Web travel giants team up to support Prince Harry’s push for a sustainable future

Global travel giants put competitive differences to one side to launch Travalyst

Global travel giants Skyscanner, Booking.com, Ctrip and TripAdvisor put competitive differences to one side this week to back a new global sustainable travel partnership.

Travalyst was officially launched by the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, in Amsterdam yesterday with the aim of forging a sustainable future for the travel industry.

Initially, the co-founding partners of Travalyst have signed up to be a part of the initiative for three years and it has promised concrete proposals to be announced within the next 18 months.

Prince Harry explained why the sustainable future of tourism was a subject close to his heart and something he was inspired to create his own global movement to ensure.

“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 grows, it is important to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices worldwide, and to balance this growth with the needs of the environment and local people.”

To read the full text of Prince Harry’s address at the launch of Travalyst click here, and to read Travolution editor Lee Hayhurst’s take on the initiative click here.

Bryan Dove, Skyscanner chief executive, said: “Global travel is a modern-day gift, bringing together cultures and communities across our planet.

“As such, we have an obligation to preserve our world for future generations to explore and enjoy – but to do this we need to act now as change won’t happen overnight.

“As the biggest players in the travel industry we have a responsibility to use our collective scale to lead this change.”

Gillian Tans, chairwoman of Booking.com, said: “The commitment from these different brands to work together and help build a global network of like-minded social entrepreneurs, NGOs and policymakers is truly inspiring.

“Collaboration is the only path forward if we want to create a real paradigm shift in travel. We want to protect the destinations we all love and guarantee that they are happy and healthy for generations to come, but we can’t do it on our own.

“Even though we don’t have all the answers yet, we are determined to find them together.”

Jane Sun, chief executive of Ctrip, said: “Travel is a powerful means of bringing us closer – to share the beauty of our countries and our myriad cultures, to find our common humanity. But with travel comes the duty to protect our fragile planet.

“That’s why we are working with the brightest minds to ensure that generations to come can follow in our footsteps sustainably and the world and its people can grow together.”

Stephen Kaufer, president and chief executive of TripAdvisor, said: “We all have a responsibility to try and protect our precious planet and communities for generations to come.

“I truly believe more can be achieved by joining together than going alone, which is why we’re excited to be part of Travalyst as we collectively seek out ways to make a positive impact on the future of travel.”

To read the full text of Prince Harry’s address at the launch of Travalyst click here, and to read Travolution editor Lee Hayhurst’s take on the initiative click here.