Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is urging the travel sector to shift its focus toward the sustainability of destinations rather than solely valuing its own growth metrics. During his speech at the Skift Global Forum on Wednesday, the royal emphasised the importance of prioritising the well-being and longevity of locations for the industry’s success.
The Urgency of Sustainable Travel
According to Harry, who is also the founder of the environmental travel initiative, Travalyst, the vitality of the travel industry is intricately linked to the health of the destinations it promotes. He pointed out that the industry must acknowledge that prosperous destinations are foundational to its own prosperity.
Harry commented on the dual nature of travel, which depends on robust communities and natural environments but simultaneously faces threats from overtourism and climate change. The World Travel & Tourism Council reports that the travel sector contributes approximately 7.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the urgency of tackling these issues.
Environmental Concerns Driving Discussion
The rise in global critiques comes amidst ongoing environmental concerns faced by popular tourist spots, including extreme weather events like heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts that occurred over the summer. Harry’s remarks are a call to action for the travel industry to not only measure traditional metrics like revenue but to also incorporate the health of destinations into their success evaluations.
Prince Harry’s vision with Travalyst is that travel can have positive environmental and social impacts, indicating a need for the industry to adapt and evolve for sustainable operations.
Reporting based on coverage first published by skift.com.