Prince Harry launches travel initiative 'Travalyst'

Prince Harry launches travel initiative 'Travalyst'

New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has announced a global partnership with service providers in the travel industry -- Travalyst -- to improve conservation, environmental protection and expand local community economic development by encouraging sustainable tourism practices across the industry, a statement said on Tuesday.

Led by His Royal Highness and co-founded alongside leading service providers in the travel industry, Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa, this first-of-its-kind initiative is dedicated to exploring and promoting solutions that will make travel more sustainable, the statement said.

The initiative brings together global businesses - those at the centre of connecting customers and operators in the travel market - to utilise their unique position to educate, raise awareness and promote positive change.

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.

"Travel has the unparalleled power to open people's minds to different cultures, new experiences and to have a profound appreciation for what our world has to offer. As tourism inevitably grows, it is critically important to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices worldwide; and to balance this growth with the needs of the environment and the local population. Bringing companies, consumers and communities together is our best chance to protect destinations and ecosystems for future generations," the Duke of Sussex said in a statement.

The initiative is looking to establish more collaborative partnerships that bring together the collective expertise and perspectives of local communities, policymakers, governments, NGOs, other leading businesses and social entrepreneurs; leveraging technology and strategic initiatives to help scale the global supply of sustainable travel options to meet the growing mass-market demand from consumers.

Individuals and organisations can learn more about supporting this work by visiting www.travalyst.org.

--IANS

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