Violators may face fines of up to a million US dollars！Thinking of visiting this resort island? You must sign a "pledge" before entry.

In recent years, Taiwan has seen a rise in off-the-beaten-path tourism, but many popular hidden attractions such as Fen Niao Lin and Ying Shi Jian have been forced to close or ban visitors due to overwhelming crowds. Palau, known as a paradise on Earth, is also facing increasing tourist numbers that put immense pressure on its natural environment. The Palauan government has pioneered the Palau Pledge, a nature conservation initiative. Starting now, all incoming travelers must sign a legally binding pledge aimed at achieving coexistence between tourism and the environment.

The Palau Pledge has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, English, and Korean so that visitors can clearly understand the contents of the oath.

With only 20,000 residents and ranking 13th smallest in land area worldwide, Palau welcomes up to 160,000 tourists annually, and tourism accounts for nearly 85% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). While tourism is the main economic driver for Palau, it also puts huge stress on the local environment. Not only do tourist behaviors negatively impact the lives of local residents and the ecosystem, but extreme weather has also threatened coral reefs and marine life.

For example, last year, it was reported that Jellyfish Lake — famous worldwide — had no jellyfish at all, and the vigorous movements of snorkelers have severely disturbed the marine ecosystem. Therefore, the Palauan government hopes to actively communicate with tourists through the Palau Pledge and change how visitors interact with the environment.

The Palauan government invited local children to help establish the Palau Pledge, aiming to make travelers aware that all their actions will deeply affect future generations.

The Palau Pledge is listed as a mandatory procedure for entering Palau, and travelers must sign it before being allowed entry.

Valuing its natural resources, Palau has long been a global leader in environmental conservation: in 2009, it became the first country to ban shark fishing nationwide and prohibit destructive bottom trawling; in 2015, it established the world’s largest national marine sanctuary, where all exploitation is prohibited to preserve the pristine natural landscape. The goal is to continue developing tourism without compromising ecological integrity.

Starting with the first flight to Palau on December 7 this year, the Palauan government will stamp the Palau Pledge in the passports of all arriving travelers. Everyone is required to read the pledge carefully and sign it. This pledge, co-developed with participation from local children, is intended to have visitors promise the country’s future leaders to minimize their environmental impact during their stay in Palau. The pledge carries mandatory legal force, and violators of its terms may face fines of up to 1 million US dollars.

Palauan President Tommy Remengesau once remarked on this policy, “The Earth is not what we inherited from our ancestors, but what we borrow from our children.” He therefore decided to involve local children in creating the Palau Pledge. The Palauan Ministry of Education also plans to integrate this philosophy into school curricula to instill in children the importance of ecological conservation for the nation’s future.