S2, E31: Do Travel Better Pledges Really Make a Difference?

A new trend is emerging in the travel world: destinations heavily influenced by tourism are introducing pledges for travelers to sign, committing to respectful behavior towards these places. This week on Unpacked, we dive into these pledges and explore their effectiveness.

Transcript

Aislyn Greene, host: I’m Aislyn Greene, and you’re listening to Unpacked, where we dissect complex travel topics each week. This week, we focus on travel pledges.

Have you ever encountered or signed one of these pledges? They represent a commitment to positively impact the destinations you visit in various ways. If you haven't, don't worry—by the end of this episode, you'll be well-informed. Our expert this week is Tim Chester, deputy editor at Dinogo, who signed his first pledge last year. He'll share insights from that experience and his quest to understand why these pledges exist, their intended outcomes, and whether they truly have an impact.

Aislyn: Hi, Tim! Great to have you back on Unpacked.

Tim Chester: Thank you! It's good to be here.

Aislyn: What inspired you to cover this story? What motivated you to report on it?

Tim: Well, I had a personal experience with pledges when I visited Haida Gwaii about a year or two ago. I found it fascinating that this concept has spread globally.

I was intrigued by how quickly the idea of travel pledges has been embraced by countries worldwide. It feels particularly relevant right now, especially since I recently came across a BBC article about problematic tourist behavior. This raises an interesting question: could these pledges be a solution?

Aislyn: So, did signing the pledge change how you approached your trip?

Tim: Absolutely. Especially in Haida, where there's such rich history and culture. Spending a week exploring the archipelago with guides prompted me to ask more questions, listen attentively, and engage more deeply with the area. I became more aware of my actions and their potential impact during my visit.

Aislyn: That’s wonderful! You lead a lot of our coverage on travel for good and sustainability. What do you hope travelers take away from this episode?

Tim: I believe it’s essential for all of us to recognize the privilege of travel and how to conduct ourselves in someone else's space, be it a personal residence or an entire country. I hope listeners will be intrigued by the various challenges faced by different nations and the advantages and disadvantages that travel brings. Ultimately, it’s crucial to remember that our travel experiences should be mutually beneficial for us and our hosts.

Aislyn: Let’s dive into the details of these pledges.

Tim: Last year, I visited Haida Gwaii, an enchanting archipelago located a few hours north of Vancouver in British Columbia. I spent a week there and was captivated by its stunning beauty, with dense forests and beaches adorned with driftwood. It truly felt like a magical place.

This archipelago is also the ancestral home of the Haida people, an Indigenous community that has lived on these islands for centuries. They are renowned for many cultural treasures, including the remarkable memorial poles intricately carved with figures from Haida mythology.

The Haida are also known for their dedicated stewardship of the islands. Before my visit, I discovered a pledge on their website that I could sign, committing to treat the islands with the same respect as the Haida people do.

The pledge states, “I will respect Haida Gwaii and Haida Ways of Being during my visit.”

Among the guidelines, it encourages visitors to communicate kindly, listen with intention, seek permission before taking photographs, support local businesses, and contribute to the community wherever possible.

The site highlights the region's intricate history, referencing the realities of colonization, genocide, and forced assimilation that took place here and across Canada. It underscores that anyone visiting Haida Gwaii may be affected by these historical wounds. This awareness is crucial for travelers exploring the island.

This was one of the first travel manifestos advocating for better tourism that I encountered. I later discovered that the Haida Gwaii pledge is part of a broader initiative where destinations globally invite travelers to commit to various positive behaviors.

While each pledge differs slightly, they all have shared themes. These guidelines serve as gentle reminders and polite nudges, often blending advice for safe and mindful travel with a touch of humor.

Tim: In Bend, Oregon:

Voice 1: I’ll create my own memories, but I won’t forge my own paths. While enjoying the outdoors, I’ll be ready for sudden weather changes and unexpected moments of wonder.

Tim: In Lake Tahoe, California:

Voice 2: I will move like a ninja, leaving no trace; my presence will be light and my touch soft.

Tim: In Finland, a poem:

Voice 3: The berries and mushrooms are tempting, but I’ll stick to the well-trodden paths. I understand that Finns might appear a bit reserved, yet this pledge will help build their trust in me.

Tim: In Iceland:

Voice 4: I will capture breathtaking photos, but I won’t risk my life for them.

Tim: Iceland pioneered this initiative in 2017 after a traveler tragically died from a fall on a glacier in 2015. The Icelandic Pledge advises visitors to 'never go off-road' since such driving is prohibited in the country. It also emphasizes being ready for all types of weather, possibilities, and adventures.

Beyond ensuring safety, the country aimed to promote responsible tourism. This trend rapidly gained traction, leading to the emergence of similar pledges worldwide in various locations.

Adora Nobuo: The Palau Pledge was created as part of our commitment to preserving the beauty of Palau.

