Prince Harry launches eco-friendly travel scheme after private jet criticism

Prince Harry has launched a global initiative to encourage more environmentally friendly travel after a summer of headlines criticising him for using private jets.

The Duke of Sussex has travelled to Amsterdam on a commercial flight to launch the Travalyst partnership, which is backed by some of the biggest names in the travel industry.

It has been created to promote sustainable travel solutions by supporting local communities, protecting wildlife, tackling climate change and alleviating over-tourism.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been criticised for using private jets, despite campaigning about environmental issues.

Organisations including Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa have all signed up to be part of the initiative, which is being billed as the first of its kind.

This summer, Harry and Meghan have been heavily criticised for using private jets to travel on their family holidays, despite their campaigning about environmental issues such as climate change.

It was reported that they had used private planes rather than taking commercial flights to Ibiza to celebrate Meghan’s birthday.

Singer Elton John also said he had paid for the couple to take a private jet as they stayed at his £15 million pound home in Nice.

He tweeted to defend the couple, saying that an “appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint” was made to support Prince Harry’s “commitment to the environment”.

It was also reported that the Duke had been flown by private jet to a Google climate change event to give a speech about the environment, along with dozens of other A-list stars.

Prince Harry has previously used his official overseas tours to show support for projects aimed at protecting areas of natural beauty at risk of being damaged through tourism.

Ahead of the launch of the Travalyst initiative, The Duke of Sussex said in a statement: “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.” – bbc.com