From conflict to symbiosis: the politicization of leisure time through digital citizenship in tourism and conservation campaigns

This study examines how leisure becomes politicized through digital citizenship in tourism and conservation campaigns. Using qualitative content analysis, 63 individual-led Change.org campaigns launched in Türkiye between 2015 and 2025 were purposively selected and analysed through Braun and Clarke’s (2006) [Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101] thematic approach, with Budowski’s (1976) [Tourism and environmental conservation: Conflict, coexistence, or symbiosis. Environmental Conservation, 3(1), 27–31] conflict-coexistence-symbiosis typology used as the principal analytical framework. The findings show that conflict is dominant (45 campaigns; 71.4%), while coexistence and symbiosis each account for nine campaigns (14.3%). Conflict narratives center on crisis, destruction and protest, whereas the smaller coexistence and symbiosis clusters emphasize awareness, participatory governance and policy proposals. The study argues that digital leisure can extend tourism experiences into civic advocacy, but this potential is constrained by platform visibility, digital inequality and the limited capacity of low-cost online participation to produce policy change. By reframing Budowski's legacy from a digital leisure perspective, the study offers both theoretical and empirical contributions to discussions on tourism, conservation, and participatory governance in the digital age. The findings suggest that public institutions and destination actors should treat digital campaigns as participatory signals rather than merely as crisis communication.