Ol'au Palau

The Palau Legacy Project together with Host/Havas has developed the Ol'au Palau app, which enables tourists to earn points by respecting the country's local culture and protecting its environment.

Ol'au Palau aims to promote eco-tourism in the country. In addition, tourists can earn points by showing responsible and regenerative behavior, such as avoiding the use of single-use plastics supporting Palauan businesses and communities that are reducing their impact on the environment, and cooperating in the communities' regenerative tourism projects, among others.

How does the app reward points to tourists? Palauan visitors can earn points in the Ol'au Palau app by doing the following: applying reef-safe sunscreen to prevent damage to the coral and marine life and using Palau's personal carbon calculator to offset their carbon footprint.

After accumulating the points, tourists can exchange them to unlock a variety of experiences that are normally reserved for Palauans. This includes accessing pristine parts of the island swimming in hidden caves and visiting villages for taro patch tours.

In 2017, the Palau Pledge was implemented, which is an environmental pledge to the children of Palau. This pledge educates visitors about their potential impact on the environment and culture of the country.

The Palau Pledge was named the “Most Awarded Campaign” in 2018. In collaboration with the Bureau of Tourism, Palau Pledge has also developed the Palau Business Pledge, which is an official certification program that supports local businesses by highlighting their efforts to contribute to the local community and promote sustainability.

In April 2022, Ol’au Palau was launched in the country to measure and track the visitors' actions while also rewarding them as they treat Palau's environment and culture with respect.