Wednesday 4 September 2019

Prince Harry launches sustainable travel initiative

Prince Harry has joined forces with some heavy hitters of the global travel industry to launch a new initiative aimed at raising awareness and promoting sustainable travel.

He has partnered with travel companies including Booking.com, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor, Visa and China's Ctrip to launch 'Travalyst' to “spark a movement to transform the future of travel”, putting communities at the heart of the solution.

Working with companies, consumers and communities, the partnership will initially explore and promote solutions that help drive sustainable practices and consumer choices in areas including: supporting local people, protecting wildlife, tackling climate change and environmental damage and alleviating over-tourism.

The founding partners will use their platforms to help consumers make more sustainable choices when booking trips, which include environmentally friendly decisions such as tips on offsetting carbon emissions as well as working with local communities at tourist destinations.

Travalyst is the first endeavor to fall under the umbrella of the Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle's new charitable foundation, Sussex Royal.

The launch of the initiative comes just weeks after they were widely criticised for using private jets despite campaigning for environmental causes.

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Speaking at the launch in Amsterdam, Prince Harry said: “Travalyst will work to make sure that tourism substantially contributes to the long-term interests of communities, who in turn, will be incentivised to safeguard those destinations. As it stands, in rural communities, especially in developing countries, the overwhelming majority of money spent by tourists leaks away before it can make a lasting impact. We have to change that.

“If conducted responsibly, tourism can benefit communities for generations. It can build schools, create jobs, strengthen safety nets – and it can create a virtuous cycle, as communities protect what promotes further tourism. Sustainability and economic stability, we believe, are two sides of the same coin. After all, healthy ecosystems are the lifeline for all of us.

“By promoting and incentivising sustainable decision-making, by helping us as consumers stay better informed and by empowering communities, Travalyst will strive to change both the travel industry and the world for the better— and for the long term.”