a traveler, in which case he should lead them in prayer. Al-Nawawi mentioned that a resident has more right to lead the prayer than a traveler if neither the ruler nor his deputy is among them, and that the sounder opinion is that there is no dislike for a traveler to lead residents in prayer.