Britain’s Prince Harry launched a sustainable travel initiative weeks after he and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, were criticized for using private jets on their vacations.
The initiative, called Travalyst, had been in the works for two years, Kensington Palace insisted. But its announcement comes after the couple was accused of being hypocritical for using private jets to fly to the south of France and Ibiza, Spain, in August, despite their environmental activism.
The Duke of Sussex, 34, flew commercial to Amsterdam, where he announced the launch of the initiative.
“What is clear across this vast landscape is that our world faces environmental challenges of unprecedented scope and scale,” Prince Harry said Tuesday. “We’ll need to work together — across sectors, borders, cultures, and generations — to reorientate the entire travel industry toward sustainability and equity, into mainstream rather than niche.”
He said several big names in the travel industry are partnering with Travalyst, including Visa, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, CTrip, and Skyscanner, to help find solutions to combat climate change, protect wildlife, and reduce the impact of overtourism.
At a question-and-answer session after his speech, Prince Harry addressed the backlash over his use of private jets.
“I spend 99% of my life traveling the world by commercial. Occasionally, there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe — and it’s generally as simple as that,” he said.
