Prince Harry launches sustainable travel partnership after criticism over use of private jet

Royal has come under fire for his transport choices

Just a few weeks after coming under fire for taking two private jets in a week, the Duke of Sussex has launched a new partnership that will encourage sustainable travel.

He travelled to Amsterdam – reportedly on a commercial flight, rather than by train (Eurostar offers one-way fares to Amsterdam from £42) – to launch the initiative, called Travalyst, which has a broad brief of ”encouraging sustainable tourism practices” by improving conservation, environmental protection and expanding local development.

Travalyst will call on travel companies including Booking.com, Chinese travel agent Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa, to raise awareness of sustainable travel and how consumers can use travel for good.

At the launch, the duke said “no one was perfect” and that every consumer had a “responsibility” to the environment.

Sustainable travel is a hot topic. In 2018, 4.4 billion people took a flight, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (Iata), while the number of international trips reached 1.4 billion – two times faster than original projections, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact of air travel, with the notion of Flygskam (”flight shame”) and the concept of slow travel moving into the mainstream.

“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,” said His Royal Highness, the Duke of Sussex.

“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.”