Palau's passport stamp becomes an eco-pledge every visitor signs — 150,000 by 2019

In December 2017 the Republic of Palau — whose annual tourist numbers are nearly eight times its population — changed what happens at immigration. Instead of a routine arrival stamp, every visitor's passport gets a full-page 'Palau Pledge' addressed to the children of Palau: 'I take this pledge, as your guest, to preserve and protect your beautiful and unique island home.' Visitors sign it at the border.

The idea came from the Palau Legacy Project, four marketing and PR professionals who had watched tourists treat the islands like a dump, working with Sydney agency Host/Havas and the Palauan government. Schoolchildren helped write the words, which are printed in five languages; a film called 'The Giant', inspired by a Palauan legend and played on every inbound flight, explains the pledge before visitors land. In November 2018 the Responsible Tourism and Education Act wrote it into law.

By early 2019, 150,000 visitors had signed — more than 6,000 in the first two weeks alone. The campaign became the first immigration policy of its kind in the world and one of the most awarded conservation works of its year: three Grands Prix at Cannes 2018, two D&AD Black Pencils, and Clio and London International Awards Grands Prix, with Iceland, New Zealand and Hawaii each launching their own version.