The Duke of Sussex has said tourism is a “double-edged sword” that can harm communities, as his travel sustainability organisation celebrated its five-year anniversary.
Harry said his comments were influenced by “conversation and debate around campfires” with experts that he is “proud to call friends”.
He founded Travalyst, and the not-for-profit organisation announced its five-year plan at an event at Climate Week NYC, in New York, on Tuesday.
The organisation works to make sustainability information more mainstream, and is aiming to “centralise the collection and distribution of sustainability data” to “help travellers make informed decisions about how and where they travel to”.
The Duke of Sussex said: “I’ve seen first hand how travel and tourism can be a double-edged sword, both a force that has the potential to do tremendous good or, if mismanaged, inflict significant harm.
“These experiences, as well as years of conversation and debate around campfires with experts that I’m proud to call friends, have shaped my understanding of the critical bond between people, wildlife, and the environment we share.”
He added: “By 2020, we’re expecting 1.8 billion international arrivals each year, nearly double the numbers we saw just two decades ago.
“That kind of growth can only be sustainable if we prioritise not just profit, but people and places too.”
Harry said Travalyst and its partners represent a combined market value of nearly three trillion dollars (£2.23 trillion).
He added that it is committed to using the funds to “ensure that travel not only sustains communities but helps them thrive”.
Its partners include the travel brands Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Sabre, Skyscanner, Travelport, Trip.com Group and Tripadvisor, as well as Google, Mastercard and Visa.
Travalyst said it has “scaled emissions estimates” for flights across billions of searches on major booking platforms to help people fly with lower emissions.
It is also working on a similar project in the accommodation sector and wants to look at rail, activities and destinations in the future.
Sally Davey, Travalyst chief executive, said: “Today, there is no single source of truth for sustainability data for the tourism industry.
“The information that does exist is fragmented, incomplete and often behind paywalls.
“This can leave the industry feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, and travellers confused and disengaged. We want to help change that.
“Travalyst is working to align the industry behind the same sustainability data for accommodation providers, and then scale this information so that travellers see the full picture of where they are staying, beyond price and reviews.
“We aim to do this in a way that democratises access to information and ensures vital sustainability data is available to everyone.”
The organisation also announced it has acquired Weeva, a digital platform for making travel sustainability information more accessible to businesses.
Julie Cheetham was “part of the initial group of thought leaders to found Weeva”, which was used in 86 countries, and she is joining Harry’s organisation as its chief operations officer, Travalyst said.
It added that Amina Razvi will be its chief partnerships and development officer.
She is the former chief executive officer at Cascale which works on sustainability in fashion and textile industries.
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