As more destinations embrace sustainable tourism, travel pledges are gaining popularity as a simple way to invite visitors into the stewardship conversation. Purdue doctoral candidate in hospitality and tourism management, Ailin Fei, discusses what makes a good pledge and why they work.
How Travel Pledges Can Help Protect a Place
When you arrive in Palau, before you even collect your luggage, you’re asked to do something unusual: sign a pledge. It’s printed right there in your passport, an official commitment to “tread lightly, act kindly, and explore mindfully,” written from the perspective of the country’s children. This isn’t just a tourism formality. It’s a moment that sticks with you. Suddenly, you’re not just a traveler. You’re a guest with responsibilities.
As more destinations embrace sustainable tourism, travel pledges like Palau’s are gaining popularity as a simple but powerful way to invite visitors into the stewardship conversation.
Travel pledges are public declarations often made by visitors themselves to act as responsible guests during their stay. Whether tied to cultural respect, environmental protection, or safety, these pledges reflect a growing recognition that sustainable tourism depends not only on infrastructure and policy but also on traveler behavior. They’re increasingly seen as part of a broader destination stewardship strategy that prioritizes long-term quality of life for residents and the integrity of local ecosystems.
Unlike regulations or formal codes of conduct, pledges are voluntary and often symbolic. Yet their impact can be surprisingly far-reaching. At their best, travel pledges can inspire, educate, and connect visitors to the destination.
What Makes a Good Pledge?
Effective pledges are short, visible, and rooted in local values. They emphasize the host community’s priorities and provide clear, memorable actions visitors can take and behaviors they might wish to avoid. Pledges work best when they are embedded into the visitor’s journey and when they feel like an invitation, not a lecture.
Below are several real-world examples of how pledges are being used by destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to shape more responsible traveler behavior.
The Palau Pledge
Often cited as the gold standard of travel pledges, the Palau Pledge requires every arriving visitor to sign a commitment that is stamped directly into their passport. Written from the perspective of the country’s children, the pledge asks tourists to “tread lightly, act kindly, and explore mindfully.” The physical act of signing makes the pledge personal and powerful. This strategy turns an abstract concept into a meaningful moment at the border.
The Icelandic Pledge
Iceland’s booming tourism industry brought a need for better visitor education. Their pledge invites travelers to commit to actions like staying on marked trails and respecting local customs. Visitors are prompted to sign the pledge online while planning their trip. Alternatively, there is an Icelandic Pledge Button located in the arrivals hall of Keflavik Airport. The Icelandic Pledge highlights that being a responsible tourist in Iceland means keeping nature safe and communities respected.
Taking the Icelandic Pledge. Courtesy Travel Iceland
The Sustainable Finland Pledge
Finland’s pledge aligns with its national brand as a destination grounded in nature and wellbeing. The pledge is integrated into Visit Finland’s website and encourages reflection before travel. Rather than listing rules, it encourages visitors to “travel in harmony” and “share good.” The Sustainable Finland Pledge helps set a value-forward tone and communicates what Finland stands for.
The Esperance Promise (Australia)
Developed for the remote region of Esperance in Western Australia, this locally-led pledge emphasizes specific behaviors that protect the region’s fragile coastlines, wildlife, and community spaces. What makes the Esperance Promise compelling is its format: short, visual bullet points that are easy to display in visitor centers, accommodations, and public areas.
The Tiaki Promise (New Zealand)
Rooted in Māori values, the Tiaki Promise is more than a checklist. It invites visitors to act as guardians, or kaitiaki, of the land, sea, and culture. Visitors are asked to protect nature, travel safely, show respect, and care for the people and places they encounter. What sets Tiaki apart is its storytelling approach: it frames responsible travel not just as behavior, but as a deeper relationship between visitor and place.
Why Pledges Work
Pledges don’t guarantee perfect behavior, but they do create a moment of reflection. When thoughtfully designed, they help visitors recognize that they’re entering a place with its own norms and needs. This social framing can be more effective than enforcement alone.
Pledges present an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to articulate what matters most to them. They reinforce a destination’s identity and values in a way that resonates emotionally with visitors. Even if only some travelers fully engage, the pledge serves as a cultural cue and starts conversations that ripple outward.
As more DMOs look for low-cost, high-impact ways to promote responsible travel, pledges present a promising path forward. Their power lies not in enforcement, but in invitation. It sets a reminder that every traveler is a guest, and every destination deserves respect.
Interested in Starting a Pledge?
Below are a few practical tips:
- Involve the community in drafting it. Local voices matter.
- Keep it short, action-oriented, and culturally specific.
- Display it in places where visitors make decisions such as booking websites, trailheads, hotels, and airports.
- Encourage sharing through hashtags or visuals to expand its reach.
- Consider ways to make it official like a digital badge, welcome card, or visa entry stamp.
By inviting travelers to align their actions with local values, pledges can contribute to destination stewardship among visitors.
This article draws from examples highlighted on Travel with Care, a resource hub for responsible travel for destinations created by Miles Partnership and Purdue University’s Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel Lab at the White Lodging–J.W. Marriott Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.