Tim: That’s Adora Nobuo, the program coordinator for the Friends of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization supporting the nation’s vast 475,000-square-mile marine sanctuary. In 2015, the island faced challenges due to the influx of tourism, with only 20,000 residents receiving 160,000 visitors annually.

Adora Nobuo: The influx of visitors really strained our infrastructure and way of life. We noticed many individuals were not environmentally aware, often showing a lack of respect for nature. There was an abundance of litter and actions that didn’t align with our cultural values.

Tim: For the people of Palau, sustainability and resource management are integral to daily life, a tradition upheld for centuries.

Adora: As a Palauan, I was taught these principles, which are essential for maintaining the purity of our island and ensuring resources are not exhausted. When scientists, environmentalists, and conservationists visit, they often try to categorize us as conservationists, but we simply respond, 'No, we’re just Palauans. This is our way of life.'

Tim: The country aimed to encourage travelers to adopt similar mindsets. A group of women, including the former first lady, convened to explore solutions and reached out to an unexpected source for help in crafting the pledge.

Adora: They turned to the children of Palau and asked, 'What message would you like to share with visitors to ensure they respect and care for your home?'

Tim: The children crafted messages for the visitors, which the women then compiled to create the pledge. In 2017, it was officially signed into law. Now, every traveler entering the country receives a stamp with the pledge, which they must sign.

The pledge begins with: 'Children of Palau, I commit to this pledge as your guest, to safeguard and cherish your beautiful and unique island home…'

Adora: It concludes with, 'the only mark I will leave behind are the footprints that will wash away.' This captures the essence of what the children wanted to convey.

Tim: Additionally, the pledge includes a $100 fee, which is directed towards environmental conservation efforts.

They are also developing a new initiative that will incentivize travelers for their sustainable actions. A new app will allow visitors to earn points based on their environmentally friendly behavior, unlocking exclusive experiences typically reserved for the local community.

Adora: We are exploring ways to unite the community, businesses, and visitors to collaboratively ensure that Palau remains untouched and beautiful.

Tim: While covering this story, I noticed that these pledges create a ripple effect; the efforts of one nation often inspire another's initiatives.

Adora: Approximately two years ago, Kanu Hawaii contacted us regarding the Palau Pledge, expressing their inspiration and desire to develop a similar pledge for Hawaiian children.

Tim: Kanu Hawaii is an organization focused on promoting sustainable tourism in the state. Their executive director, Keone Kealoha, collaborated with the founders of the Palau Pledge to create the Pledge to Our Keiki, which they launched in 2021.

The pledge mirrors the Palau initiative by asking travelers to commit to preserving Hawaii for future generations. However, instead of paying a fee or receiving a passport stamp, visitors can engage in volunteer opportunities with one of 300 nonprofits across the state.

Adora aspires for more nations to draw inspiration from these pledges.

Adora: It's fascinating to see the momentum of this movement growing. We hope to engage more countries and individuals in becoming more aware of their daily actions and how they impact their communities to further protect the environment.

New Zealand promotional video:

Ko Papatūānuku te whaea o te whenua: Papatūānuku is our Mother Earth

Ko Tangaroa te moana ngā awa, ngā roto: Tangaroa is our ocean, our rivers, our lakes

Ko Aotearoa o tātou kainga: New Zealand is our home

It is a treasure. Everyone who lives in or visits this land has a duty to protect it.

Tiaki signifies caring for both people and the environment. The Tiaki Promise is a pledge to safeguard New Zealand for current and future generations.

Tim: This is part of the promotional video for the Tiaki Promise, which was officially launched in 2018 by New Zealand—another nation inspired by Palau.

Rebecca Ingram: 'Tiaki' represents a kaupapa, meaning it is a collaborative effort that unites seven different organizations.

Tim: That’s Rebecca Ingram, the CEO of Tourism Industry Aotearoa. Previously, she worked at Tourism New Zealand and played a key role in developing the Tiaki Promise.

The pledge is available online, inviting visitors to commit to responsible travel by treading lightly, traveling safely, and honoring the local culture. They can download a graphic from the website to share their commitment with friends.

In crafting their pledge, they drew upon Indigenous knowledge.

Rebecca: What sets us apart in New Zealand compared to other global pledges is our concept of Tiaki Care for New Zealand, which embodies the core values that support the Tiaki Promise.

Tim: These values are centered around kaitiakitanga, a Māori principle that refers to the guardianship of the sky, sea, and land, and I hope I’m pronouncing it correctly.

Rebecca: We didn’t want to merely say, 'Please dispose of your trash properly.' Our goal was to help people grasp our perspective on environmental care and stewardship.

Tim: While reporting this story, I kept wondering about one thing. The pledges are undoubtedly inspiring and well-intentioned, but how effective are they, really?

Rebecca: It’s fair to acknowledge that we haven’t achieved all the progress we hoped for in recent years with international visitors.

Tim: Rebecca mentions that the team is currently monitoring the data, but they won’t fully understand the impact of the Tiaki Promise until next year. A significant hurdle is spreading the word to all potential travelers, and the pandemic-related border closures certainly didn’t help.

