Prince Harry arrives in UK for last round of royal engagements
Duke and Duchess will stop being working royals on 31 March
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The Duke of Sussex has arrived in Edinburgh ahead of carrying out his first public event in the UK since announcing his plan to give up royal duties.
Harry was pictured arriving in the city on Tuesday evening, in advance of a summit focusing on his sustainable tourism project, Travalyst.
Harry founded the Travalyst coalition along with brands including Booking.com, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor, Trip.com and Visa.
The conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Wednesday will allow Harry and his Travalyst team to gain feedback from the travel industry on new ideas for sustainability, including creating an online scoring system to show the eco-friendly status of aviation, accommodation and holiday experiences.
Harry, known as the Earl of Dumbarton in Scotland, will welcome delegates to the event, with about 100 people from the tourism and travel industries invited to join the working summit.
On launching Travalyst Amsterdam last autumn, he defended his use of private planes, saying he spent “99% of my life” using commercial flights, but occasionally needed to ensure “my family are safe”.
At the time, Harry and Meghan faced mounting criticism after reportedly taking four private jet journeys in 11 days during the summer, apparently at odds with their views on supporting the environment.
A spokesman for the organisation said: “Our ambition is to transform travel and tourism so that every holiday people take, every trip they book, will have a positive impact and better protect the destinations and communities they visit.
“Whether it is through the activities people do, where they stay, or how they get there, we are looking for ways to make it easier for everyone to choose, and for the industry to provide, more purposeful and sustainable options.”
The duke and duchess’s lives as working royals will end on March 31, when they stop representing the Queen and become financially independent.
Press Association
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