What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

Gili Trawangan is a popular Indonesian island destination hosting over 2,000 daily global tourists seeking sports, entertainment, and natural beauty. While tourism has been beneficial for the local economy, this influx of visitors poses threats to marine biodiversity.

An attempt to enforce local nature preservation has been set in place: Scuba divers must pay a 50,000 IDR fee (approx. $3.75USD) to support Gili Eco Trust’s coral reef conservation. However, divers comprise only 15% of total tourists. Although the remaining 85% of tourists have concerns regarding waste generation, the island has yet to find an effective donation strategy which activates their contribution as well towards local conservation efforts.

The Green Nudge:

Researchers Nelson, K. M., Partelow, S., & Schlüter, A. (2019) collaborated with Gili Eco Trust to design the survey and enlisted Gili Eco Trust interns as research assistants. These interns engaged 790 tourists between April 2017 and April 2018 in the harbour waiting area. They introduced themselves as Gili Eco Trust interns working on a tourism research project and, upon tourists‘ consent, distributed a concise survey printed on A4 paper. Additionally, tourists had the opportunity to make monetary donations into a wooden box featuring the Gili Eco Trust logo, held by the research assistant.

Unbeknownst to the tourists, they were randomly assigned to one of six experimental conditions, with the request for a voluntary contribution placed at the bottom of the sheet.

The study included six donation request options: an open-ended option allowing tourists to specify their donation amount, an “anchor points” approach offering preset amounts with space for „Other,“ two default opt-in options suggesting contributions of Rp.10,000 ($0.75USD) and Rp.20,000 ($1.50USD), and two default opt-out options, indicating non-agreement with the recommended Rp.10,000 ($0.75USD) and Rp.20,000 ($1.50USD) contributions to Gili Eco Trust Foundation.

The result: The study revealed that the opt-out options proved to be the most successful as people tend to avoid the extra effort to tick the box. This research underscores the impact of minor interventions in advancing natural environment conservation. Considering the ratio of participants contributing and the amount donated, and taking into account an estimated annual tourist count of approximately 1 million visitors to Gili Trawangan.

What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

High altitude lakes nestled in the French Savoy Mountains are pristine and fragile ecosystems that have long been cherished for their natural beauty and serenity. However, these idyllic alpine sanctuaries are facing a growing threat – mass tourism. As tourists flock to the Savoie region in search of adventure and relaxation, they often indulge in the tempting activity of swimming in these pristine mountain lakes. While swimming can be a delightful experience, it comes at a cost to these delicate ecosystems.

Mountain lakes are particularly sensitive environments, where a delicate balance of flora and fauna thrives in crystal-clear waters. The influx of tourists dipping into these alpine waters disrupts this equilibrium. Human activity introduces pollutants, disturbs the habitats of aquatic creatures, and can lead to erosion around the shorelines.

The Green Nudge:

In a bid to preserve the fragile mountain ecosystems of the Savoie department, the local authorities commissioned the „NUDGE ME“ agency. In the summer of 2023, in four of the region’s pristine mountain lakes, the agency deployed two green nudge sign designs for testing: the shark and the mermaid.

What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

Palau, a Polynesian island nation, faces a critical challenge rooted in its heavy reliance on tourism (85% of its GDP, pre-COVID). Tourism alone equates to more than eight times its own population, with 160,000 tourists arriving each year. However, it also poses a significant threat as thousands of tourists year after year leave behind trash, engage in harmful interactions with nature and pose a significant danger to the islands’ delicate ecosystem.

The local government initially pursued a communication strategy centred on the island’s visitor experience and natural beauty. However, despite these efforts attracting more visitors, they failed to address the initial problem.

The Green Nudge:

A group of four local activists joined forces with Host/Havas and created the ‘Palau Pledge,’ which asks visitors to make a promise to preserve the island’s extraordinary wonders. This is achieved through a mandatory passport stamp, which every traveller must sign upon their arrival in Palau.