On Tuesday April 16, at the annual meeting of Travalyst, the organization he founded in 2019 to promote sustainable tourism, Prince Harry highlighted the need for travelers to do more to protect the communities they visit during their vacation. Speaking via video link from his residence in California, the youngest son of King Charles III warned that without such a move, “
the future of tourism could be compromised
”.
Appearing relaxed in a collared shirt and blazer, the Duke of Sussex, 39, spoke via screen as Travalyst members gathered in the south of France for a two-day summit bringing together the most leading brands in the travel and technology sectors. Addressing a group gathered at the offices of travel agency Amadeus in the Sophia Antipolis technology park, the prince said: “
Travel and tourism depend on destinations, supported by communities, without which we cannot would have nowhere to travel
.
These are the vibrant heart of travel, and we must do better for the people who are stewards of the places we visit.
»
A commitment and controversies
Harry also praised several organizations, including Invisible Cities (
an association that trains homeless people to become tourist guides in their own city, Editor's note
), and the World Himalayan Expedition, whose programs have helped electrify more than 200 villages in the Himalayas, impacting the lives of more than 60,000 people. “
More and more people want to make travel choices so that the benefits benefit everyone
,” added Harry.
Travalyst and its partners, representing a combined market value of nearly $3 billion, are working hard to deliver this resource on a systemic level
.” Since its creation, this organization has mainly focused on accommodation and air transport with large partner groups, such as Booking.com, the Expedia group, Google, Mastercard, Tripadvisor and Visa.
Harry's virtual appearance comes days after it was announced that he was pursuing a new deal with Netflix. He and his wife Meghan Markle have notably signed two shows for the streaming platform. The programs whose titles have not yet been announced are currently in the early stages of production. The first will be themed around the interests of the Duchess of Sussex, such as gardening, cooking or spending time with friends. The second will focus on the world of professional polo, a sport dear to the heart of Prince Harry. Episodes whose images were mainly filmed during the polo championship in Wellington, Florida. The two programs will be partly overseen by Archewell Productions, the company founded by... the Sussexes.
Business is business
.
Sustainable tourism and private jets
While Harry, like his father who has campaigned for over 50 years on issues such as sustainability and climate change, is a strong advocate for environmental causes, that's hard to defend when he uses private jets to travel to his commitments... Which the prince justifies by the “occasional need to protect his family while systematically offsetting his carbon dioxide emissions.”
However, since their sudden departure to Montecito in California and the famous “Megxit”, the couple has reduced their trips to the United Kingdom. Harry notably made the trip at the time of the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Meghan Markle, the mother of her two children, Archie (4 years old) and Lilibet (2 years old), did not go to the coronation of King Charles II in May 2023. The prince's last known visit to the United Kingdom Uni dates back to February 6: he then briefly returned to London to see his father Charles whose cancer had just been announced. And for their next trip, the Sussex clan will have to put their hands in their pockets to take care of their security. British justice, which had refused in February to grant systematic police protection to Prince Harry during his visits to the United Kingdom, rejected the Duke of Sussex's appeal on Monday and ordered him to pay almost all legal costs in this case.