Prince Harry’s unexpected request

On Tuesday, April 16, at the annual meeting of Travalyst, the organization he founded in 2019 to promote sustainable tourism, Prince Harry stressed the need for travelers to do more to protect the communities they visit on holiday. Speaking via video link from his California residence, King Charles III’s youngest son warned that without such a move, “the future of tourism may be in jeopardy“.

Looking casual in a collared shirt and blazer, the 39-year-old Duke of Sussex spoke through a screen as members of Travalyst gathered in the south of France for a two-day summit bringing together the top brands in the travel and technology sectors. Addressing a group gathered at the office of the Amadeus travel company in the Sophia Antipolis technology park, the prince said: “ Travel and tourism depend on destinations supported by communities, without which we would have nowhere to travel.. It’s the living heart of travel and we need to do better for the people who run the places we visit. »

Liabilities and disputes

Harry also praised several organizations, including Invisible Cities (an association that trains homeless people to become tourist guides in their city, editor’s note), as well as the World Himalayan Expedition, whose programs have helped electrify more than 200 villages in the Himalayas, impacting the lives of more than 60,000 people. “More and more people want to make travel choices that benefit everyone.s,” Harry added. Travalyst and its partners, with a combined market value of nearly $3 billion, are working hard to provide this resource at a system level.” Since its inception, this organization has been primarily involved in accommodation and air transport with major partner groups such as Booking.com, Expedia group, Google, Mastercard, Tripadvisor and Visa.

Harry’s virtual appearance comes days after it was announced he was inking a new deal with Netflix. He and his wife Meghan Markle have signed a deal for two shows for the streaming platform. The yet-to-be-announced programs are currently in the early stages of production. The first will focus on the Duchess of Sussex’s interests, such as gardening, cooking or spending time with friends. The second will be dedicated to the world of professional polo, a sport dear to Prince Harry’s heart. Sequences whose images were primarily filmed during the Polo Championships in Wellington, Florida. Both programs will be curated in part by Archewell Productions, a company founded by… the Sussexes. Business is business.

Sustainable tourism and private jets

Although Harry, like his father, who has campaigned for over 50 years on issues such as sustainability and climate change, is a strong supporter of environmental issues, this is difficult to defend when he uses private jets to carry out his commitments… What the prince is making excuses for “the occasional need to protect your family by systematically offsetting your carbon emissions.”

However, following their sudden departure to Montecito in California and the famous Megxit, the couple have cut back on their trips to the UK. Notably, Harry made the trip around the time of the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Meghan Markle, mother of two children, Archie (4) and Lilibet (2), did not go to the coronation of King Charles II in May 2023. The Prince’s last known visit to a UK university was on 6 February when he returned briefly to London to visit his father Charles, whose cancer had just been announced. And on their next trip, the Sussex clan will have to put their hands in their pockets to take care of their safety. British justice, which in February refused to provide systematic police protection to Prince Harry during his visits to the United Kingdom, on Monday rejected the Duke of Sussex’s appeal and ordered him to pay almost all of the legal costs in the case.