Rebecca: Unless you have hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure your message reaches everywhere all the time, much like the Barbie movie, it’s going to take time to gain traction.

Tim: Rebecca feels content with that perspective. She prefers the Tiaki Promise to be woven into the very fabric of tourism in New Zealand rather than being a marketing strategy that intensifies during crises. She notes that New Zealanders take great pride in the pledge and has observed some encouraging signs among international visitors.

Rebecca: I can always tell when something resonates because people start asking where they can get the t-shirt. That’s a clear indication that you’ve created a connection; when people want to wear it, you know it matters to them.

Tim: Travel pledges seem like a no-brainer. They’re simple to establish and, in theory, straightforward to adhere to. They encourage travelers to respect their destinations, reflect on their actions, and typically involve sharing a promise on social media. But could they also be easy to overlook or dismiss? I reached out to Ben Lynam for his insights. He’s the head of communications for the Travel Foundation, a UK-based nonprofit.

Ben: Currently, there’s almost no evidence that sustainability pledges by themselves attract more responsible travelers or promote more responsible behaviors.

Tim: He mentioned that there’s a danger in overemphasizing individual responsibility, particularly given the sheer number of travelers worldwide.

Ben: That’s why at the Travel Foundation, we focus on promoting quality tourism rather than just quality tourists (the latter often carries a hint of elitism). This approach calls for genuine change throughout the industry: developing hotels, attractions, and services that are inherently sustainable and operate well within the social and environmental limits of the destination. In such an environment, visitors can make sustainable choices effortlessly.

Tim: However, he believes that pledges can be effective to some degree if they are integrated into the overall experience of the traveler. He cited the example of a national park that encourages visitors to stick to the trails.

Ben: In a national park, visitors might promise to stay on the paths and see reminders urging them to do so. However, it’s even more effective to preemptively address the issue by making it easier and more engaging for people to follow the recommended routes.

Tim: It turns out that Rebecca and her team had already considered this.

Rebecca: One of our initial steps when launching Tiaki was to reflect on the visitor's journey and determine the optimal moments for Tiaki Care for New Zealand to be integrated into that experience.

Tim: Currently, travelers are most likely to encounter the Tiaki Promise video on social media before their departure or during their flight to New Zealand.

Rebecca: For instance, there's a stunning video showcasing Tiaki Care for New Zealand. You'll catch it during your flight or perhaps through some social media interactions as you're about to leave your home country for New Zealand. We understand that when you're planning months ahead, you're often focused on logistics like budgeting, packing, and activities rather than details like how to dispose of your waste responsibly.

Tim: Clearly, the need for travel pledges is more critical than ever. Recent headlines have been filled with accounts of poor traveler behavior, ranging from a French woman arrested for carving her initials into the Leaning Tower of Pisa to a German tourist stripping down in a temple in Bali.

The Haida Gwaii pledge certainly encouraged me to reflect more on my actions. It provided me with valuable insights into the region's history, and I hope it helped me listen more attentively to the people I encountered during my travels. Ultimately, I believe the true value of travel pledges lies in shifting travelers' mindsets towards their destinations. Ideally, before they even embark on their journey, they are already considering what is best for the places they will visit.

Rebecca: The most impactful thing visitors can do is to make different choices based on their understanding of Tiaki. That's really what we aspire to achieve: a deeper connection throughout their journey, leading them to be more mindful and aware of the decisions they make while traveling through the country.

Aislyn: Have you ever participated in a pledge, or would you consider it? Share your thoughts at [email protected]. To discover more about the Tiaki Promise, visit tiakinewzealand.com. For Palau’s pledge, head to palaupledge.com. And for Hawaii’s Pledge to Keiki, check out kanuhawaii.org. Join us next week as we delve into the fascinating world of maps.

Eager for more unpacking? Check out Dinogo.com, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Our magazine is @Dinogomedia. If you enjoyed today’s journey, we’d love to have you back for more intriguing stories. Subscribing makes it easy! You can find Unpacked on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform. And please rate and review the show—it helps other travelers discover it. We want to hear from you too: Is there a travel dilemma, trend, or topic you’d like us to explore? Reach out at Dinogo.com/feedback or email us at unpacked@Dinogo.com.

This has been Unpacked, a production of Dinogo Media. The podcast is brought to you by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with music composed by Chris Colin.

And remember: The world is complex. We’re here to help you make sense of it.

Eager for more unpacking? Visit Dinogo.com and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. The magazine is @Dinogomedia. If you liked today’s exploration, we hope to see you back for more captivating stories. Subscribing is easy! Find Unpacked on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform, and don’t forget to rate and review the show to help other travelers find it. We’d love to hear from you: Is there a travel dilemma, trend, or topic you’d like us to discuss? Let us know at Dinogo.com/feedback or email us at unpacked@Dinogo.com.

This concludes Unpacked, a production by Dinogo Media. The podcast is crafted by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with music composed by Chris Colin.

And keep in mind: The world is intricate. We’re here to help you make sense of it all.