- The Duke of Sussex announces a new partnership between online travel firms
- New initiative features Booking.com, SkyScanner, CTrip, TripAdvisor and Visa
- Harry and wife Meghan faced criticism after four private jet journeys in 11 days
The Duke of Sussex today insisted he flew by private jet four times in 11 days to keep his family safe as he launched a new sustainable travel initiative.
Prince Harry said he hopes the new ‘Travalyst’ scheme will better protect tourist destinations and their local communities for generations to come.
The Duke flew to Amsterdam by a commercial flight yesterday to launch the project this morning, and told an audience: ‘We could all do better.’
But claims that he flies by private jet occasionally to protect his family were met with disdain by many Twitter users.
One said: ‘Prince Harry: When I fly by private jet, it’s to keep my family safe. Well lend me your jet so I can keep MY family safe, what a dumb comment by Harry.’
Another added: ‘Prince Harry saying that he only flies private jet to ‘protect his family’ is RUBBISH. Prince William who will actually be KING one day doesn’t even do that! It’s just an excuse to travel in luxury! #Hypocrites.’
And a third tweeted: ‘Harry your brother who is 2nd in line to the throne just flew on a Flybe jet, il sure if there were security risks involved they’d have plonked him on a private plane so what’s your excuse?’
In a question-and-answer session after his speech, Harry said: ‘I came here by commercial. I spend 99 per cent of my life travelling the world by commercial.
‘Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe. It’s genuinely as simple as that.’
It comes after Harry and his wife Meghan were criticised last month after taking four private jet journeys in 11 days to and from Nice and Ibiza, rather than opting for commercial flights – despite speaking out on environmental issues.
Prince Harry speaks in Amsterdam today during the launch of the travel industry partnership
The Duke of Sussex (left) speaks to a panel were Booking.com chairwoman Gillian Tans, SkyScanner chief Bryan Dove, Ctrip boss Jane Sun, TripAdvisor hotels president Kanika Soni and Suzan Kereere, Visa’s chief of merchant sales and acquiring.
Harry also said that he balances out the impact he has on the environment and will continue to do so.
The duke added: ‘I’ve always offset my CO2, I think part of the group discussion we had earlier was ‘what is off-setting CO2?’
‘There are so many people out there that hear about it, don’t know about it. In my mind it’s the right thing to do and we need to make it cool, but it can’t just be a ticking-the-box exercise.
‘Somehow we have to connect people to where that little bit of extra money is actually going and the moment you have that connection you feel you have a bigger purpose in life, and you can actually see the difference you’re making, and I think that’s acceptable.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s official Instagram account also made the announcement
The Instagram account posted these two images of aircraft and rubbish on a beach in the post
The announcement was made by the royals in this post on their Instagram page this morning
He said at the A’dam Tower today: ‘We could all do better, and while no one is perfect, we all have a responsibility for our own individual impact. The question is what we do to balance it all out.
‘So today, after two years of behind-the-scenes conversations and planning, we’re going to start with the tourism industry.’
Harry added that since 2000, the number of trips taken by people around the world has more than doubled, and there will be 1.8billion international trips by 2030.
Harry flew to the Netherlands on a commercial plane, which was at least his fifth flight in a month – although this one was the first of those not on a private jet.
Prince Harry told the audience in Amsterdam today that he hopes the new ‘Travalyst’ scheme will better protect tourist destinations and their local communities for generations to come
The Duke flew to Amsterdam by a commercial flight to launch the project this morning
An announcement was also made today on the couple’s Sussex Royal Instagram account, accompanied by pictures of aircraft on a runway and rubbish on a beach.
The new initiative, which the Duke has been working on for three years, features online travel giants including Booking.com, SkyScanner, CTrip and TripAdvisor.
Speaking today, Harry added: ‘Our world faces environmental challenges of unprecedented scope and scale, from deforestation and the loss of bio-diversity to ocean plastics and poaching. The problems can sometimes seem too big to fix.
‘These human-caused challenges often need a giant systems shift to make a significant enough impact, and that is what this partnership is here to try and do.
‘But just because it is such a massive undertaking doesn’t mean we can’t all play our part. Sometimes the scale of the conservation crisis feels overwhelming and that individual actions can’t make a difference.
‘I’ve certainly felt that, but I’ve learned that we cannot dismiss the idea of trying to do something just because we can’t do everything.’
Singer Sir Elton John defended the Duke and Duchess over the private jet and said he had provided them and baby son Archie with a flight to Nice last month to ‘maintain a high level of much-needed protection’.
He also hit back at what he called ‘these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character’.
Harry arrived at A’dam Tower looking relaxed, and headed inside for a private meeting with chief executive officers and senior figures from the firms involved with the project.
He also hosted a panel discussion with the company bosses.
Harry arrived at Amsterdam’s A’dam Tower this morning looking relaxed and headed inside
Harry arrives for a private meeting with chief executive officers and senior company figures
Harry will later deliver a speech and host a panel discussion with the company bosses
Those involved in today’s panel were Booking.com chairwoman Gillian Tans, SkyScanner chief Bryan Dove, Ctrip boss Jane Sun, TripAdvisor hotels president Kanika Soni and Suzan Kereere, Visa’s chief of merchant sales and acquiring.
Last year, there were 1.4billion international trips and travel and tourism generated £7.3trillion to the global economy.
Buckingham Palace said consumers were now becoming keen to ensure their travel was more sustainable and had less impact on the environment.
A survey of travellers for Booking.com found 71 per cent thought travel companies should offer more sustainable travel choices and 68 per cent said it was important the money they spent went back into local communities.
Meghan cradles her son Archie as they get off a private jet at Nice Airport in France last month
Prince Harry gets on board a private jet in Nice last month following a visit to see Sir Elton John
Harry and wife Meghan faced criticism last month after taking four private jet journeys in 11 days, rather than opting for commercial flights, despite speaking out on environmental issues
source:dailymail