Youth, tourism, and the SDGs: co-creating narratives of change

The aim of our analysis is to centre the voices of young people to recognise their social justice advocacy in response to some of the most pressing global issues aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing on a Braided Narrative Analysis, we present the narratives of three young people across three countries on three different continents (Australia, Canada, and Scotland) engaged in advocacy work aligned with the SDGs. Our analysis is emergent from research with rather than on young people. Specifically, we explore the nexus between two foundational theories we use as a lens for understanding the narratives shared by our informants, including a feminist ethic of care and ‘childist’ ontological understanding of children as moral agents capable of ethical decision-making and drivers of change. Our Braided Narrative Analysis unearths themes in relation to the work of our informants based on the past, present, and future including recognising problems in the system; leading and activating change; and young people demonstrating courage, calling for inclusion, and confronting barriers.