The Duke of Sussex has made comments on the travel industry and how he sees it moving forward. The prince is an adventurous international traveler and comes from one of the most traveled places in the world. Due to this and his global influence, his comments hit hard on the public. From sustainable travel to respecting communities abroad, Prince Harry sheds some light on the travel industry. Learn more about Prince Harry’s initiative and the civic responsibility that travelers have to the global travel industry.
On The Travel Industry & Responsible Tourism
At the annual general meeting of Travalyst, Prince Harry (virtually) made clear statements about the reality of the travel industry. Travalyst is a non-profit initiative he launched in 2019. The organization focuses on making the travel industry more sustainable. In tandem with big names in the travel industry, Travalyst encourages travelers to take trips responsibly and respect communities abroad. Some of the organizations that Travalyst has formed a coalition with include Tripadvisor, Visa, Google, Expedia Group and Booking.com.
So, the Travalyst meeting was an ideal place to further the global discussion on the wellbeing of the travel industry. Especially since the two day meeting brought together industry experts and some of the biggest brands in travel. Prince Harry spoke on the successes of Travalyst, like vetting sustainability certifications for accommodation providers. The organization plans to share the list of certified providers to the public. This resource will help bring attention to places that are trying to prioritize sustainability.
Travalyst also supports programs that make other types of strides to improve society and as a result, the tourism industry. For example, Invisible Cities is one organization that Travalyst supports. It is striving to train those that have been impacted by homelessness to be tour guides in their city. But another part of the address focused on how travelers can preserve and improve travel and tourism.
Pince Harry made comments on how the travel industry should, in general, support those that keep it going. He says that the industry needs to “do better” as a whole. But he particularly notes that the industry needs to improve efforts for travel sustainably. In his words, “Travel and tourism relies on destinations, held together by communities, without which we have nowhere to travel to. Communities are the beating heart of travel, and we must do better by the people who are the custodians of the places we visit.”
Sustainable Travel
The responsibility of sustainable tourism, in part, falls on travelers. Especially since communities abroad are directly impacted by tourist activity and the overall tourism industry. This makes it is incredibly important for travelers to consider their footprint. But with the progression of climate change, travelers are starting to take sustainability more seriously in many ways. So things like making eco-friendly consumer decisions, traveling to immerse themselves in local culture and having a positive impact on the communities in their travel destination have become more important. To create a world where restorative tourism is a reality, first it is critical to spread awareness and make tangible change. Even though Prince Harry is a very influential person and therefore can gain a lot of attention for the cause, everyday people and those that travel can make a significant impact on the travel industry.