The Duke of Sussex was in Amsterdam for the launch of the new sustainable travel initiative Travalyst.
In 2018, travel and tourism contributed $8.8 trillion to the global economy; the number of trips taken globally reached 1.4 billion, two years earlier than predicted.
Despite the steady growth, the travel industry is under great scrutiny. The demand for sustainable travel options is growing rapidly as more and more people start realising the impending catastrophe climate destruction threatens to bring. According to research conducted by Booking.com, 71 percent of travellers want more sustainable travel options, and the market research firm TechNavio predicts global sustainable tourism market to grow $340 billion within the next four years.
Travalyst, a first-of-its-kind partnership led by Prince Harry and co-founded by Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa, aims to take this great scrutiny travel is under and turn it into a catalyst for good.
By encouraging sustainable tourism practices, the initiative plans to make the travel industry a part of efforts to conserve and protect nature and improve the livelihoods of local communities under threat.
Instead of shunning travel because of the industry’s contribution to climate destruction, Travalyst plans to employ its unique power to drive positive change, protecting the planet and its inhabitants.
On the matter, The Duke of Sussex says: "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.”
The initiative aims to create a collaborative cross-industry movement to make sure the future of travel is a sustainable one. The areas it aims to tackle are supporting local people, protecting wildlife, tackling climate change and environmental damage, and alleviating over-tourism.
Header image: EJ Hersom