The initiative by Host/Havas will help promote respectful and responsible travel to the island nation by rewarding visitors for demonstrating responsible and regenerative behaviour during their stay.
Using the new Ol’au Palau app, tourists will be able to earn points by doing things such as using reef-safe sunscreen; frequenting businesses that are reducing their impact on the environment and culture; visiting certain culturally significant tourism sites; eating sustainably-sourced local food; participating in community regenerative tourism projects; and avoiding single-use plastics.
These points can be exchanged to unlock unique and exciting experiences, such as accessing pristine parts of the island, meeting local elders and touring historic sites, and swimming in spectacular hidden caves. Such experiences would have previously only been available to locals and friends of Palau.
The initiative was launched in response to new global market research that revealed over 90% of people want to experience a destination’s natural environment and culture and learn how to preserve and protect it during their stay. In addition, 87 per cent of people said that they would spend more for holiday in a destination that had a pristine, protected environment and culture.
The research also showed that 89 per cent of people would be more interested in visiting a country with this type of rewards program, and that participating would make them feel good about their holiday.
Alan T. Marbou, a board member for Palau Visitors Authority, said: “Palau’s tourism industry has been hit hard by the pandemic with no visitors entering Palau for almost two years. Despite the economic impact, Palau’s tourism sector is determined to stick to its high-value ecotourism strategy and find a way to bounce back sustainably from the pandemic.”
“By launching Ol’au Palau we get to reward our most conscientious guests and protect our most highly-prized tourism asset: our pristine environment and unique culture.”
